Graham Vials

Graham Vials (born 1982 or 1983) is a British sailor who sails at Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club and has won the Flying Fifteen World Championship a record six times alongside his crew Chris Turner. The duo won their first in 2011 at Hayling Island Sailing Club and won their sixth at the 2025 World Championship at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. Vials has also won the British National Championships 4 times.

Graham Vials

Personal information
Nationality	United Kingdom
Born	1982 or 1983 (age 42–43) Darlington, United Kingdom
Sport
Sport	Sailing
Medal record Sailing Representing United Kingdom Flying Fifteen World Championship 2011 Hayling Island 2013 Hong Kong 2015 Crozon-Morgat 2019 Dún Laoghaire 2023 Perth 2025 Weymouth Flying Fifteen British National Championship 2014 Parkstone 2019 Parkstone 2021 Rhu 2022 Hayling Island

Early life

Vials grew up in Darlington in County Durham.

Career

Early career and 470 campaign

Vials begun his sailing career in an Optimist, a small, single-handed dinghy designed for sailors under the age of fifteen. He then moved into a 420 before moving into the 470 in 2001. At his first European Championships in the 470 he placed 12th sailing with Dan Newman. He missed out on qualifying for both the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, going to Athens as a reserve in 2004.

Post 470

He sailed a Moth for much of the late 2000s, placing 7th at the 2008 Worlds.

Flying Fifteen

His first Flying Fifteen World Championship came in 2011, where he won the event without competing in the final race. Over the next fourteen years he would win a total of six world championships becoming the most successful Flying Fifteen helm of all time.