New Zealand has claimed its second major Olympic-class sailing medal in the space of a week after George Gautrey secured bronze at the weather-hit 2026 ILCA European Championships in Kaštela, Croatia, overnight.
Competing in the ILCA 7 (formerly Laser) class, Gautrey finished third overall on the final day of gold-fleet racing, ending the regatta as the top non-European sailor and just three points shy of the title.
The result follows Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush’s historic triumph at the 49er World Championships in Quiberon, France, on Sunday night (NZ time), where they became the youngest world champions in the history of the men’s skiff and New Zealand’s first Olympic-class world champions since Tom Saunders won the ILCA 7 world title in 2021.
In Kaštela, Gautrey battled unstable breeze and dramatic pressure shifts on the final day, with conditions ranging from just four knots to gusts exceeding 22 knots. The ILCA 7 fleet completed two races before the regatta concluded, with a third scheduled race abandoned.
He had led the European Championships from the opening day, winning three of the first four races, and retained the overall lead heading into the final day, aided by a second-place finish in the opening gold-fleet race.
A 16th placing in the first race overnight proved costly, although Gautrey responded with a third in what became the final race of the regatta. The abandoned final race ended his hopes of reclaiming the lead.
He finished on 42 points, two behind Germany’s Philipp Buhl and three adrift of Cyprus Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides, who secured his third European title.
“It’s disappointing not to get the win here,” Gautrey said. “That was the goal all week, and I felt like I put myself in a good position to do so, leading every day of the event except the last one. Ultimately, I was just off the mark in one race today, and that was the difference.”
Conditions throughout the regatta proved difficult, with no racing possible on two days and several races either shortened or abandoned due to everything from light winds to thunderstorms and lightning.
“We had a lot of races that were abandoned, and ultimately the dice didn’t fall my way today,” Gautrey added. “But I’m sailing a lot better than I have in a long time and going really fast in the boat. There’s been some really awesome work with [coach] Mark [Howard] and the people back home that’s enabled me to do that.”
The 28-year-old Wellingtonian has enjoyed a strong start to the international season, having also finished fifth at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma de Mallorca last month.
“I started the season pretty well, and it’s encouraging that I’m finding myself consistently up there [on the leaderboard]. Now it’s about finding a way to win these events, to beat the likes of [former European champion] Mickey [Beckett] and Matt [Wearn, defending Olympic champion]. You know, ultimately they’re who I want to be competing with, and those are the guys I want to be beating.”
Caleb Armit finished 35th in the ILCA 7. Photos / EurILCA
Gautrey was not the only Kiwi to impress in Kaštela. Caleb Armit produced one of the best regattas of his career, qualifying for the gold fleet and finishing 35th overall in the 173-boat fleet, as well as ninth among non-Europeans and fourth in the under-23 standings.
In the women’s ILCA 6 fleet, Paris 2024 Olympian Greta Pilkington rebounded from a slow start to also finish 35th overall and inside the top 10 among non-Europeans.
Hungary’s Maria Erdi claimed the ILCA 6 European title after a dramatic final day in the women’s fleet, while Great Britain’s Matilda Nicholls took silver and Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert bronze.
Gautrey will next head to the United Kingdom to train with Beckett and the British team ahead of the ILCA World Championships in Ireland in August. His European campaign will also include the pre-Olympic test event and World Cup regatta in Los Angeles, the venue for the 2028 Olympic Games.
“I’ve got two weeks training with the Brits in June, which will be really awesome,” Gautrey said. “It will allow me to get eyes on the venue [for the world championships] and also train against some world-class athletes. After that, I’ll be spending the majority of July in Los Angeles for the World Cup and then pretty swiftly after that, we’re in Ireland.
“I’m really looking forward to the next two months, and I’m excited for the gains that are possible.”
Final results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
