Log of the Week: Sailing News October 2025 (03 October)
- Editor
- Oct 3
- 4 min read
October is here. Boat shows are wrapping up, new race calendars are forming, and tech ideas—from satellites to wind-assist—keep moving fast. This week’s sailing news October 2025 roundup brings you seven stories that matter to yacht owners and sea lovers.
1) Monaco Yacht Show 2025 wraps with ~30,000 visitors and strong debuts
The Monaco Yacht Show closed with 29,956 visitors over four days at Port Hercule. Organizers and press highlight a strong focus on sustainable design, hybrid systems, and serious buyer interest. For cruising sailors, Monaco may feel far from everyday life, but what premieres there often trickles down: better energy management, quieter propulsion, and smarter hotel loads. Reports mention 116 superyachts with dozens of debuts, underscoring how builders are investing in tech even as markets shift. If you follow refits, watch the Monaco headlines—they hint at which materials, batteries, and HVAC solutions will reach production boats next seasons.
2) Cape 31 Europeans set a new record fleet for Palma (16–19 Oct)
The Cape 31 European Championship will host a record 25-boat fleet from 13 nations in Palma de Mallorca this month. The class has grown because it’s quick, strict one-design, and still manageable in budget and crew size. Expect close mark roundings, plenty of boat handling lessons, and trim ideas worth stealing for cruising sails. Last year’s champion returns, but with the depth in the fleet, defending will be tough. For sailors who like to learn from racing and apply it on passage, watching Cape 31 tuning and downwind angles is a masterclass in simple sails done well.
3) RS21 World Championship crowns new winners in Sardinia
The RS21 Worlds finished in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia, with Italy’s Marco Pocci and team taking the title. The class pushes accessible keelboat racing: strict one-design, crews that mix pros and amateurs, and technical sailing without giant budgets. Reports also highlight an Under-23 category, showing how classes are working to keep young sailors engaged at international level. Why it matters for cruisers: boats like the RS21 keep skills sharp—lane holding, starts, and downwind VMG—and that translates to safer, smarter cruising. If you’re near an RS21 fleet this winter, try a training day; the learning curve is steep but fun.
4) Saudi Arabia launches “Super Yacht Arabia” to market the Red Sea
At Monaco, Saudi Arabia unveiled Super Yacht Arabia, a campaign to promote the Red Sea as a top luxury yachting region under Vision 2030. The pitch blends high-end marinas with dramatic cruising grounds and new hospitality projects. For owners considering the broader East Med and Red Sea corridor, this signals faster development of services and infrastructure. It also raises practical questions: seasonal weather windows, service availability, and clearance routines. Still, more choice is good. As this offer grows, expect better shore support and curated itineraries between heritage sites, coral areas, and new destination marinas.
5) Another 28 Starlink satellites launched—capacity keeps growing
On Sept 28, SpaceX launched 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg, adding to a network now above 8,500 active units. For cruisers, the headline is simple: more capacity generally means better peak-time performance and redundancy offshore, though having a 4G/5G SIM back-up remains smart near coasts. As more boats rely on satellite for work, schooling, and weather routing, network density matters. Keep your system updated, watch your plan’s fair-use policy, and secure your hardware cabling—marina Wi-Fi still exists, but reliable onboard internet is quickly becoming standard kit for long-term cruising.
6) Shore power in Europe: progress, but most ports still behind
A summer study shows only ~20% of required onshore power supply (OPS) connections at major EU ports are installed or contracted, with a 2030 deadline ahead. Passenger and cruise terminals have made more progress than container berths, but overall delivery is slow. For yacht owners, this matters in two ways. First, OPS growth in big ports pressures nearby regions—including marinas—to expand shore-power readiness and grid stability. Second, as cities push for cleaner air, expect stronger local rules on plugging in and managing generator use. Plan for more demand on marina electrical capacity during winters.
7) World Sailing launches Season 3 of Sustainability Sessions (started Oct 1)
World Sailing kicked off a new season of Sustainability Sessions on Oct 1, opening with a talk on greener logistics and alternative fuels with its partner Kuehne+Nagel. Upcoming sessions cover America’s Cup sustainability, IMOCA’s lower-impact boat building, wetsuit recycling, and inclusion in sailing. For clubs and crews, these free webinars are a low-effort way to stay current and bring ideas—like waste cuts, safe chemicals, and refit choices—into day-to-day sailing. If your marina wants simple wins this winter, send the link around; small steps scaled across fleets make a real difference.
8) IMO’s Net-Zero Framework decision window opens in October
Policy usually feels far away—until it lands in your marina. The IMO is due to finalize a Net-Zero Framework this month, bundling a global marine fuel standard and some form of GHG pricing for large ships. Why should cruisers care? Frameworks like this push fuel availability, shore-power funding, and port priorities. Over time, this can influence marina grids, local emissions rules, and even the tech fitted to new yachts. It’s early days, but the direction is clear: cleaner fuels, more electrification, better efficiency. Watch this space; the vote will shape investment across the maritime world.
Sailing Into What’s Next
From Monaco’s big finish to Palma’s record Cape 31 fleet, and from Starlink’s new batch to World Sailing’s webinars, sailing news October 2025 shows a steady move toward cleaner power, smarter systems, and wider cruising choices. Use the quiet months to upgrade little things: cabling for shore power, tidy network setups, and a winter learning plan for crew.
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