Scottish sailor scoops surprise World Championship title down under
by Philippa Howie 3 Apr 2025 15:45 BST
Rory McKinna (GBR) and Jess Wong - new Hansa Two Person World Champions - Hansa and Para World Championships day 5 © Alex Dare / Hansa Worlds
Scottish sailor Rory McKinna, alongside Australia's Jess Wong, have secured Gold at the 2025 Hansa and Para World Championships in Newport, which concluded on the 30th of March.
A surprise win for the 23 year old Clyde Cruising Club sailor, it was a last minute decision that led Rory to enter the two-person Hansa 303 fleet, in addition to the singles competition with which he is more familiar.
Reflecting on the win, Rory said: "It was very unexpected. I never envisaged being on podium, never mind first!
"There was a great sense of pride, going up on that podium, and there was a great sense of nervousness - I was explaining to Jess that I get the shakes more going up onto a podium than I do on a start line."
A natural pairing, anyone watching Rory and Jess's performance wouldn't have guessed the two only met for the first time at the World Champs, with Rory commenting:
"Pretty much as soon as we pushed off the pontoon, I knew we'd get along and that we weren't going to be tripping over each other in the boat, and we got into rhythm quite quickly."
Described as a 'sliding doors' moment, the win followed a sequence of penalties for other competitors, and nerves of steel which saw Rory and Jess secure top spot overall.
The pair won the Hansa 303 Two-Person Worlds from Chris Symonds and Maunela Klinger (AUS) and Piotr Cichocki and Olga Górnas-Grudzien (POL), after the Polish series leaders took a penalty in Race 5, dropping them to third place overall and costing them the top spot.
Having secured the doubles win on the penultimate day of the competition, Rory was still set to give it his all in the Hansa 303 Singles fleet, however grey skies and poor sailing conditions at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club on Pittwater saw the last day's racing cancelled, leaving Rory out of medal contention.
The rain did not, however, dampen the spirits of the smiling Scotsman, who - on his first trip south of the equator - now leaves a World Champion.
Keen to build on this success going forward, Rory is already eyeing his next goal: "The European season starts in mid-April, just as I arrive back from Aus. I'll be home, boat re-rigged and loaded, and off to the Belgian nationals in a matter of days!"
Rory is also looking forward to his return to Scotland, where he is an avid promoter of accessible opportunities within sailing through work with RYA Sailability and RYA Scotland's Participation and Development Committee. He hopes his efforts will help inspire more people to get involved in the sport.
When asked how it will be to return home as World Champion, Rory commented: "I suppose it's a nice feather to have in your cap, as they say.
"If I'm back teaching at Bardowie [home of Clyde Cruising Club] Summer School this year, it'll be a nice one to drop to the kids!"
Offering advice to any young sailors starting out in the sport, Rory advises grabbing opportunities wherever possible: "Just go and do things... ask people how to do things, where to do things, and just go and try them."
It was at Clyde Cruising Club on Bardowie Loch 11 years ago that Rory first started racing a Hansa 303 Dinghy. Eager to thank Clyde Cruising Club, Rory says he is hugely grateful for all the support over the years, and to all who have helped him get to where he is today.
Read full results from the 2025 Hansa Worlds