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Thirty-two years after his last world championships win, Kiwi windsurfing great Bruce Kendall turned back the clock to claim victory at the 2025 Windsurfer World Championships.
The event, held in Athens, Greece last month, saw Kendall secure the overall title in Division B, achieving top-three finishes in five course races and a slalom race, and winning the marathon.
"I'm stoked to finally win a Windsurfer World Championships marathon by a healthy margin," Kendall said. "In 1983, I finished fourth. In 1984, my mast base broke, and in 2023 I broke my ribs right before [the marathon]."
Kendall won Olympic gold at the Seoul Games in 1988 and bronze four years earlier in Los Angeles, and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
He last won a world championship title in the Mistral class in Japan in 1993.
Bruce Kendall (far right) took out Division B at the 2025 Windsurfer World Championships in Greece in October. Photos / IWA
The 2025 Windsurfer World Championships brought together sailors from across the world for a week of racing that included eight course races, the traditional long-distance marathon, and a full round of slalom, testing sailors' skill and versatility.
Conditions varied throughout the week, ranging from light 5-knot breezes to strong winds exceeding 20 knots. The venue provided a scenic backdrop for the competition, while organisers and volunteers from the Athens Nautical Club ensured the event ran smoothly on and off the water.
Other winners were Italy's Andrea Marchesi (Division A), Alessandro Alberti (Division C), and Riccardo Giordano (Group D), as well as Aleksandra Blinnikka from Finland in the women's fleet.
Full results here.
