James Coxon has won the Para Inclusive One Person Multihull world title in the Challenger class at the World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, Portugal, after a final-day third and first on Saturday 10 October. Coxon headed an all-British podium, with Val Millward taking silver and Bex Foulsham bronze, as the six-day championships came to a close.
The result completed a notable return to international competition for Coxon. World Sailing reported that he had come back to sailing after setting a world record in recumbent cycling following his diagnosis with a rare form of motor neurone disease. He arrived in Portimão with limited recent racing experience, and the event was only his third since returning to the sport.
Friday wins built Coxon’s platform
Coxon’s title was not decided by a single final-race result. Three straight wins on Friday put Coxon in pole position heading into the final day. That run gave him a strong position before conditions changed on Saturday.
The lighter breeze on the closing day created a different test from the stronger wind and challenging seas experienced earlier in the week, according to World Sailing. A third and a first in Saturday’s final races were enough to confirm gold.
World Sailing reported that Portimão was Coxon’s first international competition since his return to sailing. Coxon said the final race had worked out for him, while acknowledging that luck had played a part. The result nevertheless followed a sequence of three Friday wins and two final-day races in lighter, more tactical conditions.
The finishing order confirmed Coxon as champion ahead of Millward and Foulsham. The three British sailors occupied the Challenger multihull medal places, with Coxon’s Friday form followed by the results that confirmed the title on Saturday.
| Position | Sailor |
|---|---|
| 1 | James Coxon, Great Britain |
| 2 | Val Millward, Great Britain |
| 3 | Bex Foulsham, Great Britain |
Coxon led a British podium sweep in the Challenger multihull event. The sweep was a substantial British outcome in its own class, while the wider championships included separate competitions in several Para Inclusive and Inclusive disciplines.
A successful week across British classes
The final report also highlighted the British RS21 crew’s successful Vision Impairment title defence. Lucy Hodges, Jamie Tylecote, Liam Cattermole and Steve Tylecote retained the title in the RS21 fleet. The quartet led throughout the week, with Spain’s Daniel Anglada Pich, Carmen Lopez Garcia, Jordi Sánchez Pérez and Monica Azon Canalda taking silver.
World Sailing reported that the four British RS21 sailors were in their second season racing together. Jamie Tylecote said clear, concise communication of instructions and decisions had been important to how the crew sailed the racecourse. Hodges said the regatta had tested competitors with waves, chop, wind and no wind.
The British RS21 crew’s retained title and the Challenger podium sweep were separate achievements in different disciplines. Great Britain also received the Nations Trophy as the championships’ top-performing nation.
World Sailing said 222 athletes from 40 nations competed in Portimão from 5 to 10 October. Racing covered several Para Inclusive and Inclusive disciplines, including Challenger multihulls, RS21s, RS Venture Connects, Hansa 303s and 2.4mRs. The programme also included seated Inclusive Wingfoil as a demonstration event, although light winds prevented final-day racing in that discipline.
For Coxon, the result carries particular weight because it came so early in his competitive return. The event offered his first international competition since he resumed sailing, and World Sailing reported that he had not been sure how he would compare with the international fleet before arriving. Three Friday wins put him in pole position, before Saturday’s third and first confirmed gold. Britain therefore finished the Challenger event with all three podium places and added the separate Vision Impairment RS21 title defence during the same championship week.