Fireball World Championship 2025 at Circolo Vela Arco - Winner Interview
by Adam Whitehouse 16 Oct 10:05 BST
24-29 August 2025
Switzerland's Yves Mermod & Maja Siegenthaler win the 2025 Fireball World Championship © Elena Giolai
After their close fought win at the Fireball Worlds in Garda we caught
up with the Champions Yves Mermod and Maja Siegenthaler to find out a
bit more about their Olympic journey and why and how they ended up
competing for a Fireball Worlds in 2025.
Can you tell us a bit about your sailing journey — how did you each get
started, and what led you to the Olympic 470 class?
Yves: I have been sailing since I was 16 years old. I started with a 10
year career in gymnastics, then began sailing a 420. I did this for
around 2 years, then moved to a 470. I sailed with male crew for 4
years up until the Tokyo Olympics, where we were sparring partners for
the women's team of Linda and Maja. After Tokyo it became mixed, so I
teamed up with Maja and we started an Olympic campaign for Paris 2024.
Maja: In school I got the opportunity to sail for a week in an optimist
which I really enjoyed so went again the year after. People pointed
out that if it was something I really enjoyed I could train weekly and
enter competitions. I really enjoyed sailing an Optimist and my coach
encouraged me to do the Europeans but I never really had any big
ambitions. Later I changed to a 420 and began sailing with Linda - we
became very successful in juniors. This was surprising for us and soon
we were hungry for more, we dreamed about the Olympics then qualified
for Rio, later finishing 4th in Tokyo. As Yves mentioned, the 470 got
mixed after Tokyo so I paired up with him. Our previous partners
teamed up together so we were still travelling and competing as a 4,
just in a different combination.
What were some of the highlights and challenges of competing at the
Olympic level?
Y: It was a challenge at the Olympics dealing with outside pressures
such as the media and people watching - something that doesn't usually
happen during sailing. I feel highlights are much more important, and
for us a highlight was that we won two out of eights races. In one of
the races we were actually last on the leeward mark, we had one upwind
left to catch up and to qualify for the middle race and we managed to
go from last position on the leeward mark to first on the upwind mark.
M: This was a very big highlight for me. But also from the previous
Olympics in Tokyo with Linda, we were fighting hard to qualify for the
middle race and we qualified as 6th, then finished 4th overall. Some
people say you must be sad to finish 4th, but from where we were
initially this was a massive achievement.
How did you first hear about the Fireball class, and what drew you to
it after your Olympic campaign?
Y: My father has sailed a Fireball for over 15 years. As I started, I
became more interested in what he was doing and sailing was soon a
point of discussion around the family dinner table. We always wanted
to sail against each other and following a break after the Olympics it
seemed like a good time. We took on a Fireball for the Swiss
Championships and the Worlds.
What were the biggest differences you noticed when switching from the
470 to the Fireball dinghy?
M: Both boats are similar in length, but the biggest difference is
that the Fireball feels a lot smaller. Tacks almost feel like
something is missing, as it's much easier to reach the other side of
the boat than in a 470. The Fireball seems a little faster downwind,
and feels more stable to sail on the reach due to the rails. The
rudder on a Fireball is also longer which helps make everything flow
better. One thing I did struggle with was that the spinnaker pole is
high on the mast, and given that I'm not that tall, it was trickier
when there was a lot of pressure on the pole.
Did your Olympic experience give you any advantages in adapting to the
Fireball, or did you have to unlearn certain habits?
Y: Yes, the main benefit being cumulative hours spent on the water in
the Olympic campaign. Because of this we could adapt much quicker on
smaller changes. For example at the beginning, after each tack, I was
searching the traveller to pull windward, and now on the 470 I forget
it sometimes as on the Fireball there is no traveller.
M: We did a lot of boat work and changed the ropes and systems to a
way we use them on the 470, which helped us get used to the boat a lot
faster.
How did you prepare for your first Fireball World Championships — was
the training approach different from your Olympic preparations?
Y: For the Fireball worlds we had 2 hours training on our lake, then
we did 4 days Swiss championship then 2 more days in Garda before the
worlds - that's it. As I said previously we had so many hours on the
water together in the 470, we just felt solid with how we were
sailing. In the end it was just about having fun and not about the
result.
M: Preparation for the Fireball worlds were pretty different. After
the Olympic Games in Paris we both needed a break. We mainly stopped
sailing and training in the gym and just went to our usual jobs. We
were still keen to sail a little and have fun which is the main reason
we took this challenge on.
Lake Garda is iconic in the sailing world — what was it like competing
there in the Fireball for the first time?
M: We were in Riva five years ago with our old crew combinations so it
was great to be back in a competition together. The scenery and the
weather in Riva is beautiful and makes for great sailing, but
sometimes racing in typical conditions there can be hard as everyone
knows where to go. It makes it challenging to find clear lanes or to
execute tactical plays but the conditions this time were not always
typical which made things more interesting.
What were the standout moments from the championship that you'll never forget?
Y: Standout moments were definitely the starts. Starting out with 136
boats, an 800m line and a comity boat in the middle with two pin ends
on the left and the right certainly brought new challenges.
As a mixed-gender team, how do you balance roles and communication on the boat?
Y: In general Maja is in charge of doing tactics on upwind, and I am
in charge downwind. We discuss at the start the wind, current and lay
lines. We talk constantly throughout and say "copy" to ensure we are
both clear on what the other has said. In tight situations we are
usually happy for each other to make any necessary calls, then work on
a solution together after that.
What strengths do each of you bring to the partnership, and how do
you complement each other?
M: A strength of Yves is that in stressful or tricky situations he
keeps calm. One of my main strengths is that I am precise and a bit of
a perfectionist, at times this can be detrimental but Yves will often
pull me up on what is actually important. We definitely compliment
each other in that respect.
What did this win mean to you personally and professionally?
Y: It's a nice achievement for sure. It's the first world title for
me and the first for Maja in the senior fleet. It's always nice to get
that win.
M: In terms of professionally, I would say we have made many new
contacts and friends. This is the benefit of going into new classes,
meeting new people. This win may open new doors for us, we'll see.
We're optimistic.
What advice would you give to young sailors looking to transition
between classes or aim for high-level competition?
Y: I think the most important thing is to have fun. It doesn't matter
which class you are coming from you can always improve in other
classes or take benefits from the class you were in. Don't be shy to
try new boats. If you ever have doubts about your weight / the size of
your body don't worry - techniques and skill can be just as important.
Favourite sailing venue?
Y: For me, it has to be Israel. The warm weather, perfect wind,
crystal clear waters, animals in the water - it's just an amazing
place to sail.
M: I would also say Israel, but as Yves already did I will say
Lanzarote. A beautiful island with super sailing conditions in the
Winter.
Pre-race ritual or superstition?
M: Not exactly a ritual but every start we have the same routine. We
take the time to talk about strategy and wind, and where we will
position ourselves to choose our spot freely. This was hard to do in
Riva due to the size of the start line.
Most memorable sailing fail?
Y: Probably loosing the tiller extension at the Games and capsizing
because of this. I have fallen out of the boat many times by missing
my hiking straps.
M: There are many fails but you need the fails to improve yourself.
In Rio 2016 there was one day with no wind, then when they sent us out
a wild storm front blew in. Later they told us they were evacuating
the tents, but we were still out on the water at the time. We kept
capsizing whilst waiting for the wind to drop, but it didn't - time
went on and the light was fading. We got up managed to drop the sails,
someone towed us in with the gib sheet flapping whilst I was in the
trapeze. It was a survival moment for sure.
Dream sailing partner (besides each other)?
Y: I don't have a best sailing partner next to Maja, I just like
going out sailing with friends and spending time on the water. Being
on the water with my best friends is a nice thing.
M: I think a dream sailing partner is hard because it's very
important you sail with someone that has the same targets, then you
can work for them together. If you have a dream partner, they might
not be dreaming about the same things as you.
Thank you both so much for your time, it was great to understand more
about your success in Riva, hoping we see you back in a Fireball
again... maybe Worlds 2026 in Torquay defending your title?