Anticipation is building as sailors worldwide prepare for the 2025 Hansa World Championships, set to be hosted at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Newport, Australia. Fresh off the recent Hansa Class Asia Pacific Championships at Southport Yacht Club, top competitors from across the globe are gearing up for fierce competition in March 2025.

At the Asia Pacific Championships in October, Japan’s Takumi Niwa delivered an impressive performance in the Hansa 303 One Person fleet, securing the win after consistently placing in the top three in all eight races. Niwa, along with Polish Para World Sailing Champion Piotr Cichocki and Australia’s Alison Weatherly, will reunite in Newport to vie for the Hansa 303 Para World and Open World titles. Spain’s Isaias Iglesias, who took second in the European Championships, will also add to the challenge.

The 303 Two Person category saw Australians Chris Symonds and Manuela Klinger dominate by winning every race. Next year’s competition will feature strong European contenders, including France’s Gauthier Bril and Camille Massonnaud, along with past medalists Piotr Cichocki and Olga Górnaś-Grudzień, in what promises to be a thrilling contest.

In the Liberty class, Hong Kong’s Foo Yuen Wai, with six wins out of nine starts, claimed victory in Southport and now sets his sights a World Championship. Britain’s Paul Phillips and former champion Vera Voorbach from the Netherlands will join him in Newport, alongside Japan’s Ryo Sasaki, who secured the Liberty Servo title at the Asia Pacifics.