Full Power Racing at Semaine Olympique Française, Breeze On, Battle Tightens in Hyères
by 49er & Nacra 17 Sailing 22 Apr 11:34 PDT
18-25 April 2026
57th French Olympic Week in Hyères - Day 3 © Sailing Energy / French Olympic Week Hyères - TPM
Day three in Hyères brought a proper shake-up as strong breeze and rain rolled through the bay, forcing an early postponement.
Racing was held ashore until mid-afternoon, when the delta flag finally went up around 14:00 and the gold fleets in the 49er and Nacra 17, along with the full 49erFX fleet, launched into a windy, wet, but ultimately sailable afternoon. Once racing got under way, it was full intensity across all courses, and those who could handle the pressure and conditions came out on top.
In the 49erFX fleet, Australia's Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot were untouchable, winning both races of the day and showing they're more than comfortable in the breeze. Their perfect scoreline lifts them into second overall, now just two points behind Italy's Sofia Giunchiglia and Giulia Schio, who maintained their lead with a solid 2nd and 5th.
Leaders coming into day 3, Yingqian Wang and Xiaoya Su from China, slipped to third overall but remain in a strong position, especially within the all-important Chinese selection battle for the Asian Games. They still hold a significant margin over teammates Xiaoyu Hu and Yuyue Sun, but with so much at stake, every race continues to count.
The 49er gold fleet delivered three races and plenty of action. Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove put together a strong day (4, 3, 9 discard) to take over the overall lead, continuing their return to top form. But the standout performance came from China's Zaiding Wen (aka "Fish")and Tian Liu, who lit up the course with a 2nd and a race win, discarding a 13th. Their charge tightens the already intense internal Chinese battle, as they go head-to-head with teammates Xin Wang and Tianyu Qi — third in Palma — for the coveted Asian Games spot.
Sweden's young duo Marius Westerlind and Olle Aronsson continue their steady rise, sitting third overall, while local favourites and 2024 world champions Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin move into fourth after taking the win in the first race of the day.
In the Nacra 17 gold fleet, it was business as usual for Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, who extended their lead with two more race wins in the demanding conditions.
Close behind, Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei showed impressive pace and consistency, pushing hard all day — and who knows what might have been if not for a broken traveller after the first race. Still, the Italians proved just how competitive they are in these conditions. Olympic silver medalists Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco hold third overall, followed by Willemijn Offerman and Scipio Houtman, bronze medallists at the 2025 Worlds. The fleet seemed to embrace the conditions, with many sailors calling it a perfect Nacra day in Hyères.
French Olympic Week schedule:
- Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24: Qualifying series
- Friday, April 24: iQFOiL & Formula Kite Medal Series
- Saturday, April 25: ILCA, 49er, Nacra 17 & 470 Medal Races
- Saturday, April 25: 5:00 PM - Prize giving & closing ceremony