Grae Morris found redemption on the Mediterranean Sea, winning gold in a stunning final series that kept him waiting and fighting until the very end.
After dominating the past two years at this event but falling short in the finals, Morris’ campaign looked under threat early. But the Olympic silver medallist responded in style, delivering the race win that mattered most to clutch a remarkable victory.
Fresh from seizing the win, Morris explained, “I got the first attempt at the final a bit wrong. I was over the line and got a five-second penalty. Then, in the second attempt, I managed to take it away with a bit of a battle with Nicolo Renna (ITA). So, I was really happy to get that done and stop getting seconds.”
Winning gold carried extra significance for Morris. “I got a second in 2024 and a second in 2025. So, to come away maintaining the gold bib for this event, I’m feeling pretty happy, especially after a bit of a rougher Palma, where I had quite a bit not going my way.
So, I managed to nail down my gear issues and a few other things, and I’m super happy and confident with everything that’s going on heading toward Portugal, which is the next event, the Europeans in a couple of weeks now.”
It was a tough break for Breiana Whitehead, who entered the Quarter Finals in sixth place but was dealt a BFD (Black Flag Disqualification), ending her progression and chances of fighting for a medal.
For the remaining fleets, it was the penultimate day of racing, with the Australian Sailing Team heading into Saturday’s Final Day with medal opportunities across four of the six classes.
Matt Wearn continues to set the benchmark in the ILCA 7. Despite collecting a BFD in the final fleet race, the double Olympic champion will carry an eight-point lead into the medal-deciding races ahead of Britain’s Micky Beckett. Ethan McAullay will also line up in the ILCA 7 Final, sitting sixth overall and will be in the hunt.
In the 49erFX, Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot will enter Finals Day in second overall, perfectly positioned to challenge across the two-race showdown as they chase their first major international medal together.
Harry Price and Max Paul produced one of the standout performances of the day, surging back to fourth overall to re-enter the medal conversation. After narrowly missing the podium in Palma just weeks ago, they’ll be looking to convert this time around.
In the Nacra 17, Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown will begin their Final Series from sixth place. With the compressed points format keeping the fleet tight, a strong final day could quickly propel them onto the podium.
While the Australian ILCA 6 squad showed strong depth throughout the week, the final fleet race saw Zoe Thomson slip outside the top 10 and miss her chance to contest the medals. Nevertheless, with three Australians inside the top 20, the depth of the squad remains clear, with plenty of opportunity ahead.
Winds are expected to push in strong from the West on Saturday, with racing scheduled to begin from 11:00 local time on the Bay of Hyères, bringing the medal races and the second Sailing Grand Slam of the season to a close.
Results can be found here
Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Squad (AS Squad), Australian Sailing Futures (ASF), State Sailing Performance Program (SSPP) and other Australian (AUS) results at French Olympic Week:
**Top 10 Final Races:**
**ILCA 7** (136 entries)
1st – Matt Wearn (AST)
6th – Ethan McAullay (AST)
**Nacra 17** (30 entries)
6th – Brin Liddell / Rhiannan Brown (AST)
**49er** (48 entries)
4th – Harry Price / Max Paul (AS Squad)
**49erFX** (24 entries)
2nd – Laura Harding / Annie Wilmot (AS Squad)
**Racing Completed:**
**iQFOiL – Men** (66 entries)
1st – Grae Morris (AST)
15th – Rory Meehan (AS Squad)
**Formula Kite – Women** (23 entries)
9th – Brieana Whitehead (AST)
**ILCA 6** (83 entries)
15th – Zoe Thomson (AST)
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