2026 French Olympic Week: New Zealand iQFOiL trio shine as Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn finish strongly in Hyères

A squad-first mentality off the water and a healthy rivalry on it are being credited for the emergence of New Zealand’s women’s iQFOiL triple threat over the past 18 months.

That was underlined again at French Olympic Week in Hyères this weekend, where 21-year-old Stella Bilger led the charge with a fourth-place finish in a regatta that tested the fleet across a full spectrum of conditions, from light airs and flat water to strong breeze and heavy seas.

Bilger’s result follows a consistent start to the season, having also been the top New Zealand finisher in the women’s iQFOiL fleet (in 12th) at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma earlier this month. While pleased with her progress, she made it clear there is more to come.

“I’m really pleased with how I went this week,” Bilger said. “We had a range of different conditions and racing formats, with plenty of highs and quite a few lessons. That’s very valuable as we head towards the European Championships.”

Bilger attributes her recent rapid rise to a combination of strong support and the depth within the women’s squad, led by coach Paul Snow-Hansen and bolstered by fellow rising talent Aimee Bright and Paris 2024 Olympian Veerle ten Have, who finished in the top 10 on her Olympic debut.

Stella Bilger was fourth in Hyères after her 12th place in Palma. Photos / Sailing Energy

That competitive edge was evident at the under-23 World Championships in Portimão last September, where Bilger secured gold, with Bright taking silver in a rare Kiwi one-two.

“It really is awesome having Vee and Aimee helping me to be the best that I can,” Bilger said. “We’re extremely lucky in New Zealand to have a strong windsurfing squad. They’re fast and very good tactically and strategically, and that pushes me to improve as well.”

That internal competition is matched by a close bond away from racing, something Bright believes has been just as important in their progress. She qualified fourth overall in Hyères to reach the knockout series before being eliminated in the semi-finals, finishing seventh overall.

“Stella is one of my really good friends,” Bright said. “At times it can be tough competing against each other in such a competitive, high-stakes environment, but we’ve worked really well together over the past year. The whole squad understand how each other trains, competes and deals with pressure, and that’s brought us very close.

“It’s great having someone around my age to relate to, to travel the world with, have as much fun as we can, and to push each other as hard as possible. That squad depth, training together and building connections with other sailors overseas has definitely helped us become more competitive in the open fleet.”

In the men’s iQFOiL fleet, Josh Armit finished eighth overall after being knocked out in the quarter-finals, with Eli Liefting 16th and Blake Hinsley 57th.

Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn claimed their best finish with a ninth at the French Olympic Week. Photos / Sailing Energy

Meanwhile, Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn delivered one of New Zealand’s standout performances in the 49er class, saving their best for the final day. Having qualified for the medal series in 10th, they won the last of their two finals races to climb to ninth overall — their best result as a pairing to date — in an event won by China’s Zaiding Wen and Tian Liu.

Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan showed early promise to sit among the podium places midway through the regatta before finishing 19th, while Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren were 24th. In the 49erFX, Nicola and Rebecca Hume placed 20th.

Greta Pilkington improved across the week to finish 26th in the 84-boat ILCA 6 fleet, while in the kitefoiling events, Lucy Bilger was 16th in the women’s competition, with Lukas Walton-Keim 22nd and Lochy Naismith 31st in the men’s.

With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle firmly in focus, the New Zealand windfoilers are balancing long-term ambition with a process-driven approach.

“The Olympics are the ultimate goal, and it’s definitely on the mind for all of us,” Bilger said. “We’re all working really hard towards that, but it’s important to take it one step at a time.”

The squad will next regroup in Portimão in mid-May for the European Championships, where their rivalry is likely to again be a defining feature.

“Having those familiar faces at events helps so much, and we’ll keep pushing each other as hard as we can,” Bright said. “Becoming number one and two in the world would be pretty special.”

Final results and standings are available here.