The International Sailing Federation – World Sailing – has announced the finalists for the 2025 World Sailing Awards, with Jazz Turner and Dani Pich standing out as two figures who embody the rise of inclusive sailing and the sport’s growing commitment to accessibility. Their nominations reflect how the sailing community is evolving towards a more open and representative model, though challenges remain — as Pich himself pointed out last year.
Both athletes, whose careers have been shaped by determination and technical innovation, share the same mission: to prove that high-level sailing can be truly inclusive. The stories of Turner and Pich go beyond sport; they advocate for breaking barriers and proving that physical limitations are not boundaries on the sea.
A new goal: sailing around the world
Jazz Turner, a 26-year-old from the United Kingdom, has been nominated for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year (Female) after becoming the first woman using a wheelchair to complete a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the British Isles. Diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic condition affecting connective tissue, she completed her four-week voyage while raising £45,000 for a charity supporting people with disabilities.
Turner’s achievement was made possible thanks to a sophisticated adaptive navigation system installed on her yacht, allowing her to manage every manoeuvre on her own throughout the ocean route. As she explained upon arrival, “I wanted to show that physical limits don’t define what someone can achieve at sea.”
Before taking on this record-breaking challenge, Turner had already represented Great Britain in the RS Venture Connect class, earning silver at the 2023 World Championship, bronze in 2024, and winning the Swiss Cup that same year.
Her personal story adds exceptional depth to her sporting journey. Growing up in an abusive household, she experienced homelessness and lived in a van after leaving home at 18, until she found refuge and her “chosen family” at the Newhaven & Seaford Sailing Club, where mentors gave her the support she needed to rebuild her life. For her 2025 circumnavigation, Turner received technical backing from North Sails, who adapted her sail design to make solo handling possible. Looking ahead to the WorldStar Race 2026, she now aims to become the first woman with a disability to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world.
Dani Pich and Yes We Sail: charting new courses in inclusive sailing
Catalan sailor Dani Anglada Pich, who lost his sight at 31 following a workplace accident on a merchant vessel, has been nominated alongside his initiative Yes We Sail for the Team of the Year award. His project promotes accessibility in sailing for people with visual and sensory disabilities, with the broader goal of contributing to the sport’s return to the Paralympic Games in Brisbane 2032.
Pich became the first blind sailor to complete a solo, unassisted circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight, sailing aboard a Patí Català — a traditional catamaran with no rudder, keel, or boom. Using a haptic vest that translated course and wind information into vibrations, he achieved an unprecedented milestone in the history of adaptive sailing.
His project Yes We Sail competes for international recognition alongside elite teams such as Emirates Team New Zealand, Headcase Offshore Racing Team (Ireland), and the French Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team. Beyond his athletic success, Pich has helped spark a broader conversation about the cultural and structural barriers still hindering full inclusion in sailing. As he told Spanish media, “Our nautical culture still has a long way to go, but the sea teaches us every day that we can all move forward in the same direction.”
