Log of the Week - 5 December 2025 - Sailing News

The sailing world never stands still. Every week brings a mix of big moments, quiet shifts, new technology, environmental updates, and sometimes stories that remind us why seamanship still matters. This week’s news spans the whole world — from professional racing circuits to offshore safety, new regulations, cleaner technologies, and changes to the waterways many of us use every day.

Here is a look at the stories shaping boating, cruising, and life on the water this week.

1. Great Britain takes SailGP title – and the sustainability crown

The 2025 SailGP season finished in Abu Dhabi with a historic double win for Emirates Great Britain. The British team, led on the water by Dylan Fletcher and strategist Hannah Mills and founded by Ben Ainslie, won the SailGP championship final against New Zealand and Australia, taking home the US$2 million prize.

On top of that, they also topped SailGP’s Impact League, which ranks teams on their environmental and social actions, like cutting carbon, reducing waste, and education work. For cruising sailors, it’s interesting to see a top professional circuit where performance and sustainability now sit side by side — a sign of where the wider boating world is heading.

More info: https://sailgp.com/

2. Tragedy in the Mozambique Channel raises safety questions

A very sad story shook the cruising community this week. Australian sailor Deirdre “Cookie” Sibly and her French companion Pascal were found dead on their yacht after a distress call in the Mozambique Channel, between Madagascar and mainland Africa. Early reports describe “mysterious circumstances,” and some family members fear a possible pirate attack, though authorities have not confirmed the cause yet and investigations are ongoing.

Both sailors were highly experienced and on what they called the “adventure of a lifetime”. For blue-water cruisers, this is a painful reminder that some areas still carry real security risks, even for capable crews. Routing, up-to-date information, and good communication gear remain essential when sailing through higher-risk regions.

3. EU transport plan includes recreational boating for the first time

In Brussels, the European Commission has published its new Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), and for the first time ever, recreational craft are explicitly part of the strategy. The plan aims to direct funding and support toward cleaner fuels and infrastructure for both aviation and waterborne transport, and now that includes leisure boating too.

Industry bodies like European Boating Industry welcomed the move as a “historic milestone” that finally recognises boating in Europe’s wider decarbonisation roadmap. For private boat owners and marinas, this could eventually mean more support for shore power, alternative fuels, charging infrastructure, and cleaner technologies — not just rules and restrictions.

4. New Zealand tightens marine protection rules from 1 December

From 1 December 2025, New Zealand has brought in a bundle of maritime and marine-protection rule changes to match updated international conventions. These amendments include stricter rules for certain polluting cargoes known as “persistent floaters” and updated requirements for how oily water and noxious liquid substances are handled and discharged.

The changes are aimed mainly at commercial shipping, but as we’ve seen before, stricter environmental rules often ripple out into marina practices, reception facilities, and expectations for all visiting vessels. For cruisers heading to or from New Zealand, it’s another reason to keep an eye on official notices and be ready for tighter controls around waste and discharges.

5. Raymarine teams up with Seabed 2030 to map the ocean floor

On the tech side, marine electronics company Raymarine has announced a new partnership with the Seabed 2030 project, an international initiative to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. The idea is to use Raymarine’s network and technology to help collect more depth and seabed data, feeding into global charts and scientific research.

For everyday sailors, this won’t change tomorrow’s route planning, but it’s an interesting example of how cruising and fishing boats can quietly contribute to a bigger picture. Each echo-sounder ping and logged track is a small piece of a huge puzzle — one that will eventually mean better charts and a deeper understanding of the oceans we sail on.

Official site: https://seabed2030.org/

6. Oceanco delivers 111-metre diesel-electric superyacht Leviathan

Dutch yard Oceanco has delivered the 111-metre superyacht Leviathan after successful sea trials off Stellendam. The yacht is owned by Gabe Newell — best known as the co-founder of Valve — who is also now the owner of Oceanco itself. Leviathan uses a diesel-electric power system and has been designed with a strong focus on crew wellbeing and operational efficiency, with input from both crew and build team.

It’s obviously a very different world from a 40-foot cruising boat, but there’s still a connection: large projects like this often act as testbeds for new systems, propulsion concepts, and energy management approaches that sometimes filter down into smaller yachts over time.

Info: https://www.oceancoyacht.com/

7. Rolls-Royce runs 100% methanol marine engine test

Future fuel experiments moved a step forward with news that Rolls-Royce has successfully completed what it describes as a world-first test of a marine engine running on 100% methanol. The trial is part of the wider push to find cleaner, drop-in replacements for conventional marine diesel.

Right now, this is mainly a commercial and large-ship story, and methanol itself still raises questions about production, sourcing, and onboard safety. But it shows where research money is going. For yacht owners, it’s another sign that the long-term future of propulsion is likely to involve a mix of fuels and technologies rather than a simple one-for-one swap from diesel to “something green.”

8. Azimut|Benetti launches AI collision-prevention system WATCHIT Eye

Italian group Azimut|Benetti has introduced WATCHIT Eye, an AI-powered collision-prevention system designed to help skippers avoid accidents. Using sensors and smart software, it monitors the surroundings and warns about potential collision risks before they escalate.

For now, WATCHIT Eye is being framed as a high-end superyacht tool, but it sits within a wider move toward more assistance systems on pleasure boats — from advanced radar overlays to smart autopilots and camera-based docking aids. As with cars, we’re likely to see more “co-pilot” tech on cruising boats in the coming years, raising both comfort and the ongoing debate about how much we should rely on machines at sea.

9. Britain’s inland waterways under financial pressure

Back on inland waters, the Inland Waterways Association in the UK has warned that around 75% of Britain’s canals and rivers face financial insecurity, as navigation authorities struggle with climate impacts, ageing infrastructure, and funding gaps. The report suggests that without significant long-term investment, more closures, restrictions, or reduced maintenance could follow.

For liveaboards and leisure boaters on the canals, this is not just a political story — it affects lock repairs, dredging, towpath maintenance, and even basic navigation safety. The situation is a reminder that waterway access depends on invisible background funding and that advocacy groups still play an important role in keeping these routes open for everyone.

A Personal Note

Putting this week’s log together, I’m struck by how wide the sailing world really is. In one week we see a top-level foiling series talking about sustainability, a new EU plan that finally recognises recreational boating, a tragic story that reminds us of real risks offshore, and quiet work on rules, engines, and charts that will shape the future. Whether you sail canals, coastal routes, or blue-water passages, all of these threads tie back to the same thing: how we share the water, and how we look after it — and each other — as we go.

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