# Graham Vials

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Graham_Vials
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Graham_Vials.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Vials
> Source revision: 1357304277
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Graham Vials** (born 1982 or 1983) is a British sailor who sails at [Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club](/source/Derwent_Reservoir_(North_East_England)) and has won the [Flying Fifteen](/source/Flying_Fifteen) [World Championship](/source/Flying_Fifteen_World_Championship) a record six times alongside his crew [Chris Turner](/source/Chris_Turner_(sailor)).[1][2] The duo won their first in [2011](/source/2011_Flying_Fifteen_World_Championship) at [Hayling Island Sailing Club](/source/Hayling_Island_Sailing_Club) and won their sixth at the [2025 World Championship](/source/2001_Flying_Fifteen_World_Championship) at [Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy](/source/Weymouth_and_Portland_National_Sailing_Academy).[3][4] Vials has also won the British National Championships 4 times.[5]

## Early life

Vials grew up in [Darlington](/source/Darlington) in [County Durham](/source/County_Durham).[6]

## Career

### Early career and 470 campaign

Vials begun his sailing career in an [Optimist](/source/Optimist_(dinghy)), a small, [single-handed](/source/Single-handed_sailing) [dinghy](/source/Dinghy) designed for sailors under the age of fifteen. He then moved into a 420 before moving into the [470](/source/470_(dinghy)) in 2001. At his first [European Championships](/source/470_European_Championships) in the 470 he placed 12th sailing with [Dan Newman](/source/Dan_Newman_(sailor)). He missed out on qualifying for both the [2000](/source/2000_Summer_Olympics) and [2004 Summer Olympics](/source/2004_Summer_Olympics), going to [Athens](/source/Athens) as a reserve in 2004.[7]

### Post 470

He sailed a [Moth](/source/Moth_(dinghy)) for much of the late 2000s, placing 7th at the 2008 Worlds.[8]

### Flying Fifteen

His first Flying Fifteen World Championship came in 2011, where he won the event without competing in the final race.[9] Over the next fourteen years he would win a total of six world championships becoming the most successful Flying Fifteen helm of all time.[10][11][12]

## References

1. ["Vials and Turner win unprecedented fifth World Championship"](https://flying15.org/News/vials-and-turner-win-unprecedented-fifth-world-championship). *Flying Fifteen International*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["PRO-SET Epoxy and Ovington Boats Flying Fifteen Worlds at the WPNSA, UK - Overall"](https://www.sail-world.com/news/289257/Flying-Fifteen-Worlds-at-Weymouth-UK-overall). *www.sail-world.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["2011 World Championship Results"](https://flying15.org/Championship-Results/World-Championship-Results/2011-Worlds-Results). *flying15.org*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["2025 World Championship Results"](https://flying15.org/Championship-Results/World-Championship-Results/2025-World-Championship-Results). *flying15.org*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["UK Flying Fifteen Champions"](https://flying15.org/Championship-Results/National-Champions/UK). *flying15.org*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. Adam_Cargo (2023-05-16). ["North East solicitor wins gold at world sailing championships"](https://www.wardhadaway.com/insights/news/north-east-solicitor-wins-gold-at-world-sailing-championships/). *Ward Hadaway*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["Graham Vials fills us in on his past and his plans for the future | The Daily Sail"](https://thedailysail.com/dinghy/10/22121/graham-vials-fills-us-in-on-his-past-and-his-plans-for-the-future). *thedailysail.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["CST Composites Moth Worlds at Weymouth - Overall"](https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/142365/CST-Moth-worlds-overall). *www.yachtsandyachting.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["Flying 15 Worlds- A new World Champion with a race to spare"](https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Flying-15-Worlds-A-new-World-Champion-with-a-race-to-spare/-86543). *www.sail-world.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. Wolstenholme, Emma. ["World title at the double for Ward Hadaway’s Graham Vials"](https://hrprotect.wardhadaway.com/insights/world-title-double-ward-hadaways-graham-vials). *Ward Hadaway*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["Subaru Flying Fifteen World Championship at Dun Laoghaire, Ireland - Overall"](https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/222035/Subaru-Flying-Fifteen-Worlds-overall). *www.yachtsandyachting.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

1. ["PRO-SET Epoxy and Ovington Boats Flying Fifteen Worlds at the WPNSA, UK - Overall"](https://www.sail-world.com/news/289257/Flying-Fifteen-Worlds-at-Weymouth-UK-overall). *www.sail-world.com*. Retrieved 2026-03-07.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Graham Vials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Vials) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Vials?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.