2026 Princess Sofia Regatta, Day 3: New Zealand sailors still in medal hunt after chaotic start to finals racing

New Zealand sailors have held their nerve through a chaotic opening day of finals racing at the 2026 Princess Sofia Regatta in Spain, with several crews firmly in medal contention despite wildly unstable conditions on the Bay of Palma.

Day three of the prestigious Olympic classes regatta — and the first taste of the finals series for several fleets — delivered exactly the kind of unpredictability Palma is known for. Shifting breezes swung from strong gusts to near glass-outs, leaving sailors battling not just each other but a racecourse that refused to settle. Long delays, multiple start attempts and energy-sapping days afloat tested the fleet’s patience as much as their skill.

Amid that uncertainty, George Gautrey has kept himself right in the hunt in the ILCA 7.

The young Kiwi sits fifth overall in the 199-boat fleet after the first day of finals racing, but crucially remains just two points off second place in the tightly compressed standings under the regatta’s new format. 

Further back in the same fleet, Caleb Armit and George Pilkington are 76th and 111th, respectively.

In the ILCA 6, Greta Pilkington successfully made the top-50 cut and now sits 42nd overall after three days of racing, ensuring her place in the finals series as the competition intensifies.

The Kiwi women’s iQFOiL contingent continues to show consistency in difficult conditions. Stella Bilger remains inside the top 10 in eighth overall, navigating the fluctuating breeze better than most, while Veerle ten Have and Aimee Bright sit 39th and 41st.

Lucy Bilger is 22nd in the women's kitefoil. Photos / Sailing Energy

There was also steady progress in the kitefoil fleets, where Lukas Walton-Keim — a Paris 2024 Olympian — edged up to 28th in the men’s standings. Toby Wigglesworth is four places back, with Lochy Naismith a further five adrift. In the women's fleet, Lucy Bilger is 22nd overall.

The 49er crews had limited opportunity to capitalise, with only one race completed as the wind faded late in the day. Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren made the most of it, finishing fourth in their heat to climb to 13th overall — now just two points shy of breaking into the top 10.

Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn also delivered one of their best results of the regatta with a second-place finish, lifting them to 17th, while Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan moved up four spots to 57th.

Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan in action on the Bay of Palma. Photos / Sailing Energy

Elsewhere, racing was abandoned entirely in both the men’s iQFOiL and Nacra 17 fleets as officials struggled to establish fair racing conditions in the volatile breeze.

Full results and latest standings here.