World Sailing has announced a new collaboration with The America’s Cup ahead of this weeks 2025 World Sailing Inclusion Championships.
The joint effort will support the 2025 World Sailing Inclusion Championships, part of the platform to advance the bid for re-inclusion of sailing in the Paralympic Games in Brisbane in 2032 as a full sport.
The first tranche of funding will enable travel grants, coaching, and equipment support for emerging nations seeking to enter the global pathway. This funding ensures athletes who have historically lacked access to high-level competition can participate on the world stage – in some cases, for the first time.
The remainder of the funding is being directed toward strengthening the Para Inclusive system itself. This includes officials and access to classification, advancing the sport’s compliance with IPC requirements, developing coaches and technical officials, and reinforcing the structures needed for a credible and competitive reinstatement bid ahead of Brisbane 2032.
Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup said, “We are extremely proud to be continuing and in fact growing our support for para sailing. Sailing is an inclusive sport at all levels, and we would like to see a future with para sailing as part of the America’s Cup, with the possibility of a para sailing team competing in the AC40 Class. So this collaboration is the first step in that direction.”
The 2025 World Sailing Inclusion Championships, hosted by Oman Sail this week, will welcome over 150 athletes across Para, Inclusive, Intellectual Impairment, and Visually Impaired disciplines.
The event stands as the flagship expression of the Para Inclusive Strategy and a cornerstone of World Sailing’s revitalised case for Paralympic reinstatement.
