Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey and Ruairidh Scott, sailing GBR44 The Jean Genie, have won the 2025 5.5 Metre World Championship.
The British team finished the final day in Sopot, with a 4 , 1, score for a six point victory ahead of POL 17 Aspire of Przemek Gacek, Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Kilian Weise, with AUS 66 Ku-Ring-Gai III of John Bacon, Edward Wright and Joost Houweling in third.
It’s possibly been a long time coming but Peter Morton is finally 5.5 Metre World Champion. His boat won it three years ago when he couldn’t make it and the last two years were unfulfilled, but in Sopot he finally realised the potential of his crew and boat to win the world title.
Morton said he was ‘very happy to finally get the job done’.
It came down to the final race, but he had a habit of staying out of trouble and minimising risk and that paid off, with his fourth race win of the week.
In the penultimate race, Ku-Ring-Gai III took the lead on run and led round to win from Girls on Film of Louise Morton and Artemis of Kristian Nergaard, with Morton finishing 4th to take a three-point lead into the final race.
The final race was a change of course with an upwind finish. It was an uneventful race and led from start to finish by The Jean Genie, to put the title beyond doubt. Ku-Ring-Gai III crossed second and Aspire crossed third to secure the silver.
5.5 Metre 2025 World Championship – Final after 9 races (20 entries)
1st GBR 43 The Jean Genie – Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ruairidh Scott – – 19 pts
2nd POL 17 Aspire – Przemek Gacek, Kilian Weise, Mateusz Kusznierewicz – – 25 pts
3rd AUS 66 Ku-Ring-Gai III – John Bacon, Edward Wright, Joost Houweling – – 27 pts
4th GBR 41 Girls on Film – Louise Morton, Samuel Haines, Charlie Cumbley – – 37 pts
5th Artemis Kristian Nergaard NOR Johan Barne Trond Solli-Saethe – – 38 pts
6th SUI 233 Marie-Françoise XXII – Jürg Menzi, Jürgen Eiermann, Christof Wilke – – 47 pts
7th AUS 63 Beta Crucis Martin Cross, Bob Stoddard, Simon Reffold – – 57 pts
8th NOR 68 OTTO – Bent Christian Wilhelmsen, Lasse Berthelsen, Herve Cunningham – – 64 pts
9th AUS 44 Many – Marc Ryan, Dave Edwards, Josh Grace) – – 70 pts
10th BAH 25 New Moon 3 – Mark Holowesko, Christoph Burger, Peter Vlasov – – 45 pts
