World Sailing has recognised its top achievers, honouring two offshore stars, Charlie Dalin and Justine Mettraux, as the Rolex World Sailors of the Year.

The awards highlight not only exceptional performance but also remarkable personal resilience in the face of immense challenge.

Dalin’s Secret Battle Behind Record Victory

France’s Charlie Dalin was named the Male Rolex World Sailor of the Year, a tribute to his all-conquering victory in the 2024–2025 Vendée Globe.

Aboard Macif Santé Prévoyance, Dalin completed the grueling solo, non-stop circumnavigation in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds, demolishing the previous course record by nearly 10 days. His win was made all the more heroic by a revelation shared recently: Dalin was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in 2023.

He competed in the Vendée Globe while undergoing treatment, managing his illness with daily medication.

Mettraux Sets New Female Circumnavigation Record

The Female Rolex World Sailor of the Year title went to Swiss sailor Justine Mettraux, who delivered an historic performance in the Vendée. Finishing eighth overall on Teamwork-Team SNEF, Mettraux was the first woman and first international competitor to cross the finish line.

Mettraux completed the race in 76 days, 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 52 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest single-handed, non-stop, monohull circumnavigation by a woman. Her achievement is the latest in a highly diverse and impressive offshore career that has seen her compete in the Vendée Globe, participate in the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup, and, more recently, take part in The Ocean Race Europe.

Emirates Team New Zealand Named Team of the Year

In the collective categories, Emirates Team New Zealand earned the 2025 World Sailing Team of the Year Award. The honour recognises the team’s continued success and commitment to innovation and community within the sport.

The award follows ETNZ’s historic third consecutive America’s Cup victory in Barcelona in 2024, a feat that solidified their position as one of the most successful teams in America’s Cup history.

Kevin Shoebridge, COO of Emirates Team New Zealand, emphasised the collaborative spirit behind the win. “This recognition is especially meaningful to us because it is not about any one individual. It is about the strength of the team,” Shoebridge said.

“Every single person in our organisation, from the sailors to the designers, the boatbuilders, the shore crew, and the families who support us, plays a crucial role in what we achieve together.”

In accepting the award, the team also paid tribute to inspirational blind sailor Dani A Pich, acknowledging the importance of championing inclusivity and accessibility in sailing.

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11th Hour Racing Impact Award

The commitment to sustainability in the sport was also recognised, with the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Impact Award being presented to the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project.

The project, led by the Royal Yachting Association, was honoured for its landmark collaboration uniting conservation bodies and the recreational boating community to restore and protect fragile seagrass meadows and maerl beds across five Special Areas of Conservation in southern England.

Youth Winners Impress

The Kuehne+Nagel Young World Sailor of the Year awards were won by Greece’s Nikolaos Pappas and Marta Cardona of Spain.

Nikolaos Pappas, from the small Greek village of Vonitsa, made history on the global sailing stage. At just 13 years of age and competing at his first international event – the 2025 Optimist World Championship in Portoroz, Slovenia – he beat 213 athletes from all over the world to take the title.

Another debutant, Marta Cardona Alcántara from Spain, showed her potential by winning the 470 Mixed World and European Championships at the first time of sailing in the events. She won the European title after sailing with her partner Jordi Xammar for just 40 days and went on to claim the world title a month later.

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