GBR Blind Sailing Defends World Title as Three Teams Make Their Mark in Portugal
Three teams; twelve sailors and a dedicated support team of sighted crew and volunteers. One shared ambition: a world title defended; significant GBR podium success and a growing international community for blind and visually impaired sailors.
World Sailing Inclusion Championships | Portimão, Portugal | 1–10 October 2026
GBR Blind Sailing has returned from the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, Portugal, with plenty to celebrate. This was an event which brought together 222 athletes from 40 nations, competing across nine inclusive sailing events.
For GBR Blind Sailing, the RS21 fleet provided a thrilling week of racing, with crews tested by changing winds, challenging seas and fiercely competitive international opposition. Across ten days of training, development and international competition, the British squad showcased the strength of its sailors, the importance of teamwork and the power of an inclusive sailing community.
There were three GBR Blind Sailing teams competing in the Vision Impairment (VI) keelboat league, but the event was about so much more than defending a world title. It was an opportunity to support emerging sailing nations, welcome new sailors to the international stage and help build a future where more blind and visually impaired people can compete at the highest level.
When the final results were confirmed, GBR successfully defended its Vision Impairment world title, secured further podium success and helped Great Britain claim the overall Nations Trophy.
They raced teams from around the World: Spain, USA, Trinidad and Tobago, France, Japan, Canada and Sweden.
Three GBR teams, one shared mission
GBR Blind Sailing sent three teams to Portimão, in each of the B1, B2 and B3 visual impairment classifications after a tough selection process. This participation is truly down to the training put on by the charity and the dedication from all sailors to show up and train both with us and at their home clubs.
Each team brought its own strengths, experience and determination, supported by sighted crew working alongside visually impaired helms and crew members.
Racing in the RS21 keelboats demands far more than sailing ability alone. Clear communication, trust, precise boat handling, tactical awareness and the ability to adapt quickly are essential. Each crew member must also have the physical ability, concentration and resilience to keep up with the pace of competitive racing in the conditions that came before them – sometimes for 7 hours on the trot.
For visually impaired sailors, communication is fundamental to every manoeuvre. Crew members must work together to share information about the course, wind, other boats and changing conditions, ensuring every decision is understood and executed at the right moment.
The three GBR crews were:
• GBR 1 – B1: Vicki Sheen, Ian Shirra, Jonathan Cormack and Toby Davey.
• GBR 2 – B2: Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole and Steve Tylecote.
• GBR 3 – B3: Christina Morris, Ben Tylecote, Karl Haines and Colin Midgley.
Twelve sailors formed the three crews, supported by the wider GBR Blind Sailing team and volunteers who helped make the campaign possible, and alongside key sponsors Rooster, RYA Sailability, Faster Connect, Inspiration In You, ARB Tree and Garden Solution and deeply appreciated personal sponsors and family and friend donations.
The Inclusive Development Programme: investing in the future
Before the racing began, GBR Blind Sailing dedicated the first three days to the World Sailing Inclusive Development Programme (IDP), working alongside World Sailing and Blind Sailing International (BSI).
This was one of the most important parts of the entire event.
The IDP is designed to help emerging sailing nations develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to participate in international inclusive sailing. It provides practical coaching, opportunities to get out on the water with more experienced crews and a supportive environment in which sailors can learn from one another.
GBR Blind Sailing supported sailors from Trinidad and Tobago, Hong Kong and other developing or returning programmes. The sessions covered boat handling, race preparation, starting, rules, tactics, communication and the practical realities of competing internationally.
The programme was not simply about teaching people how to sail faster. It was about helping countries build the foundations for sustainable blind sailing programmes at home.
A historic first for Trinidad and Tobago
One of the standout stories of the week was Trinidad and Tobago taking part in the World Sailing Inclusion Championships for the first time. A big thanks to Alice Lucy and Jamie Tylecote for providing amazing support which lead to the team being able to race with us and have some amazing finishing results.
For Shannon Madar and Jaidon Vincent, the VI sailors from Trinidad, arriving in Portimão marked an important step in their sailing journeys. Their participation demonstrated what can happen when opportunities, coaching and international support come together.
GBR Blind Sailing was proud to support their development alongside World Sailing and BSI through the IDP.
Seeing new sailors move from development sessions into the international championship environment brought the wider purpose of the programme to life. Every new country that takes part helps strengthen the international community and creates opportunities for more visually impaired sailors to follow.
The programme also provided an opportunity for countries to reconnect, share experiences and develop their ambitions for future competition.
For GBR Blind Sailing, this is what international development should look like: experienced sailors sharing knowledge, countries supporting one another and opportunities opening up for the next generation.
And the chuckles that flowed with one word “starboard"
Three days of training, a practice race and the opening ceremony
The opening days combined learning, preparation and the excitement of getting the boats out on the water.
There was time to work through the fundamentals, ask questions, practise manoeuvres and build confidence in the RS21s. A practice race outside the harbour gave sailors a valuable opportunity to experience the racecourse and prepare for the competition ahead, and all you could hear off the water was ‘those waves are going to be tough’, but that’s what a World Championship should feel like.
The opening ceremony brought together competitors, officials, organisers and supporters from around the world, celebrating the spirit of inclusion and the international community that makes these championships so important. It was also great to see the crews from the visually impaired teams join together and have a great time all mixing together : an outsider may have thought they were one nation.
With the development programme complete, attention turned to the championship itself. The teams had spent three days sharing knowledge and preparing for racing. Now it was time to put that preparation into action.
Racing begins: the RS21 fleet gets underway
Championship racing ran from 5 to 10 October, with the Vision Impairment fleet competing in an umpired league fleet-racing format in RS21 keelboats.
The early results showed that GBR Blind Sailing meant business.
On the opening day, Lucy Hodges and the GBR 2 crew made an outstanding start, winning all three of their races. GBR 3 were also firmly in contention, recording two wins and a second-place finish. GBR 1 put in a strong, consistent performance and ended the first day in fourth place. The opening day demonstrated the preparation, teamwork and experience within the squad.
However, there was still a long way to go, with several days of racing ahead and a competitive international fleet determined to challenge the British teams.
Every race brought a new challenge
Portimão delivered a real mixture of sailing conditions throughout the championship.
The crews experienced lighter winds, stronger breezes, choppy water, swell and changing conditions that demanded constant adjustments to sail trim, boat balance and tactical decisions.
At times, the sea was relatively smooth; at others, the swell and chop made the boats considerably more demanding to handle. The sailors had to manage their energy, remain focused and communicate clearly, even as the conditions changed around them.
In an RS21, every movement matters. Sail trim, balance and boat speed must work together, while the crew remains alert to tactical opportunities and the actions of other boats.
For visually impaired sailors, that teamwork becomes even more important. Information must be delivered clearly and concisely, with every crew member understanding their role and trusting the others to perform. Roll tacks where all four sailors move as one this takes confidence - staying down on the low side then climbing to the high side and all sitting as one to fan the sails with extra energy – it all requires accurate communication and commitment.
Tuesday brought particularly challenging conditions. Strong winds and waves on top of a significant swell out at sea, all boats were reefed. Keeping the RS21s balanced and under control became a real test of the crews’ skills, strength and communication.
The boats were constantly moving beneath the sailors, making it essential to keep movements smooth, maintain balance and work together to prevent the boat from being thrown off course.
Every team had to dig deep, stay focused and trust its preparation. These were the conditions that tested every element of the sport, from physical fitness and concentration, to teamwork, communication and decision-making. When you can’t see the waves coming it takes the whole team to keep the boat moving: helming and trimming as one. We are truly proud of our B1 team who took a few tumbles on the waves but sat back up and stayed in the race and saw their own first race win. Jonny Cormack, B1 tactician said “feeding information about the direction and height of wave ahead of motion was tough but I knew Vicki and Toby needed me every inch of the course and not just that - the boats around us relied on us sailing smooth and safe as it was not easy for anyone”.
As the week progressed, the competition tightened. Spain continued to challenge, and the international fleet demonstrated the growing strength of blind sailing around the world.
The British crews had to remain consistent, learn from every race and maintain their concentration through the final series.
A tense finish: every point counts
As the final races approached, Lucy Hodges and her GBR 2 team remained at the front of the Vision Impairment fleet.
The defending champions had delivered a strong and consistent performance throughout the week, but there was no room for complacency. In league racing, every start, mark rounding and tactical decision can make a difference, and total points can be changed in an instant. Consistency and risk avoidance are key.
GBR B3 had experienced a few close calls during the racing particularly on the approach to the top mark, resulting in penalty points that proved costly in the overall standings. Going into the final day, they found themselves in fourth place, just one point off third from USA, leaving everything to play for in the final races. With their first two races seeing them on the start line with USA they put us all on tender hooks, they used the skill of Ben’s match racing tactics and Colin’s calm words to gain an advantage pre- start. USA had a favourite end and a way to start that had been noticed throughout the week, this had been paying off keeping them clear of all the chaos at the committee boat end. But, GBR had to try something so they approached USA on starboard and with a simple call of Starboard with USA on port and a slow reaction from USA it gave, USA a penalty turn, but they had to create a gap to turn and head back take their turns and set off. This gave GBR 2nd place and USA 6th. If that was not enough, they had to keep going, with USA starting in the same place at the pin GBR again with a call of Starboard saw the umpires again give USA a penalty turn. USA had got on to Starboard underneath GBR but not in time, with a quick turn from USA they were just underneath GBR so GBR had to sail high and fast and put USA in their dirty air. Another great example of close racing and skill shown by both GBR B3 and USA but this saw GBR B3 take a second place and USA a fourth, putting GBR back into 3rd overall.
Meanwhile, GBR B1 were fighting hard to hold on to third place in the Para B1 fleet. With the pressure mounting from Sweden and not knowing how many races would be sailing the final results kept all on their toes. The last day kept its promise to be a tense finish for all three GBR teams.
There were celebrations as the boats crossed the line for the final time andGBR3 had the privilege of the final race win.
When the championship concluded on 10 October, Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole and Steve Tylecote had successfully defended their Vision Impairment world title.
It was another outstanding achievement for the GBR 2 crew, who had led the standings throughout the week and maintained their performance against a strengthening international field.
Spain took overall silver, with the GBR 3 crew securing the bronze position after a closely fought championship and the B3 classification gold.
Their podium finish was a fantastic achievement, particularly after entering the final day in fourth. It demonstrated the importance of staying in the fight, learning from setbacks and continuing to push right until the final race.
GBR B1 team of Vicki Sheen, Toby Davey, Jonny Cormack and Ian Shirra battled hard to finish 6th overall including a couple of impressive race wins in the stronger winds and 3rd in the B1 para class. A bit more wind and who knows how high they could have climbed. The team demonstrated total commitment and trust between the sailors, and their campaign highlighted the competitive opportunities and experience that international racing provides, taking 3rd place in B1.
GBR Blind Sailing results
The final Vision Impairment standings celebrated a successful championship for the British squad.
Overall result | Team | Sailors |
1st – Gold - Gold B2 | GBR 2 | Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole, Steve Tylecote |
2nd – Silver - Gold B1 | Spain | Daniel Anglada Pich, Carmen Lopez Garcia, Jordi Sánchez Pérez, Monica Azon Canalda |
3rd – Bronze - Gold in B3 | GBR 3 | Christina Morris, Ben Tylecote, Karl Haines, Colin Midgley |
The overall results reflect the competitive strength and depth of the British squad and the importance of having multiple teams racing at international level. They also provide valuable experience that can be taken into future training, selection and development programmes.
More than medals: the wider GBR success
While defending the Vision Impairment title was a major achievement, the championships offered plenty more reasons to celebrate for the British sailing community.
Great Britain finished top of the overall Nations Trophy standings. British sailors also achieved outstanding results in other inclusive sailing disciplines, including James Coxon's victory in the Challenger multihull event and a British clean sweep of the podium in that class.
These achievements reflect the depth of inclusive sailing talent in Britain and the importance of providing opportunities for sailors with different impairments and support needs.
The championship was delivered in partnership with Vela Solidária, the Municipality of Portimão and the Portuguese Sailing Federation, with support from the America's Cup, and we say thank you for being amazing hosts alongside the amazing World Sailing Team.
A message from Lucy Hodges MBE, Commodore of GBR Blind Sailing
“For me, these championships have always been about more than winning another world title.
“Of course, I am incredibly proud of our GBR teams and what they have achieved. Defending our title in the RS21 fleet, seeing our teams perform under pressure and watching everyone pull together has been fantastic.
“But the real success for me is seeing the international community grow.
“We dedicated our first three days to supporting emerging nations and helping sailors develop their skills and confidence. To see Trinidad and Tobago taking part for the first time, alongside Hong Kong, and to welcome countries back into international competition, is exactly what we want to achieve through Blind Sailing International and the Inclusive Development Programme.
“I am on my way home feeling proud, inspired and excited about what comes next. It has been wonderful to meet old friends, make new ones and see what can happen when countries support each other.
“Our ambition is to keep growing the sport so that more visually impaired sailors can access sailing in their own countries, develop their skills and eventually compete at the highest level.
“The medals are fantastic, but the legacy we build together is what matters most.”
Three GBR teams. Twelve sailors. One world title defended. New nations welcomed. A stronger future for blind sailing.
Thank you to every sailor, sighted crew member, coach, volunteer, supporter and partner who helped make the GBR campaign possible. Every contribution matters, both on the water and behind the scenes.
We return home proud of what we have achieved and excited about what comes next.
GBR Blind Sailing — racing together, developing together, and opening the water to more people around the world.
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