Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

Two golds for Australia at Sailing Grand Slam in Spain

by Australian Sailing Team 5 Apr 08:44 PDT
Grae Morris - Trofeo Princesa Sofía Regatta © Sailing Energy / Trofeo Princesa Sofía

Grae Morris and Zoe Thomson have claimed a gold medal each at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía regatta, held over the past six days in Mallorca, Spain.

Grae took the win in the Men's iQFOiL after topping the overall leaderboard and sealing gold with a win in the final race. Zoe also led her fleet heading into the final day and clinched victory with a second-place finish in the ILCA6 medal race.

In the Men's iQFOiL, Grae continued his momentum from his win at the iQFOiL International Games last month. Throughout the week his speed was evident in several races as were some big areas for improvement as he adapts to the new 8.0m sail size. "Happy I was able to win a medal race straight off the bat, and just happy to finish we got first overall as well It's always good sign," said Grae fresh from his race win.

"There's still a lot to work on, as the last couple of days showed, so it's going to be a long year. We've been working pretty hard and happy to see where it's going and hopefully it just keeps getting better from there," Grae finished.

Zoe, who had finished second at the event the past two years, was elated to secure her first win in Palma and her first major senior event victory. Reflecting on the significance of the result, she said, "It's good to start the quad and set my intentions. Of course, it highlighted some areas to work on in big fleet racing, but being my first bigger win, I'm happy with the week and glad I got it done." It was a well-earned result and a strong signal of what's to come as the West Australian ramps up her LA 2028 campaign.

It was a mixed bag for the rest of the ILCA 6 squad, who've been training hard together through the Australian summer. Palma offered a valuable tune-up ahead of their World Championships next month in Qingdao, China, the iconic venue from the 2008 Olympic Games.

There was a major milestone in the Nacra 17, with three Australian teams making the top-10 medal race. Paris Olympians Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown led the charge in fifth, followed by Ruben and Rita Booth in seventh, and Archie Gargett with Sarah Hoffman rounding out the top ten, a big boost for Australia's mixed multihull depth.

The ILCA 7 also impressed, with Pathway Team athletes Zac Littlewood and Ethan McAullay both notching multiple top-three race finishes. Zac ended just one point shy of the medal race in 11th overall, while Ethan wrapped up 16th after a solid start. Both will also head to Qingdao next month with the men's ILCA7 World Championships set to be held alongside the women's ILCA6 event.

Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot returned to international racing after a year-long break, finishing 12th. Despite missing out on the Medal Race, the duo showed clear progress and are taking plenty of positives from their development over the Australian summer and are focused on the next phase of training.

There was plenty of attention on new-look 49er combinations, including Paris Olympian Shaun Connor sailing with Otto Henry for the first time internationally. The pair showed glimpses of brilliance with two race wins and finished 14th overall, an impressive debut that sets the stage for future success. The rest of the squad fought hard in the silver fleet and will be back in action at French Olympic Week in Hyères in just a few weeks' time.

Australian athletes in the Women's iQFOiL, Mixed 470 and Formula Kite are still in development phases, using events like Palma to identify key areas for growth. While the results were expectedly modest, the week offered critical learning opportunities for them to take into their next stage.

From Olympians to up-and-comers, the regatta was a chance for the Australians to test themselves against the world's best. Some now continue their European campaign at French Olympic Week in Hyères, while others return to Australia to prepare for key events later in the year.

Results can be found here

Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Pathway Team (ASPT), and other Australian entries (AUS) at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta:

iQFOiL Men's - 113 Entries

1st - Grae Morris (AST)
29th - Rory Meehan (AUS)
65th - Philip Cripsey (AUS)
78th - Jarrod Jones (AUS)
86th - Matthew Quinlan (AUS)
92nd - Scott Luxton (AUS)

ILCA 6 - 114 Entries

1st - Zoe Thomson (ASPT)
10th - Mara Stransky (AST)
20th - Casey Imeneo (ASPT)
29th - Sylvie Stannage (AUS)
38th - Elyse Ainsworth (AST)
71st - Francis Beebe (AUS)
94th - Caitlin Shaw (AUS)

ILCA 7 - 174 Entries

11th - Zac Littlewood (ASPT)
16th - Ethan McAullay (ASPT)
40th - Michael Compton (AUS)
67th - Isaac Schotte (AUS)
68th - Stefan Elliott-Shircore (AUS)
72nd - Lawson McAullay (AUS)
110th - Daniel Costandi (AUS)
135th - Julian Taylor (AUS)
139th - Alexander Bijkerk (AUS)
140th - Patrick Scally (AUS)

Nacra 17 - 32 Entries

5th - Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown (ASPT)
7th - Ruben Booth and Rita Booth (ASPT)
10th - Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman (ASPT)
15th - Jake Liddell (ASPT) and Niamh Meehan (AUS)

49erFX - 46 Entries

12th - Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot (AST)
31st - Seisia Mair and Stella Hurley (AUS)
38th - Lily Richardson and India Gilbert (AUS)

49er - 91 Entries

14th - Otto Henry (AUS) and Shaun Connor (ASPT)
31st - Harry Price (AUS) and Max Paul (ASPT)
41st - Jacob Marks and Charlie Zeeman (AUS)
42nd - Jack Ferguson (ASPT) and Jack Hildebrand (AUS)
49th - Liam Millar and Will Bridge (AUS)
72nd - Daniel Links and Keizo Tomishima (AUS)

Formula Kite Men's - 63 Entries

37th - Oscar Timm (AUS)

iQFOiL Women's - 67 Entries

59th - Samantha Costin (AUS)
61st - Anna Crispey (AUS)

Mixed 470 - 55 Entries

35th - Ashlee Daunt and Brayden Daunt (AUS)
43rd - Sophie Jackson and James Jackson (AUS)
51st Ben Hinks and Fallon Katz (AUS)

Related Articles

Maritimo S60 Sedan Motor Yacht - Global launch
Enhancements to both the exterior and interior deliver great appeal Leading Australian luxury motor yacht manufacturer, Maritimo, will proudly display the first S60 Sedan Motor Yacht at the 2025 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Posted on 21 May
Maritimo M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht - Global launch
Setting the benchmark in long-range cruising motor yachts Maritimo, Australia's world-class luxury motor yacht builder, expands its next generation model line-up with the global launch of the all-new M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, May 2025. Posted on 21 May
Welcome aboard the M7
Available for private viewings at select Mediterranean locations this summer Unveiled at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in January 2025, the new M7 has already established itself as a standout in the world of multihull motor yachts. Posted on 21 May
Lazzara Yachts enters the expedition market
With sale of Lazzara EX 165 Lazzara Yachts (a part of Euro Marine Group) is proud to confirm the sale of its Lazzara EX 165, Lazzara's largest yacht to date. Posted on 20 May
Coast Guard proposes removing hundreds of buoys
Some buoys are in notoriously rocky and challenging bays and harbors on the Northern Atlantic Coast On April 15, the First Coast Guard District released an initiative proposing the removal of hundreds of navigational buoys, or Aids to Navigation (AtoNs). Posted on 20 May
Feadship Project 715 launched
The explore yacht slipped from her building hall in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands Feadship's latest entry into the genre of explorer yachts slipped from her building hall in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. Posted on 18 May
Riviera's 72 Sports Motor Yacht Series II Premiere
Part of Riviera's 12 yacht showcase at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show Riviera celebrates two World Premieres at this year's Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. The new generation 72 Sports Motor Yacht - Series II joins the exciting new 4300 Sports Express as part of Riviera's spectacular 12 yacht showcase. Posted on 18 May
CL Yachts unveils sporty new CLB65 SUV
New model being introduced ahead of the 2025 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show As the ever-popular CLB65 continues its grand tour - following its Asia-Pacific debut in Hong Kong and standout appearances at major boat shows across Australia and the US - CL Yachts is proud to unveil its latest concept: CLB65 SUV. Posted on 17 May
The Outer Reef 27 Crossover
The Outer Reef 27 Crossover The 27 (Meter) Crossover is the first in Outer Reef's Crossover Series and a standout member of our Adventure Sports Vessel (ASV) lineup. Posted on 14 May
New exterior views of in-build 52-meter GTT 170
A next-generation superyacht designed for shallow waters and high-speed cruising from Dynamiq Constructed entirely in aluminum and currently in-build in Antalya, Turkey, this groundbreaking superyacht is purposefully engineered for discerning owners in the United States and the Middle East. Posted on 13 May
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTER