An early taste of conditions for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has given New Zealand’s sailing squad plenty of encouragement, with Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn leading the Kiwi charge at the Olympic Classes Regatta in San Pedro.
The 49er duo were the only New Zealand crew to make the medal series, capping a consistent regatta on the waters that will host Olympic sailing in two years.
Coutts and Gunn rounded off the regatta with scores of 7 and 5 in Sunday’s two medal races to finish ninth overall, adding to a strong series that had seen them near the front of the fleet throughout the week.
The result continues an impressive run of form for the pair on the international stage.
They finished fourth at Kiel Week in June before backing that up with fifth at the 49er European Championships in Eckernförde, Germany, last month – an event won by fellow New Zealanders Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush as they successfully defended their continental title.
Menzies and Lee Rush, who claimed their maiden world title in Quiberon, France, in May, narrowly missed the top-10 cut in San Pedro, finishing 13th overall.
Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren were just three places further back, finishing 16th in what was also an impressive showing from the third New Zealand men’s 49er team.
Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart finished just outside the top 10 in the Nacra 17 fleet, while Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn (top) were ninth in the 49er. Photos / Lisa Bronitt, Lexi Pline
In the Nacra 17, Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart also finished just outside the medal series, placing 11th overall after posting seven top-10 finishes from their 15 qualifying races.
For the New Zealand crews, the San Pedro regatta provided valuable first-hand experience of the waters and conditions they could face at LA2028.
The event brought together 140 competitors from 20 countries, including 27 Olympians and seven Olympic medallists, for the first major Olympic-class racing on the LA2028 waters.
Final results and standings here.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
