NZL Sailing Team: Tom Saunders wins silver in first major regatta since Olympics

Tom Saunders winner - Ailver medal in the ILCA 7 - French Olympic Week in France © Sailing Energy

Tom Saunders celebrated his return to the world stage with New Zealand’s second medal of the short international sailing season, claiming silver in his first major regatta since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The 32-year-old Tauranga sailor won silver in the ILCA 7 (formerly Laser) at the French Olympic Week in Hyères overnight, climbing to second overall with an impressive third-place finish in the double-points medal race.

It was his first international competition since finishing seventh in his Olympic debut in Marseille last August, having taken a break from racing.

Saunders enjoyed a consistent week, handling various conditions - from very light breezes to the famed Mistral, which blew at over 25 knots across the Bay of Hyères.

He finished inside the top 10 in six of the nine qualifying races, including a win in the final gold-fleet race, before leapfrogging the Netherlands' Duko Bos into second with his performance in the decider.

Hong Kong’s Nicholas Halliday took gold, while Kiwis Caleb Armit (12th) and George Gautrey (17th) narrowly missed out on a place in the medal race.

Saunders, a former class world champion, credited his extended break from racing for his success this weekend.

"It was nice to be back racing. It was my first event back, of course, but that doesn’t change too much - there's always an expectation to perform, and it's nice when it comes off. I've had a busy six months or so trying to figure out my best path forward. Sport can be selfish, particularly leading into Paris, and it’s easy to get tunnel vision," Saunders said.

"Stepping out of that for a moment has been good."

While this marks the start of his campaign towards the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Saunders will split his time between sailing, studying and coaching, which he has been doing a lot of over the past few months.

"I have LA in mind, of course, but there's plenty more to do between now and then. It's a bit of a balancing act."

The books will have to wait for now, however, with Saunders set to compete at the 2025 world championships in Qingdao, China, from 10 May.

"I'm coming back home for five days and then off to China for our world champs. It'll be a very quick turnaround."

Saunders was one of two Kiwis fighting for a podium spot in their medal events, with Josh Armit reaching the semifinals of the men’s iQFOiL (windfoil) medal series.

Armit, who finished fourth in Marseille, qualified for the knockout round after winning three of his qualifying races. He also won his four-board quarterfinal before bowing out at the penultimate stage, finishing fifth overall - one place better than his sixth at the season-opening Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Spain, a fortnight ago.

Fellow New Zealander Eli Liefting was 14th, while Stella Bilger and Aimee Bright represented the country in the women's event in the absence of Veerle ten Have, who won bronze in Palma.

"It's been a valuable block in Europe, checking in with the international fleet with the new sail size for this next Olympic cycle," Armit said.

"It’s been good to race in the wide range of conditions we’ve had here. As a squad, it feels like we’re on track. We're heading back to New Zealand now for a training block leading into the worlds."

Armit and ten Have will lead the young Kiwi contingent at the pinnacle event in Aarhus, Denmark, in early July.

In other results, Lukas Walton-Keim was 12th in the men’s kitefoil, with Toby Wigglesworth 40th and Lochy Naismith 42nd. Lucy Bilger finished 16th in the women’s kitefoil competition.

Greta Pilkington continued her impressive start to the season with a 14th-place finish in a 72-boat ILCA 6 (Laser Radial) fleet, while Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush were the top New Zealand team in the 49er class.

Menzies and Lee Rush, who achieved a career-best ninth place in Palma, finished 13th over the weekend, followed by Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan (28th), and Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren (37th).

For full results: click here