John Bacon claims third with two race wins; Martin Cross finishes strong in seventh
RPAYC members once again made their mark on the international sailing stage at the 2025 5.5 Metre World Championship, held in Sopot, Poland, from 10–14 June.

After five days of tight, tactical racing in a variety of conditions, John Bacon, sailing Ku-Ring-Gai III (AUS 66) with crew Edward Wright and Joost Houweling, delivered a brilliant performance to finish third overall. The team showed their class on the final day, taking out two race wins in the lighter northerly breeze and climbing onto the podium – a fantastic follow-up to their 2024 World Championship victory in France.

Also representing RPAYC was Martin Cross, sailing Beta Crucis (AUS 63) with Bob Stoddard and Simon Reffold. Their consistent form across the regatta earned them a well-deserved 7th place in a highly competitive fleet of 34 boats.

The overall championship was won by The Jean Genie (GBR 43), helmed by Peter Morton, with Andrew “Dog” Palfrey and Ruairidh Scott. Polish entry Aspire (POL 17), with Mateusz Kusznierewicz onboard, took second place.
“It’s fantastic to see our members performing at the top level internationally,” said Commodore Rob McClelland. “Backing up a world title with another podium is a remarkable achievement from John and his crew, and Martin’s top-10 result highlights the depth of talent we have here at RPAYC.”

📎 Full results: https://5.5class.org/events/2025-world-championship-sopot/results