Nine events, six days of racing and 28 teams from around the world have brought the sport's inclusion push to Portimão, as the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships get underway on Portugal's Algarve coast.
Racing starts Monday 5 October and runs through to Saturday. The regatta builds on the inaugural edition held in Oman in 2025, part of the wider momentum behind World Sailing's Para Inclusive programme.
The championship brings together sailors ranging from seasoned internationals to complete newcomers.
World Sailing President Quanhai Li addressed the Opening Ceremony on Sunday, held at the historic riverside Antiga Lota de Portimão. "This is not just a regatta; it is a defining tradition for our sport," he said. "It is a powerful continuation of a movement that will shape Para and inclusive sailing for decades to come."
He was clear about what the week is really measuring. "The core goal of these Championships remains clear: to celebrate ability over limitation. We are here to provide an elite racing platform where every sailor, regardless of physical ability, competes with visibility, purpose, and equity."
Thailand's Tanat Upatising arrives in Portimão chasing both results and knowledge to take home. He took up sailing in 2021 and usually races the SV14 back in Thailand, but this week marks his first Inclusion Championships and his first time in the RS Venture Connect, the Para Inclusive Two Person Keelboat.
"It's our first time in this boat, so it's really exciting and challenging," he said. Upatising completed the Inclusive Development Programme ahead of racing, calling the three-day course "really helpful". He was struck, too, by the breadth of sailors on the water. "It's amazing to see people with so many different abilities here. It was the first time I had seen vision impaired sailors sailing a boat, and it was amazing."
With 28 teams entered, he's setting his sights high. "We're hoping we can finish at least in the top five. Top three would be nice!" But he's just as focused on what comes after. "I hope we can take what we've learned here back to Thailand and keep building, so that we can grow from an emerging nation into something more."
The championships sit within World Sailing's broader push to see sailing restored to the Paralympic programme for Brisbane 2032. Li framed every race in Portimão as part of that case. "Every start, tactical manoeuvre and finish line crossed proves that Para Inclusive Sailing is high-performance, vibrant, and expanding across the globe."
For Jamaica's Andre Daley, the week carries a far more personal weight. He only started sailing in June this year, after an accident while scuba diving in 2025, and his introduction came through World Sailing's Inclusive Development Programme in Antigua.
"I'm very excited. I came to give it my all and do my best," he said. "That was my first time sailing. I learned how to sail, learned the parts of the boat, and learned a lot. I'm still learning this week as well."
Freedom is the word he keeps returning to. "When I'm out on the water, I feel free. It's amazing. I'd love for more people to come and try."
The 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships are delivered in partnership with Vela Solidária, the Municipality of Portimão and the Portuguese Sailing Federation, with backing from the America's Cup.
