Portimão hosted something bigger than a regatta last week. More than 220 athletes from 40 nations gathered on the Portuguese coast for the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships, and the event drew a visitor whose presence spoke to its growing significance.
Leila Marques Mota PLY, First Vice President of the International Paralympic Committee, flew in for the final day of racing. She watched from the water, met sailors and their support teams, and listened to stories that clearly struck a personal chord.
Marques is a former Paralympic swimmer from Portugal, and that background showed in how she talked about the week.
"We can see that this is a high-profile event, with lots of athletes and lots of countries involved," she said.
The visit brought back memories she hadn't expected.
"Hearing the stories from our athletes here in sailing is very good for me because it reminds me of my days as a swimmer, as a Paralympic swimmer, and the importance that sport had in my life," she said. "Growing up with a disability was much easier through sport."
She singled out the sailors who'd found confidence and happiness through the sport, seeing echoes of her own path.
"I have seen some very extraordinary examples today of people coming to sport through sailing and feeling that they can showcase their abilities, making sure that sport has an impact on their lives and makes their lives better and happier."
The Championships have become a proving ground for World Sailing's wider Para Inclusive strategy, not just a one-off event. Sailors raced across physical, visual and intellectual impairment categories, with established classes such as the Hansa 303 and 2.4mR sitting alongside newer additions, seated wingfoiling among them, being trialled for the first time.
World Sailing CEO David Graham called it proof the sport is building real momentum.
"The event, as we've seen here, is extremely popular. We've got 40 countries here, and it was World Sailing's initiative to make it an inclusive championships, and that's what we've done," he said. "The vision of it is just going to get bigger and stronger. We're testing new disciplines, and it's been a phenomenal week."
Behind the racing sits World Sailing's Inclusive Development Programme, which funds coaching, training and competition access for sailors and nations still establishing their para inclusive pathways. Development activity in the Caribbean and India, along with a dedicated programme ahead of the Championships, has helped bring more nations into competitive sailing. The America's Cup has also contributed funding for coaching and travel grants to emerging nations, while local organisers Vela Solidária and their volunteers kept the whole event running.
A bigger goal sits behind all of this. Sailing hasn't featured at the Paralympics since Rio 2016, and World Sailing has lodged its bid to return for Brisbane 2032. The federation points to rising participation numbers, a fuller competition calendar and tightened classification and governance as evidence it's ready.
Graham was blunt about where things stand.
"It is part of our community, and whether we get back into the Paralympic Games or not, it's always going to be part of our community," he said. "We've invested heavily in this, and we'll continue to invest."
The final call rests with the IPC Board, not World Sailing.
"It's a decision made by the IPC Board, and they've got a difficult decision to make across all sports," Graham said. "But what I am confident about is that the community, the volunteers, World Sailing, the World Sailing staff, the Board members, we couldn't have done any more. We've put a lot of resource into it, and we're ready. We're ready to get back in. We'll be a clean sport if we go back in. We're ready on classification. We're ready on anti-doping. We've got the numbers. We've got the integrity of the racing. Should we be lucky enough to be invited back into the Paralympic Games, the sailing community is ready."
