Nicholas Halliday makes history with ILCA 7 victory at 2025 French Olympic Week - Hyères
by Deyon Lai 28 Apr 22:25 NZST
19-26 April 2025
Nicolas Hallyday (HKG) - 56th Semaine Olympique Française de Hyères © Sailing Energy / FFVOILE / SOF
Hong Kong's Nicholas Halliday has made sailing history, clinching first place in the ILCA 7 fleet at the French Olympic Week - Hyères (SOF), and becoming Hong Kong's first ever Sailing Grand Slam (SGS) event winner.
Halliday dominated the event, securing a commanding 23-point lead by Friday 25 April and enjoying a stress-free first-ever Medal Race appearance at a World Cup level regatta. He finished fourth in the Medal Race itself, with New Zealand's Thomas Saunders finishing just ahead to take silver, while the Netherlands' Duko Bos faded to eighth and settled for bronze.
ILCA 7 Podium - French Olympic Week (Hyères):
1st - Nicholas Halliday (HKG) - 48 points
2nd - Thomas Saunders (NZL) - 71 points
3rd - Duko Bos (NED) - 79 points
Earlier in the season, Halliday placed 20th in the first round of the Sailing Grand Slam series, but this week in Hyères, he led from the front and showcased remarkable consistency and maturity in one of the most competitive fleets.
Nicholas reflected on the achievement: "It was super stress-free, really! I'd already won, so I just had to come in here and have good fun, and it's my first Medal Race in a World Series. Going into one of these races stress-free is pretty incredible.
"It was pretty windy today. It was good hiking. These conditions are really fun, especially on the downwinds — you're just constantly surfing and it's loads of fun. The upwinds are hard work, but I enjoyed it.
"It's a really, really high-level fleet. There are so many good guys here, and it's just incredible to race against the top sailors.
"It was a really big range of conditions this week, mostly offshore winds, and it just clicked for me. I had a good feeling for the shifts and pressure on the water. I felt pretty calm every day, stayed patient, and kept an open mind the whole week.
"Now, I head back home to Hong Kong. Most of the good guys here will be going to China for the World Championships in Qingdao starting May 10 — and that's much closer to home."
A special thank you to Coach Harris and Coach Vagelis for their tremendous guidance and support throughout this campaign.
Halliday's breakthrough performance marks a major milestone for the sailing of Hong Kong, China and paves the way for an exciting next chapter at the ILCA 7 World Championships in Qingdao.
Full race results - French Olympic Week - Hyères (ILCA 7):