The Australian Contender:

Team Ronstan sailor Chris Nicholson steers the boat, boasting an impressive resume in several classes. Already a three-time 505 World Champion (1992, 1994, 2002), Chris is also a two-time Olympian, representing Australia in the 49er class at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. No stranger to big boats, Chris has sailed in six Volvo Ocean Races and just finished his 3rd season coaching in Sail GP. Similarly, 26 year old Charlie Wyatt also brings with him plenty of experience from the big boat scene, notching up his belt with roles onboard 100ft LawConnect-line honours winner in the 2023  Sydney to Hobart, TP52 Celestial, Leopard 3 a Farr 100 Maxi, not to mention some Volvo Ocean Racing onboard Akzonobel in 2021 in the Rond Europe Race. He is no stranger to the skiff racing scene either having sailed a collective of 18 foot skiffs, 49’ers, and 29’ers  

Chris and Charlie will surely be looking to add another World Championship notch to the belt in their home country of Australia. 

The American Contender: 

Team Ronstan’s American suitor for the title is a 505 legend: the man with seven world championships to his name, including five 505 World Championships (1999, 2009, 2016, 2019, 2023) and a whopping thirteen 505 North American Championships (too many years to list here, but trust us). He is the only person to have won the 505 World Championship as both a skipper and a crew. That man of course is San Francisco’s Mike Martin. Racing with Mike will be super-crew Adam Lowry, who is seeking his fourth 505 World Championship in Adelaide.

“My sailing success has been built on years of experience, and a huge part of that is the confidence I have in Ronstan hardware. Having raced across various classes, I’ve learned the importance of reliable, high-performance gear. With Ronstan, I know I can push the boat to its limits in everything from grueling conditions to tight races. Ronstan has been the brand I grew up with and have watched it compete and evolve as a world leader, its feels good to be back in dinghies again after such a long break but its comfortable with the best products!

 Its been great fun introducing Charlie to the class and reuniting again with Ronstan for another crack at the best teams in the world."– Chris Nicholson.

"Doing most of our racing and training in the punishing conditions of San Francisco Bay, we need to make sure that our boat and its hardware are completely reliable in the harshest of conditions.  Having a boat completely rigged with Ronstan hardware gives us the confidence to push the boat hard the whole way around the racecourse regardless of the conditions.  It also allows us to spend more time training and racing hard and less time replacing hardware.”

– Mike Martin.