Isle of Wight sailor Freddie Harrison has been crowned Tera Sport World Champion after taking gold by the narrowest of margins in Germany.
The Gurnard Sailing Club youngster finished just 1 point ahead of his nearest rival at the World Championships in Travemünde, securing the biggest title of his sailing career.
Competitors faced testing and changeable conditions throughout the championship, with high winds and heavy seas forcing 1 day’s racing to be abandoned altogether.
Strong winds and big waves provided a stern test during much of the event, before the fleet was faced with a very different challenge as light winds arrived for the final day.
Freddie produced consistent results across the varying conditions to put himself in contention for the title, although the contest was so close that he did not know he had become World Champion until the final results were confirmed.
Freddie said:
“It was a really close competition and the conditions were challenging, especially with the strong winds and waves.
Article continues below this advertisement “We didn’t know for certain that I’d won until the results came out, so it was an amazing feeling.
“I love sailing and the Tera is a fun boat and perfect for learning to sail. I’d definitely encourage other young people to give it a try.”
The victory caps a standout 2026 season for Freddie, who has also won the Tera Start of Seasons event and the Inland Championships, as well as finishing 2nd overall at the National Championships.
He has been sailing the Tera for 4 years and was selected for the National Performance Academy last year.
Freddie receives travel support from Wightlink through the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme, which helps promising Island sportspeople travel to mainland competitions and training.
Sam Woodman, Wightlink’s Partnerships Marketing Manager, said:
“Huge congratulations to Freddie on an incredible achievement. Winning a world championship is a fantastic result, particularly in such a closely fought competition, and it’s brilliant to see his hard work paying off.
“We’re proud to support Freddie through the Isle of Wight Talented Athlete Scheme and look forward to seeing what he achieves next.”
