Australian Excitement Builds Ahead for 2026 World Championships

15 May 2026

A record number of Tasar sailors will descend on the island of Okinawa, Japan this June to compete in the 2026 World Championships.

The event, to be held at the Okuma Private Beach and Resort in Kunigami VIllage from 4-12 June, will be the biggest Japanese-hosted worlds and one of the largest Tasar Worlds ever, with 115 boats registered. The 38 Australian entries have once again showed the fleet's strength and diversity, proving that the class can attract sailors of all ages and experience levels to compete at the highest level.

South Australians Erin Sims and James Belton will be joining the Australian team for their first World Championships together in the Tasar.
Following a dinner-table conversation about 18 months ago, where Erin first told James of her intention to start sailing, this couple knew that the World Championships were on the radar. 

"I'm not sure if James picked a Tasar as the boat to learn in because it made sense for two adults, or because it had a great location for the 2026 Worlds," Erin said. 

"Japan was always the intention, regardless of how successful my learning to sail was."

James, an experienced forward hand and lifelong sailor, took on the job of training Erin as a skipper, with the couple sailing regularly with the South Australian fleet who, in typical Tasar fashion, have been welcoming, encouraging and helpful to a new boat.

Their 2025/26 summer was hallmarked by the National Championships held at Wallaroo Sailing Club where their improvement was plain to see. Their best heat result came on the last day, placing in the top ten for the first time. This secured the pair second place overall in the Apprentice Master division and Erin was the first placed female skipper overall.

While on-water success will be a focus of the worlds, the social aspect of the event is definitely a drawcard for them too.

"I am really looking forward to seeing the people we got to know at the Nationals as well as meeting others from around the world," she said. 

"I have never experienced anything like what the Worlds will be."

"Regardless of how the sailing goes, the experience alone is going to be amazing."

Since their inception, Tasars have always been a popular boat for parents and children to sail together. The event's entry list shows this is still the case, with more than a quarter of the Australian teams comprising this pairing type - the Over 20 / Under 20 (years old) division (O20/U20) will be hotly contested.

Tight racing at the recent vic state titles - Photo Andrew Vukosav 

 

Following a top-ten overall result at the 2024 Worlds in Sandringham, Jon Holroyd has been on a mission to train up his 14-year-old son Leo for his first World Championship.

Mirroring the enthusiasm from the rest of their local Victorian fleet, Jon and Leo have sailed consistently for the past season, competing in local regattas before Christmas and spending time training during the week to sharpen their teamwork and skills. At the Victorian State Championships in March, they took a heat win and finished fourth overall - an experience they will look to draw some confidence from for their first Worlds as a pairing. 

Having recently been to Tokyo, Jon said both father and son are keen to see what exciting opportunities and experiences Okinawa has in store for them, both on-water and off. 

"We enjoy the friendly nature of the Tasar class and being able to learn from other more experienced Tasar sailors," he said.

When discussing the upcoming regatta, Jon was clear that this sentiment is not just limited to the Australian crews they will be racing against, with international crews who made the trip to Australia in 2024 also in the pair's sights.

"We are looking forward to racing the US Teams again given how strong they were"

"Some of the Japanese teams were (also) very quick in light conditions so that will be challenging as well."

 

 Jon and Leo leading the fleet around the top mark - Photo  Andrew Vukosav 

 

While it is great to see some new faces in the fleet, it seems there are some faces which are ever-present. - Alistair Murray AM is one of these. 

For someone who has been sailing Tasars since 1978, this regatta will still provide some 'firsts' for the Tasar Association of Victoria life member. Having never been to Okinawa, Alistair will be sailing with a Kyoko Kono - a Japanese crew he has never met, in a charter boat that he has never sailed. 

"My lead up training has been absolutely zero, which is the way I fly these days," Alistair said. 

While his boat and crew might be new, sailing in Japan is familiar territory to Alistair. 

Alistair placed fourth at the first Japanese-hosted Worlds held at De La Mancha Yacht Club in 1992. Two of the podium boats from these Championships are also returning to Japanese waters this year - 1992 World Champions Lisa and Jay Renehan (USA) and five-time World Champions Jonathan and Libby McKee (USA).

"I decided to sail in the [Kunigami] Worlds the nano-second they were announced. Japan is my favourite country in the world to visit," he said . 

"I'm looking forward to hanging out with our Japanese hosts, the most wonderful people." 

With such great excitement across the fleet, it is clear to see that the Tasar is still providing an excellent overall package for sailors: a boat that can cater to all experience levels ensuring a challenge and plenty of fun from every day on the water, with a vibrant social scene to match. These will be on full show in Okinawa this June.

 

Alistair and Claire sending it - Photo by Andrew Vukosav