New Zealand skiff pairing Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have started their new international season much like they finished the last — at the front of the fleet — after an impressive opening day at the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships in Quiberon, France.
Menzies and Lee Rush sit fourth overall after three qualifying races, capping their day with a race victory to establish themselves among the early contenders in a fleet of more than 80 boats.
Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush are fourth overall. Photos / Sailing Energy
The Kiwi pair arrived in France for their first international regatta of the season following a breakthrough 2025 campaign that elevated them into genuine contenders for New Zealand selection ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Earlier this year, they dominated the 49er fleet at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, defending their national title by more than 30 points against a field featuring several Paris Olympians.
Their rise began in Greece last June when they claimed gold at the European Championships in Thessaloniki, wrapping up the title with a day to spare in light and tactical conditions. They later backed that performance up with a gold fleet appearance at the world championships in Cagliari.
The pair immediately rediscovered their rhythm in the demanding French conditions, opening with finishes of sixth and fifth before delivering the standout performance of the day in the final race.
Nicola and Rebecca Hume in action in the 49erFX fleet. Photos / Sailing Energy
Austria’s Keanu Prettner and Jakob Flachberger lead the standings after posting a consistent 1-1-4 scoreline, with the Kiwis six points off the lead heading into day two.
“It was a good first day for us,” Lee Rush said. “It was a long day — we only got off the water after 7pm.
“We had a nice breeze, pretty shifty and tricky. It was an up-and-down day for many people and we were just happy to come out of it unscathed without one full result to discard.”
Rush said the standard across the fleet continues to rise as nations begin building toward the next Olympics.
“It’s a cool time leading up to the Olympics, and things are getting more and more competitive,” he said. “We have plenty of good Kiwi boats competing and a strong international fleet, so things are super competitive.”
Kiwi Nacra 17 pairing Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart. Photos / Sailing Energy
The opening day in Quiberon featured flat water and unstable medium breeze, with large wind shifts creating major swings throughout the fleet and rewarding consistency over outright speed.
Menzies and Lee Rush were one of four New Zealand crews competing in the 49er fleet.
Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn sit 54th overall after recording a best finish of 13th, while Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan are 59th with an eighth-place finish among their results. Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren are 63rd after the opening day.
In the 49erFX fleet, Auckland siblings Nicola and Rebecca Hume made a positive start and are 46th overall after the first day of qualifying.
Meanwhile, in the Nacra 17 class, Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart sit 16th overall after three races, positioned in the middle of a tightly packed leaderboard headed by Britain’s defending world champions Jon Gimson and Anna Burnet.
Racing continues overnight (NZ time), with a stronger breeze forecast for the second day of competition on the Brittany coast.
Click here for the full results and latest standings.
Click here to follow the racing via the live tracker.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
