New Zealand’s Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush have cemented their status as one of the world’s premier 49er crews after successfully defending their European Championship title in Eckernförde, Germany, claiming their third major championship in just over a year.
The Auckland pair were crowned champions overnight ( New Zealand time) after the final day of racing at the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships was abandoned due to a complete lack of wind, leaving Sunday’s standings to determine the final results.
While the anticlimactic finish denied the fleet a chance to contest the event’s revamped medal series, it did little to diminish another commanding performance from the reigning world champions, who have now won back-to-back European titles and the world championship since their breakthrough triumph in Greece last year.
The latest success continues a remarkable rise for the 21-year-olds. After claiming their maiden European title in Thessaloniki in 2025, they became the youngest crew in history to win the 49er World Championship in Quiberon earlier this year – New Zealand’s first Olympic-class sailing world title since Tom Saunders won the ILCA 7 world championship in 2021.
Perhaps even more impressive is how little they have raced internationally this season. The pair skipped both the Princess Sofia Regatta in Spain and French Olympic Week – two of the sport’s premier Olympic-class events – as well as Kiel Week, choosing instead to focus on the World and European Championships. Menzies has also balanced his Olympic campaign with his recent appointment as co-helm of Emirates Team New Zealand alongside Nathan Outteridge for next year’s America’s Cup in Naples.
“It was an interesting week,” Menzies said. “We had a lot of breeze and then not much breeze and finally today, not enough breeze. We didn’t get to race today, which is a shame, but we’re still very happy with how we raced this week.
“It takes a lot to get up from New Zealand, so doing the two Grand Slams and the worlds would be a long trip. We just focused on the important ones, which were the worlds and the Europeans.”
Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush defended their European crown in Eckernförde, Germany. Photos / Niklas Mattes
The cancellation also meant there would be no chance to race under the new medal series format, which compressed the points and left the top 10 crews separated by narrow margins.
“Yeah, it’s a little bit strange – a bit anticlimactic,” Lee Rush said. “With the new format everything was still quite close, so it would have been exciting to get some racing because anything really could have happened through the top 10.
“It’s a shame not to race, but we’re obviously so pleased with the outcome.”
Asked what has driven their remarkable consistency, Lee Rush pointed to the work being done back home.
“We’ve been working super hard for quite a while now on our speed, and the same with the other Kiwis. We all train together back home.”
The victory is the latest chapter in New Zealand’s outstanding recent success in the 49er class. Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie won Olympic silver at Paris 2024, while Peter Burling and Blair Tuke established one of the greatest Olympic sailing partnerships of all time, winning gold and two silver medals between 2012 and 2020.
The final day of the regatta was marred by a lack of breeze, yet Kate Stewart and Micah Wilkinson climbed to fifth in the Nacra 17 standings. Photos / Niklas Mattes
New Zealand nearly celebrated a second podium finish in Eckernförde after Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn produced an outstanding regatta to finish fifth overall.
The young Kiwi crew qualified for the medal series after spending much of the week inside the top three before narrowly missing out on a medal in the tightly compressed standings.
There was further encouragement across the New Zealand squad.
Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart continued their progress in the mixed Nacra 17 class, finishing fifth overall in their best regatta together since joining forces following Wilkinson’s Olympic bronze medal campaign with Erica Dawson.
Sean and Rowan Kensington placed 33rd in the 49er fleet after an impressive first international campaign in the class, while Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren finished 50th in the 93-boat fleet.
In the 49erFX, Nicola and Rebecca Hume ended the championship 46th overall as they continue to gain valuable experience against the world’s best crews.
Final results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
