On the 29th of March, Keizo Tomishima and I travelled to France to compete in two major international regattas, the French Olympic Week in Hyères and the 49er World Championship in Quiberon. These events were another important step in our campaign and gave us the opportunity to compete against some of the best sailors in the world. With fleets of 45 boats in Hyères and 82 boats at the World Championships, we knew it would be a challenging trip, particularly as one of the younger and lighter crews in the fleet.
Before French Olympic Week, we completed 8 days of training in Hyères focused on speed, boat handling, and adapting to the local conditions. The regatta itself was extremely competitive and gave us valuable opportunities to test ourselves against world-class sailors. We were very happy with how much we improved throughout the event and felt far more comfortable and confident than at our previous international competitions. By the end of the regatta, we felt like we’d made real progress and had a much better understanding of what we needed to work on heading into the World Championships.
After Hyères, we moved to Quiberon where we completed a further 14 days of training leading into the 49er World Championship. The extra preparation allowed us to arrive at the event feeling confident and ready to perform. The conditions in Quiberon were some of the toughest we have experienced, with several days producing large Atlantic swell and winds gusting between 25 and 30 knots.
The second day of the championship brought an added challenge when we pitchpoled during a race and I was thrown over the front of the boat, hitting my head on the bow. After returning to shore, I completed and passed concussion testing, allowing me to continue racing for the remainder of the regatta. The strong winds, big waves, and physical nature of the racing made it a demanding week, but Keizo and I stayed focused on learning and improving every day.
One of the things we were most proud of throughout both regattas was our mindset. We felt very determined and locked into the process from start to finish, always looking for ways to improve regardless of the conditions or results. Compared to previous overseas campaigns, we felt faster, more confident, and much more competitive against the top international teams.
Overall, we were extremely happy with how the trip turned out. While there is still plenty to improve on, the progress we made throughout the training blocks and regattas was significant. Racing against some of the best sailors in the world provided valuable experience and reinforced that our hard work over the past year is paying off. We are grateful for the support from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club and look forward to building on these improvements throughout the rest of the season. Our next part of the journey will be another European trip to compete in the Junior World Championships, European Championships, and Kiel Week where we will be leaving on the 12th June.
