2026 Olympic Classes Regatta: Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn lead New Zealand 49er challenge on opening day at Los Angeles 2028 Games venue
Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn made the brightest start for the New Zealand team as the men's skiff, women's skiff and mixed multihull fleets got their first taste of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic sailing venue at the Olympic Classes Regatta in San Pedro.
The Kiwi pair opened their 49er campaign with an impressive second-place finish in the first qualifying race before ending the day seventh overall after adding a seventh and a discarded 26th to their scorecard.
It continues a strong run of form for the young crew, who finished fourth at Kiel Week before placing fifth overall at the 49er European Championships in Germany just two weeks later.
Fellow New Zealanders Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren also made an encouraging start, sitting 14th overall after recording finishes of 10th, 11th and a discarded 22nd.
Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn in action on Day 1. Photo / Steve Jost
It was a more challenging opening day for world and European champions Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush, who finished 20th after posting race finishes of 17th, 14th and 20th. The Auckland duo arrived in California after successfully defending their European title in Germany, only months after capturing their maiden world championship crown in France.
In the mixed Nacra 17 fleet, Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart are well placed in ninth overall after opening their regatta with finishes of 10th, 17th and eighth.
The second week of the Olympic Classes Regatta marks the first major international event to be sailed on the waters that will host the Olympic sailing competition at Los Angeles 2028, giving athletes a valuable opportunity to familiarise themselves with the venue four years ahead of the Games.
Conditions provided an early test, with winds building into the mid-to-high teens during the afternoon and ocean swell creating challenging racing outside the Los Angeles Harbour breakwater.
Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush are 20th overall after the first three races. Photo / Lisa Bronitt
Germany's Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger lead the 49er standings after the opening day, while France's Alouïse Retornaz and Tim Mourniac head the Nacra 17 fleet.
Racing continues later today with another three qualifying races scheduled in each class. The fleets will race together through the opening five days before the top 10 crews in each class advance to the medal series.
Latest results and standings here.
Related news
By Blake NZ
Environmental leadership is more critical than ever before, and the BLAKE Awards seeks to recognise those with visionary efforts to create a more sustainable future.
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.
As the road to Los Angeles 2028 gathers momentum, Yachting New Zealand is searching for five selectors to help shape the next chapter of New Zealand’s Olympic sailing campaign and identify the athletes who will chase success on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
