The 57th French Olympic Week of Hyères – Toulon Provence Méditerranée kicks off from April 18 to 25, attracting over 700 athletes from 59 nations to the Bay of Hyères, a prominent venue in the international sailing calendar. This event marks the second stage of the Sailing Grand Slam, following Palma de Mallorca and serves as a significant event for top sailors around the globe.
With 136 entries, the ILCA 7 category (men’s single-handed dinghy) features the largest fleet, followed by ILCA 6 with 83 entries and men’s iQFOiL with 66 competitors.
ILCA
Australia’s Matt Wearn emerges as a strong contender in ILCA 7, being a double Olympic champion and a recent winner of the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia, ready to defend his title against Hong Kong’s Nicholas Halliday among others. In the ILCA 6 division, fierce competition is expected with defending champion Chiara Benini Floriani (Italy) and Eve McMahon (Ireland), both past winners, alongside podium finishers Daisy Collingridge (Great Britain) and Emma Plasschaert (Belgium), as well as French hopes resting on world champion Louise Cervera and local sailor Marie Barrue.
iQFoil
The iQFOiL fleet showcases strong contenders such as France’s Nicolas Goyard, recent Palma victor, and Australia’s Grae Morris, the Olympic silver medalist, expected to challenge for top honours among the elite participants.
49er / 49erFX
In 49er (double-handed dinghy), American duo Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid, recent Palma runners-up, start as favourites while China’s Wang Xin and Qi Tianyu look to make their mark in the competitive field. The 49er FX class features Sweden’s Vilma Bobeck, Olympic silver medallist, as a leading favourite alongside her teammate.
Formula Kite
The Formula Kite events promise intense competition, with Singapore’s Maximilian Maeder and Italy’s Riccardo Pianosi showing outstanding performances in Palma, while women’s racing will see the seasoned Lauriane Nolot from France as the top contender, facing formidable opponents from China.
Mixed 470
The mixed 470 class contains intense rivalries, particularly between Spain’s Jordi Xammar and Marta Cardona, winners in Palma, and British and French teams also vying for the podium.
Nacra 17
Lastly, in the Nacra 17 fleet, Italy’s double Olympic champions Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti lead the pack, with serious competition anticipated from various national teams.
Key facts about the event include its period from April 18 to 25, involving ten Olympic classes with entries from 59 nations.
The French Olympic Week schedule reveals a series of events starting with registration on April 17, followed by the opening ceremony on April 19, a qualifying series leading to medal races concluding on April 25.
For further information, visit the event website sof.ffvoile.fr.
@semaine.olympique.francaise #ffvoile #FrenchOlympicWeek #Hyères #OlympicSailing
Interested in seeing more Racing News? Click here
