The Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères, which will take place from Friday, April 19 to Saturday, April 26, will see all ten Olympic sailing classes in action. For the 800 athletes, this French stage will be the second event in the Sailing Grand Slam, after the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia (Mallorca, Spain) at the beginning of April.
With 126 entries, the men’s single-handed dinghy fleet (ILCA7) once again promises to be the largest of this Semaine Olympique Française. Next are the women’s single-handed dinghy fleet (ILCA6), and the men’s windfoil fleet (iQFOiL), which each have 76 competitors respectively.
Windfoil (iQFOiL): 48 women and 76 men
In the women’s field, China’s Zheng Yan (2nd in the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia) will be keenly watched in Hyères, as will France’s Lola Sorin (4th in the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia). For the men, Australia’s Grae Morris (2nd in Hyères in 2024, silver medallist at Paris 2024, and winner of the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia) will be on the starting line, alongside Frenchmen Adrien Mestre, Louis Pignolet, and Nicolas Goyard (3rd, 4th, and 7th in the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia).
Formula Kite (kitefoil), 23 women and 66 men
In the women’s kite, France’s Lauriane Nolot, silver medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be making her return to competitive kite on the waters of Hyères. China’s Wan Li, winner of the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia, will also be on the starting line. In the men’s field, Austria’s Valentin Bontus (gold medallist at Paris 2024) and Hyères’s defending champion, Maximilian Maeder (bronze medallist at Paris 2024 and winner of the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia 2025), will be vying for the top spot.
Mixed double-handed catamaran (Nacra 17), 32 entries
The English duo of John Gimson and Anna Burnet (fourth place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games), were on the top step of the podium as winners of the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia 2025. Among the established contenders are Italy’s Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei, who finished third at the 2024 World Championship. The new French duo of Tim Mourniac and Aloïse Retornaz will be competing together for the first time at this Semaine Olympique de Hyères.
Single-handed dinghy (ILCA), 76 women and 126 men
In the women’s ILCA 6, American Charlotte Rose will be present to defend her Hyères title. Respectively 2nd and 3rd in the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia, Italy’s Emma Mattivi and Britain’s Daisy Collingridge will also be competing, as will Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert, the 2021 World Champion. The French squad includes Louise Cervera (9th in the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia) and local favourite Marie Barrue from Hyères. In the men’s ILCA 7, Cyprus’s Pavlos Kontides (silver medallist at Paris 2024) and Hungary’s Jonatan Vadnai (fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games) will be the men to beat, along with Irishman Finn Lynch (3rd at the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia).
Mixed double-handed dinghy (470), 41 entries
The English duo Martin Wringley and Bettine Harris have just won the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia. In Hyères, they will once again face Germany’s Simon Diesch and Anna Markfot and Italy’s Elena Berta and Giulio Calabro (who were 2nd and 3rd respectively on the Princess Sofia podium). The 2024 world champion, Spain’s Jordi Xammar, will also be present with his new teammate, Marta Cardona. Among the French contenders, Matisse Pacaud and Lucie de Gennes are in good form, having finished 7th in the Princesa Sofia.
Double-handed dinghy (49er), 39 women and 69 men
Winners of the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia, the English duo of Freya Black and Saskia Tidey will be the crew to beat for Norway’s Pia Dahl Andersen and Nora Edland, and France’s Mathilde Lovadina and Lou Berthomieu, who finished 3rd and 4th respectively in the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia. In the men’s 49er, France’s Clément Péquin is in great form, having just won the 2025 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia with Erwan Fisher. During this Semaine Olympique Française, he will be competing with Kevin Fisher. Germany’s Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger, 2nd in the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia 2025 will keen competitors.
Flashpoint
The oldest cricket world championship is the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The first tournament, which was hosted by England, was held in 1973. The English team was champion of the first edition.
Pepper Legs
Dan Carter, a former All Blacks fly-half, is regarded as one of the greatest players in rugby history. He is the highest point scorer in test rugby, with 1,598 points, and has won the World Rugby Player of the Year award twice (2005 and 2012).