World champions Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush lead outstanding month for New Zealand sailors on international stage

New Zealand's sailors have enjoyed an extraordinary month on the international stage, highlighted by world champions defending their European crown, a rare Nations Cup victory, and a haul of medals across Olympic, youth and emerging classes.

Last month, Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush continued their remarkable recent dominance in the 49er, successfully defending their European Championship title in Eckernförde, Germany. The Auckland duo have now claimed three major championships in just over a year after adding the world title in France in May. A windless final day prevented the fleet from contesting the new medal series, but the standings after qualifying were enough to seal back-to-back European crowns for the 21-year-olds. The Kiwis nearly added another podium finish, with Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn in fifth overall. Sean and Rowan Kensington finished 33rd in their first international campaign together; Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren were 50th in the 93-boat fleet; and Nicola and Rebecca Hume placed 46th in the 49erFX. Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart also impressed with a fifth in the Nacra 17 — their best result together since Wilkinson won Olympic bronze at Paris 2024 alongside Erica Dawson.

Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush (NZL 94), and Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn shone at the 49er European Championships in Germany. Photo / Niklas Mattes

Only days earlier, Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley were crowned Under-19 Female World Champions at the 29er World Championships in Kiel, Germany, while also finishing second overall in the female fleet. They also led New Zealand to victory in the Nations Cup after all five Kiwi crews qualified for Gold Fleet from a field of nearly 300 boats. Three New Zealand crews finished inside the overall top 10, with Nelsen Meacham and Oli Stone fourth, Matteo Barker and Leo Brown seventh, and Blake Batten and Hugo Smith 10th. Ewan Brazle and Toby Clark narrowly missed another podium, finishing fourth in the Under-17 division and 29th overall.

New Zealand claimed the Nations Cup at the 29er World Championships with all five crews making the gold fleet. Photo / International 29er Class

In Gdynia, Poland, Kiwi wingfoiling reached another milestone when 18-year-old Kosta Gladiadis claimed gold at the World Sailing Test Event. Gladiadis snatched victory from teammate Sean Herbert in a dramatic medal race after trailing France's multiple world and European champion Mathis Ghio through qualifying. Herbert secured bronze, marking the first time two New Zealand sailors have shared the podium at this level of WingFoil Racing. The result capped another breakthrough month for Herbert, who earned the first World Cup podium of his career in Italy just days earlier, while Gladiadis continued his rapid rise after successfully defending his Formula Wing Youth World Championship silver medal only a fortnight before Gdynia.

Kosta Gladiadis won the men's wingfoil at the World Sailing Test Event. Photo / Robert Hajduk

The Olympic Classes Regatta in Long Beach and San Pedro, California — the venue for sailing at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games — showcased New Zealand's depth across several Olympic classes. Aimee Bright claimed silver in the iQFOiL after finishing runner-up to Britain's Emma Wilson in a physically demanding medal race. It was Bright's second major international silver medal in as many months following her podium finish at the European Championships in Portugal. Veerle ten Have (ninth) and Stella Bilger (10th) also finished inside the top 10, while Eli Liefting placed eighth in the men's fleet and Josh Armit narrowly missed the medal series in 15th.

Aimee Bright on her way to the silver medal in Long Beach, Photo / Bruce Crary

Tom Saunders finished 11th in the ILCA 7, just six points shy of the final series after climbing steadily throughout the regatta. Greta Pilkington was 14th in the ILCA 6 after sitting as high as third midway through the event. Caleb Armit (27th) and George Pilkington (35th) also competed in the ILCA 7, while George Gautrey was forced to retire with a back injury after a promising opening day. 

Greta Pilkington finished 14th in the ILCA 6 after being among the podium positions earlier in the regatta. Photo / Lexi Pline

In Formula Kite, Lukas Walton-Keim finished 15th, Lucy Bilger 18th and Toby Wigglesworth 25th.

Earlier, the North American Championships at Cabrillo Beach saw Tom Pilkington finish 25th in the ILCA 6, with Greta Pilkington 38th. Caleb Armit led the Kiwi men in the ILCA 7 with 21st, ahead of George Gautrey (28th) and George Pilkington (30th).

The month concluded in Long Beach with another strong showing at the iQFOiL North American Championships at Alamitos Bay. Josh Armit claimed silver in the men's fleet, missing the title by just two points, while Liefting finished fourth and Blake Hinsley placed inside the top seven. The women's competition featured an all-New Zealand battle for silver, with Ten Have edging training partner Bright by a single point. Stella Bilger (11th) and Daniella Wooldridge (14th) also competed, while Finn Davies and Elbe White completed a Kiwi one-two in the youth division, with Davies dominating the championship after winning six of the 10 races.

Veerle ten Have was second at the iQFOiL North American Championships. Photo / Salty Brother

Late in July, Chloe Turner secured the first Under-19 international medal of her career at the ILCA 6 Youth European Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. The 17-year-old Murrays Bay Sailing Club sailor won the final race by more than a minute to clinch bronze behind Greece's reigning youth world champion Hermione Ghicas and Italy's Sofia Bertoletti. Turner was also the highest-placed non-European in the fleet, continuing her rapid rise after winning the Under-17 world title in Los Angeles last year. She now heads to the Youth World Championships in Denmark beginning on 11 August.

Chloe Turner won her first under-19 medal in Greece. Photo / EurILCA 

Toby Wigglesworth also reached the podium at the Formula Kite Youth European Championships in Gizzeria, Italy. After recording nine top-six finishes from 14 races, he placed seventh overall and claimed under-19 bronze behind Switzerland's Karl Maeder and Poland's Marcel Stępniewski, backing up last year's Youth World Championship silver medal.

Toby Wigglesworth was seventh overall and third under-19 at the Formula Kite Youth European Championships. Photo / IWSA Media

In Medemblik, the Netherlands, Sean and Rowan Kensington finished their first 49er Junior World Championship together in style. The Auckland brothers posted consecutive second-place finishes on the final day to climb to seventh overall in a fleet of more than 50 boats, recording nine top-10 finishes across 12 races.

At the 470 Junior World Championships in France, Tessa Clinton and William Mason placed 19th in their first major international regatta together.

New Zealand was represented by three teams at the 420 World Championships in France. Photo / Looma Pictures

Meanwhile, at the 420 World Championships in Biscarrosse, France, Zofia Wells and Charlotte Handley produced their best performance on the final day with sixth place in the concluding race to finish 26th overall in the 49-boat women's fleet. Amber Hughes and Phoebe Willis also finished strongly to place 36th, while Ashton Cooke and Charlie Bridger wrapped up their first world championship campaign together in 119th in the mixed/men's fleet.

The month ended with another encouraging performance from New Zealand's next generation at the O'pen Skiff World Championships in Calasetta, Italy. Summer Torbet, Sam Richardson and Finn Manson all qualified for Gold Fleet from a highly competitive 106-boat Under-17 field. Richardson led the trio in 28th overall after recording four top-10 race finishes; Torbet placed 33rd overall and 10th among the girls after finishing third in qualifying, while Manson gained valuable experience in his first major international regatta, ending the championship 52nd overall.