The Transgender Participation Policy will be applicable to all World Sailing events, including the World Sailing Championships, the Youth Sailing World Championships, and the Olympic Classes' world and continental championships, as well as the Olympic Games and their qualifying competitions. 

Such policy will come into effect on 1 January, 2025, and has been developed through a comprehensive consultation process, which included a survey of World Sailing stakeholders and the formation of a working group. This group consisted of representatives from national federations, World Sailing Classes, the World Sailing Medical Commission, and athletes who are transgender female, cisgender female, and non-binary.

World Sailing also sought medical expertise from other international federations, such as World Athletics and the International Cycling Union (UCI). According to the new policy, transgender female athletes will be allowed to compete in the female category of an event, or as a female athlete in the mixed category of an event, if:

• They have not undergone male puberty;
• They are also able to demonstrate that the concentration of testosterone in their blood has been less than 2.5 nanamoles per litre (nmol/L) continuously for a period of at least 12 months prior to the first event in which they wish to compete.

Additionally, transgender female athletes must maintain their blood testosterone levels below 2.5 nmol/L at all times. Transgender male athletes will be eligible to compete in the male category of an event, or as a male in the mixed category of an event, provided they submit a written and signed declaration affirming their male gender identity.

Non-binary athletes who have undergone male puberty and wish to compete in the female category of an event, or as a female in a mixed event, must meet the same criteria set for transgender female athletes. Non-binary athletes who have experienced male puberty or have started hormone treatment can compete in the male category of an event, or as a male in a mixed event.

David Graham, World Sailing CEO, said, “I want to thank the working group, everyone who responded to our stakeholder survey on this topic and the experts we consulted from other sports. I would also like the Board and Council for approving this decision. Sport’s understanding of this complex area of regulation continues to develop and this policy will remain under a watching brief with our Medical Commission.

“We want everyone to feel welcomed and accepted in sailing and we have carefully tried to balance inclusion and fairness. But the priority of World Sailing in formulating this policy has been to ensure fair competition at the elite level, where no participant has an unfair or disproportionate advantage over the rest. And, in particular, we have to uphold fairness and integrity in the female and mixed categories of competition.

“I know this news will disappoint some people. However, I hope everyone in our sport will recognise that our responsibility as the international federation was to weigh the available evidence, consider all views, but then to make decisions in the best interests of sailing.”