Three podiums, a silver and two bronze medals, and New Zealand's strongest Youth Worlds return since 2018. When the racing finally concluded at Vilamoura, squeezed between long light-air delays and a calendar crowding toward Christmas, what came into focus was an encouraging and genuinely deep campaign.
The 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships ran through mid December, its schedule shaped more by patience than by consistent breeze. Racing arrived in short, intense bursts whenever conditions allowed, and in those moments composure counted for everything. Errors were punished without delay. Across several classes, New Zealand's sailors demonstrated they had absorbed that reality. The country claimed its first podium finishes at the event since 2022, with substance running well beyond the three medal positions themselves.
Sixteen-year-old Toby Wigglesworth delivered the most complete individual performance in the New Zealand contingent. In the Male Kiteboarding fleet, he spent the opening eight races constructing a position rather than gambling for one, keeping inside the top six throughout and sidestepping the damaging scores that shuffled the standings around him. He reached the final day sitting second overall and confirmed his silver with a measured fifth place in the single race completed. Speaking through Yachting New Zealand, Wigglesworth left no doubt about what the result represented.
"It feels amazing to be a youth worlds medallist; it was one of my dreams and one of my biggest goals," he said. "I spent many hours on the water training with the New Zealand kitefoiling group, and a lot of time in the gym preparing gear. This regatta was one of the best of my career, and hopefully I can keep building on this."
Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson secured bronze in the Female Two Person Dinghy through a week of composed, consistent racing. With no sailing possible on the final day, their result was already sealed. The light-wind conditions that dominated much of the regatta had been a source of genuine uncertainty beforehand, given how well European fleets tend to operate in those circumstances. Clinton was candid with Yachting New Zealand about the nerves, but said the week had provided the best possible answer.
"We knew we'd probably do okay in the breeze, but we were unsure about how we would perform in the light winds," she said. "European sailors are known for their light wind sailing, so when we had light days, we were nervous. But it turned out we sailed some really good races."
The foundation for that confidence had been built through months of unrelenting preparation.
"We sailed four or five times a week in New Zealand, rain, shine, no matter the conditions. It was tough juggling sailing with exams, and Amelia had to drive over an hour every day. But we stayed focused."
Cameron Brown and Oliver Stone produced the team's most dramatic result, surging from seventh overall to claim bronze in the Male Mixed Two Person Dinghy on the final day. Near perfection was required, and three second places delivered exactly that. Brown spoke to Yachting New Zealand about how the crew approached those decisive races.
"The last day of the regatta, we knew it was all on for a medal. We just needed three good races. Our goal was to follow our roles and routines, and we managed to do that really well."
Away from the podium, the wider squad added genuine weight to the campaign. Tom Pilkington finished 15th in the Boys' ILCA 6, with Chloe Turner 18th in the Girls' fleet. Bella Jenkins and Jessica Handley placed 13th in the Female Skiff, while Will Leech and William Mason were 14th in the Male Skiff. On the foiling boards, Daniella Wooldridge finished 14th in the Girls' iQFOiL, and Benjamin Rist placed 19th in the Boys' competition.
Yachting New Zealand Youth Programme Manager Sam Mackay described the week as both rewarding and demanding.
"It's been a cool week, but definitely testing," he said. "The scheduling at Youth Worlds is tough. You have to be ready to race at any moment, and once we push off the dock, we need to treat every race the same."
Mackay also noted that the majority of the squad remains age eligible to return, lending the Vilamoura campaign a significance that extends well beyond a single result.
Across all three medals and into the broader fleet finishes, Vilamoura captured a team willing to manage uncertainty, adapt to unfamiliar racing grounds, and hold composure inside large, unforgiving fleets. The 2026 Youth Worlds will be held in mid December in La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.
Youth Worlds podiums
Male Windsurfer
Gold: Peleg Rajuan (Israel) Silver: Mattia Saoncella (Italy) Bronze: Rory Meehan (Australia) 19th: Benjamin Rist (New Zealand)
Female Windsurfer
Gold: Medea Marisa Falcioni (Italy) Silver: Taisia Stopchenko (AIN) Bronze: Nurhayat Guven (Turkey) 14th: Daniella Wooldridge (New Zealand)
Male Kiteboarder
Gold: Gian Andrea Stragiotti (Switzerland) Silver: Toby Wigglesworth (New Zealand) Bronze: Nell de Jaham (France)
Female Kiteboarding
Gold: Suofeiya Li (China) Silver: Emma Rennie (Great Britain) Bronze: Karolina Jankowska (Poland)
Male One-Person Dinghy
Gold: Suofeiya Li (China) Silver: Emma Rennie (Great Britain) Bronze: Karolina Jankowska (Poland)
Female One-Person Dinghy
Gold: Irene de Tomás (Spain) Silver: Hanna Rogowska (Poland) Bronze: Mirja Dohle (Germany) 18th: Chloe Turner (New Zealand)
Male Mixed Two-Person Dinghy
Gold: Madonich / Karabadzhak (Ukraine) Silver: Shtub / Sheffler (Israel) Bronze: Brown / Stone (New Zealand)
Female Two-Person Dinghy
Gold: Potter / Nieuwland (Great Britain) Silver: Combet / Peyre (France) Bronze: Clinton / Higson (New Zealand)
Male Mixed Skiff
Gold: Kolka / Zmudzinski (Poland) Silver: Huet des Aunay / Gresset (France) Bronze: Brandão da Cunha Faria / Joppert (Brazil) 14th: Will Leech / William Mason (New Zealand)
Female Skiff
Gold: Edwards / Hiscocks (Great Britain) Silver: Puchowska / Dampc (Poland) Bronze: Barceló / Argüelles (Argentina) 13th Bella Jenkins / Jessica Handley (New Zealand)
Mixed Two-Person Multihull
Gold: Sirena / Dessy (Italy) Silver: Praud / Mansouri (France) Bronze: Tomko / Small (USA)
