Winners crowned at 2025 World Inclusion Sailing

MUSANNAH: The last day of the inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championships 2025, hosted by the Sultanate of Oman and organised by Oman Sail, brought the event to a close with dramatic racing, jubilation and a sense of triumph amongst all participants.
Conditions were excellent, as has been the case for the entire week, allowing the sailors to showcase the skill and tactical brilliance of Para Inclusive Sailing across all four classes.
In the Two Person Keelboat (RS Venture Connect), the Polish team of Piotr Cichocki and Olga Gornas-
Grudzien overcame a disqualification in the sixth race to post two more wins and seal gold. Pau Toni
Homar and Ramon Gutierrez of Spain saved their best form for last, climbing the leaderboard in the final series of races to take silver with victory in the last race. The team of Vasilis Christoforou and Thodoris Alexas in Greece-1 took bronze after finishing second in the final race while the Norwegian pair Stian Kristiansen and Elliot Finnestrand finished fourth, level on points with the Greek pair.

Final positions in the One Person Keelboat (Hansa 303) competition came down to the final race after
Joao Pinto of Portugal almost mounted an epic comeback. In the end, Great Britain’s Rory McKinna held on to win by a single point, meaning Pinto had to settle for silver. Japan’s Takumi Niwa was also nearly claimed silver but ended the competition in third, one point behind Pinto. Gauthier Bril from France finished fourth, again just one point behind.
Great Britain’s Murray MacDonald sealed gold in the Intellectual Impairment (ILCA 6) event after ending every day in first place with six wins from 10 races. Marwan Suloom of the UAE claimed silver with four successive top two finishes – including winning the final race. Man Hong Leung from Hong Kong finished third to take bronze, and narrowly edging out compatriot Tsz Hin Cheung in fourth.
Great Britain-2 skippered by Lucy Hodges entered the final day with gold in her sights and a commanding lead in the Visually Impaired (FarEast 28R). She sailed well, as she had all week, to confirm first place ahead of Dani Pich of Spain in second and Karl Haines of Great Britain in third, overtaking fellow Brit Vicki Sheen in the last series of races. Sheen finished in fourth and Kylie Forth of Australia finished fifth.

Once the waves had calmed, attention shifted to the closing ceremony and prize giving where the top three in each category received their medals from guest of honour Dr Laila bint Ahmed al Najjar,
Minister of Social Development, who said: “We are deeply proud of what we witnessed today at the World Sailing Championship for Persons with Disabilities, and of the remarkable performance and exemplary sportsmanship demonstrated by all participants. Their achievements reaffirm that persons with disabilities possess exceptional capabilities and great potential, and that they are fully able to compete and excel at both the national and international levels.'
Dr Khamis Salim al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, commented on the importance of this event to the future of Para Inclusive Sailing, saying: “Twenty-eight nations came together on the waters of the Gulf of Oman, reaffirming that sport is a universal language, one that transcends borders and unites people under the banner of ambition and achievement.

NEW CHAPTER
“This first-ever edition has written a new chapter in the global journey of Para Inclusive Sailing, placing the Sultanate of Oman — through Oman Sail — at the forefront as the first country in the world to host this championship. It marks a springboard for future editions and a pivotal step towards integrating para sailing into upcoming Olympic competitions.”
Hannah Stodel, Para Sailing Manager at World Sailing, closed the event with a rousing speech about the future of Para Inclusive Sailing.
“Sailors came from every corner of the globe, arriving with determination, joy, and the fierce competitive spirit that defines Para Inclusive Sailing. Whether this was your first event or your fiftieth,
you have been nothing short of inspirational.
“This championship marks a turning point. A bold, unapologetic statement that Para Inclusive Sailing belongs on the world stage - not hidden, not sidelined, but central to our sport’s future. We are building something monumental together.”
This event in the Sultanate of Oman marked the start of a new high-level international competition for Para Inclusive Sailing. A total of 127 participants from 28 nations competed throughout the week out of the 155 from 37 nations who registered.
The closing ceremony concluded with a flag handover from the Sultanate of Oman to next year’s hosts, the city of Portimao in Portugal.