New elevation for US Championship

The 2025 U.S. Singlehanded Championship launched into a new era, literally, by featuring the WASZP, a high-speed, foiling dinghy for the very first time in the event’s 63-year history. Hosted by Tabor Academy (Marion, MA), the event brought together over a dozen elite sailors from across North America for fast-paced racing on June 20-22.

In addition to crowning the nation’s best singlehanded sailor, this year’s event focused heavily on development, inclusion, and sportsmanship.

Traditionally raced in conventional dinghies, like the ILCA (Laser) and ISCA (Sunfish), the U.S. Singlehanded Championship is known for nurturing top-tier talent, leading to national and Olympic success. This year, the shift to foiling has opened the door to a younger, tech-savvy fleet excited to fly above the water rather than displace it.

“This championship is proof that US Sailing is taking real steps to evolve and energize the pathway for competitive sailors,” said Zaak Beekman, U.S. WASZP Class President.

Strong afternoon sea breezes in the 15–20 knot range allowed sailors to fully engage the WASZP’s unique foiling characteristics, achieving lift-off speeds of 25+ knots during racing. Buzzards Bay lived up to its reputation, dishing out consistent wind that allowed even the less experienced foilers to build confidence and speed with every leg.

The race committee chose to amend the schedule on the final day to ensure racing due to an oncoming front promising to upend the racing schedule. This turned out to be the right call as the last race ended just as Buzzards Bay kicked into gear.

The standout performers emerged quickly, but it was Kaneohe Yacht Club’s Gavin Ball that led the charge with confident boat handling and tactical clarity that kept him consistently at the front of the fleet. He has made history as the first U.S. Singlehanded Champion in a foiling class, and was also awarded the Peter J. Barrett Sportsmanship Award for his consideration and helpfulness towards fellow sailors.

“Winning the championship feels great. It’s so cool to have this event in a foiling class this year,” said Ball. “So much of sailing is foiling – half the Olympic classes, SailGP – so it’s great that US Sailing is bringing this championship into the future.”

As the reigning 2025 WASZP US National Champion, Ball attributed relied on his experience in the boat. “The key to success was being able to handle the boat through all the conditions: there were races where it was marginal foiling to races with gusts to 30 knots, so it was about keeping consistency throughout the wind range.”

Event information – Race details – Results

Source: US Sailing