French Olympic Week Kicks Off in Hyères
- HYÈRES, France (April 29, 2025) – The 56th edition of french Olympic Week, also known as Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères – Toulon Provence Méditerranée, commenced under ideal...
- Hyères, a long-standing host for elite sailing competitions, is witnessing the emergence of potential future Olympians in the wake of the Paris 2024 Games.
- In the Nacra 17 mixed double-handed catamaran class, the Italian team of Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei currently lead the standings after three races.
French Olympic Week Kicks Off with Strong Winds and Rising Stars
Table of Contents
- French Olympic Week Kicks Off with Strong Winds and Rising Stars
- French Olympic Week 2025: Your Q&A Guide to the Regatta
- What is the French Olympic Week?
- When and where did the 2025 French Olympic Week take place?
- Who participated in the French Olympic week 2025?
- What where the conditions like on the frist day of racing?
- Which classes were included in the French Olympic Week?
- Let’s dive into some of the key results from the first day:
- Nacra 17: Who’s in the lead in the mixed double-handed catamaran class?
- 49er: Who’s leading in the Men’s and Women’s 49er Classes?
- Women’s FX
- Men’s 49er
The American team of Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid are leading the Men’s 49er class.470: Who’s leading in the 470 mixed double-handed dinghy?
Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort of Germany are in first place in the 470 mixed double-handed dinghy class after winning the second race.ILCA 6 and 7: What were the key results in the solo dinghy classes?
ILCA 6
- ILCA 7
- iQFOiL: Who’s dominating the windsurfing competition?
- Formula Kite: Who’s leading in the kiteboarding events?
- Here’s a Summary Table of The Leaders:
- What challenges did the sailors face?
- Where can I find more data about French Olympic Week?
HYÈRES, France (April 29, 2025) – The 56th edition of french Olympic Week, also known as Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères – Toulon Provence Méditerranée, commenced under ideal Côte d’Azur conditions. A total of 729 sailors representing 56 nations participated in the first day of racing. All ten fleets completed their scheduled 31 races, benefiting from steady offshore westerlies and abundant sunshine.
Hyères, a long-standing host for elite sailing competitions, is witnessing the emergence of potential future Olympians in the wake of the Paris 2024 Games.
Nacra 17: Italian Team Takes Early Lead
In the Nacra 17 mixed double-handed catamaran class, the Italian team of Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei currently lead the standings after three races. Their scores of 14, 2, and 1 propelled them to the top, despite discarding their initial result. Austria’s Laura Farese and Matthäus Zöchling consistently performed well, securing two second-place finishes and a victory, placing them in close contention.
Ugolini acknowledged a setback in the first race, stating, “In the first one, sadly, we took our plastic bag on the foil… In the last race, we had a bad start, but we made a good upwind piece.” Farese noted the close competition with the Italian team, adding, “In the second and the third race we were in a really close fight with Gigi and maria… I think the two of us were kind of ahead of the fleet.”
49er: Belgian and American Teams Surge Ahead
Women’s FX
Belgium’s Isaura Maenhaut and Anouk geerts seized the lead in the Women’s FX 49er after winning the final race of the day. Though, the British duo of Eleanor Keers and Jess Jobson are close behind, delivering consistent performances with three top-ten finishes.
Maenhaut emphasized the challenges of navigating the large fleet: “it’s such a big group, it’s hard, as soon as one small thing goes wrong, you get like kind of sucked to the middle of the group.” Keers noted the favorable conditions for British crews, stating, “The wind built from the first race a little bit – 10 knots building up to 14 – it’s kind of like Portland Harbour, which is where we train.”
Men’s 49er
The American team of Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid edged out Britain’s Elliott Wells and Billy Vennis-Ozanne to claim the top spot in the Men’s 49er class.
470: German Team Leads Mixed Dinghy Class
Simon diesch and Anna Markfort of Germany are in first place in the 470 mixed double-handed dinghy after securing a win in the second race. Jordi Xammar of Spain, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, and his new teammate, marta Cardona Alcántara, are currently fourth overall. France’s matisse Pacaud and lucie de Gennes are in third.
ILCA 6 and 7: Solo Dinghy Competition Heats Up
The ILCA 6 and 7 classes, featuring the largest fleets in the regatta, saw intense competition in both the women’s and men’s divisions.
ILCA 6
Anna Munch of Denmark and Charlotte Rose of the USA each won both races in their respective fleets.
ILCA 7
Duko Bos currently leads the ILCA 7, followed by Milivoj Dukic of Montenegro and Filip Jurisic of Croatia.
iQFOiL: Israeli and Australian Windsurfers Dominate
Women’s iQFOiL
Israel demonstrated its strength in women’s windfoiling, with Tamar Steinberg leading the fleet after winning the last three races. Zheng Yan of China is in second place.
Men’s iQFOiL
australia’s Grae Morris, a paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist, holds the lead in the men’s iQFOiL, followed by Poland’s Pawel Tarnowski. France’s Clément Bourgeois is in third.
Louis Pignolet of France commented on the challenging conditions, stating, ”The first two slalom rounds were complicated while the wind picked up… The level is very high, and there’s plenty to fight for.”
formula Kite: British and Singaporean Kiters Shine
Women’s Formula Kite
Lily young of Great Britain is in first place, followed by wan Li of China and Izabela Satrjan of Poland.
Men’s Formula Kite
Maximilian Maeder of Singapore and Riccardo Pianosi of Italy both had strong performances in their respective fleets.
Further racing is scheduled throughout the week.
French Olympic Week 2025: Your Q&A Guide to the Regatta
The 56th edition of the French Olympic Week (Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères – Toulon Provence Méditerranée) showcased thrilling sailing action. Hear’s what you need to know, answered in a handy Q&A format!
What is the French Olympic Week?
The French Olympic Week is a prestigious international sailing regatta held annually in Hyères, France.It brings together top sailors from around the world to compete in various Olympic sailing classes, serving as a key event for preparing for major championships and the Olympics.
When and where did the 2025 French Olympic Week take place?
The 2025 edition started on april 29th, 2025, in Hyères, France, a location known for its ideal sailing conditions, providing a good training ground for competitive races.
Who participated in the French Olympic week 2025?
A remarkable 729 sailors representing 56 nations participated in the regatta, showcasing the event’s global appeal.
What where the conditions like on the frist day of racing?
The conditions were near-perfect, providing a good base for the sailors. They had offshore westerlies and plenty of sunshine on the first day of racing.The competitors raced in steady winds from 10 to 14 knots.
Which classes were included in the French Olympic Week?
The regatta includes the following Olympic classes and racing formats:
- Nacra 17 (mixed double-handed catamaran)
- 49er (men’s and women’s skiff)
- 470 (mixed double-handed dinghy)
- ILCA 6 and 7 (solo dinghy)
- iQFOiL (windsurfing)
- Formula Kite (kiteboarding)
Let’s dive into some of the key results from the first day:
Nacra 17: Who’s in the lead in the mixed double-handed catamaran class?
The Italian team of Gianluigi Ugolini and Maria Giubilei are currently leading the Nacra 17 class after three races. Despite a setback in the first race, thier performance in the last two races put them at the top of the leaderboard.
49er: Who’s leading in the Men’s and Women’s 49er Classes?
Women’s FX
belgium’s Isaura Maenhaut and Anouk Geerts seized the lead in the Women’s FX 49er class after winning the final race of the day.Great britain’s Eleanor Keers and Jess Jobson are close behind.
Men’s 49er
The American team of Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid are leading the Men’s 49er class.
470: Who’s leading in the 470 mixed double-handed dinghy?
Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort of Germany are in first place in the 470 mixed double-handed dinghy class after winning the second race.
ILCA 6 and 7: What were the key results in the solo dinghy classes?
ILCA 6
Anna Munch of Denmark and Charlotte Rose of the USA each won both races in their respective fleets.
ILCA 7
Duko Bos currently leads the ILCA 7 class.
iQFOiL: Who’s dominating the windsurfing competition?
Women’s iQFOiL
Israel demonstrated its strength in women’s windfoiling, with Tamar Steinberg leading the fleet after winning the last three races.
Men’s iQFOiL
Australia’s Grae Morris, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist, holds the lead in the men’s iQFOiL class.
Formula Kite: Who’s leading in the kiteboarding events?
Women’s Formula Kite
Lily Young of Great Britain is in first place in the women’s Formula Kite class.
Men’s Formula Kite
Maximilian Maeder of Singapore and Riccardo Pianosi of Italy both had strong performances in their respective fleets.
Here’s a Summary Table of The Leaders:
| Class | Leaders |
|---|---|
| Nacra 17 | Gianluigi Ugolini & Maria Giubilei (Italy) |
| Women’s FX 49er | Isaura Maenhaut & Anouk Geerts (Belgium) |
| Men’s 49er | Nevin Snow & Ian MacDiarmid (USA) |
| 470 Mixed Double-Handed | Simon Diesch & Anna Markfort (Germany) |
| ILCA 6 | Anna Munch (Denmark) & Charlotte Rose (USA) |
| ILCA 7 | Duko Bos |
| Women’s iQFOiL | Tamar Steinberg (Israel) |
| Men’s iQFOiL | Grae Morris (Australia) |
| Women’s Formula Kite | Lily Young (Great Britain) |
| Men’s Formula Kite | Maximilian Maeder (Singapore) & Riccardo Pianosi (Italy) |
What challenges did the sailors face?
The competition featured strong winds, which some found challenging, especially during the Formula Kite slalom rounds. Teamwork and adapting to group dynamics were also major factors in the larger fleets, such as the 49er class.
Where can I find more data about French Olympic Week?
Keep an eye out for updates on the officially scheduled racing throughout the week to follow the progress of the teams and understand the dynamics of the competition!
Credits photo: French Olympic Week 2025
Video Credits: ICARUS sports