Wearn wins on return as Australian Sailing Team shows depth in Palma
by Lisa Darmanin / Australian Sailing Team 4 Apr 21:44 BST
30 March - 4 April 2026
Matt Wearn wins - Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta © Beau Outteridge / Australian Sailing Team
Double Olympic Champion Matt Wearn has made a commanding return to international racing, taking out the ILCA 7 title at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, the opening Sailing Grand Slam of the season.
In his first major regatta since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Wearn delivered a composed performance across the week, all the more impressive given he hasn't raced in a fleet of this size and quality for almost two years.
Now beginning his campaign towards a third consecutive Olympic gold medal, an achievement only one Australian athlete has ever accomplished in the same individual event, Wearn's return has immediately set the tone for the LA 2028 cycle.
For Wearn, the focus remains simple. "A win is a win," he said.
"It feels great to be the first one back. There was going to be plenty of rust to shake off, and there still is, but we're at the front, which is a nice feeling."
While the road to Los Angeles is still long, the early signs are promising. "I'm not sure how LA conditions compare to this week, but it obviously helps the motivation that you're at the front of the fleet, and I'm enjoying my sailing."
Australia's strength across the fleets was also on display throughout the regatta.
In the 49er, Harry Price and Max Paul narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth after leading the fleet for much of the week in a highly competitive skiff field.
"Overall, it feels really positive," said Price. "It's nice to come to Europe and put into practice what we've been working on all summer. To come away with a result like this in variable conditions is encouraging."
Paul added, "At the end of the day, this is a stepping stone towards the bigger regattas later in the year. It's a positive start to the season for us, but we want to build on this momentum and push towards the Worlds in May."
In the Nacra 17, Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown secured a strong eighth-place finish, gaining valuable finals experience in a highly competitive fleet as they continue to build towards LA 2028.
The Australian ILCA 6 squad also showed strong depth, with three Australians finishing inside the top 11. Olympians Mara Stransky (8th) and Zoe Thomson (9th) led the charge.
"I think we've got a lot of promise going forward," said Thomson. "We're in the middle of a big training block right now, so we're building towards the Europeans and World Championships later in the year. It's a really solid sign of where we're at."
Reflecting on the challenging conditions in Palma, Thomson added, "We had a lot of offshore, eight-hour days on the water, around 13-15 degrees, so coming off the Australian summer, it was pretty hard to adapt and maintain focus in the cold."
Australian Sailing Team High Performance Director Iain Brambell said the regatta provided a valuable benchmark early in the international season.
"It's always valuable to see athletes re-engage with the international fleet and measure the progress made throughout the domestic training and competition season," Brambell said.
"Looking ahead, the focus is on improving conversion from Gold Fleet positions into Medal Series appearances, and ultimately turning those opportunities into consistent podium finishes. With a packed calendar this season, the team is excited for a year of highly competitive racing."
The Australian Sailing Team will next compete at French Olympic Week in Hyères from 20-25 April, another key Sailing Grand Slam event and a critical marker as the international season builds towards the individual World Championships later in the year.
Results can be found here.
Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Squad (AS Squad), Australian Sailing Futures (ASF), State Sailing Performance Program (SSPP) and other Australian (AUS) results at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta:
ILCA 7 (199 entries)
1st - Matt Wearn (AST)
13th - Ethan McAullay (AST)
34th - Zac Littlewood (AST)
48th - Michael Compton (AS Squad)
55th - Lawson McAullay (AS Squad)
86th - Isaac Schotte (AS Squad)
138th - Alexander Bijkerk (SSPP)
49er (101 entries)
4th - Harry Price / Max Paul (AS Squad)
23rd - Jack Ferguson / Jack Hilderbrand (AS Squad)
36th - Otto Henry / Shaun Connor (AS Squad)
ILCA 6 (143 entries)
8th - Mara Stransky (AST)
9th - Zoe Thomson (AST)
11th - Casey Imeneo (AS Squad)
27th - Elyse Ainsworth (AST)
45th - Frances Beebe (AUS)
60th - Sylvie Stannage (AUS)
67th - Evie Saunders (AS Squad)
88th - Ellen Sampson (ASF)
103rd - Lili McAullay (ASF)
Nacra 17 (42 entries)
8th - Brin Liddell / Rhiannan Brown (AST)
19th - Ruben Booth / Rita Booth (AS Squad)
22nd - Archie Gargett / Sarah Hoffman (AS Squad)
24th - Jake Liddell / Niamh Meehan (AS Squad)
Formula Kite - Women (31 entries)
11th - Breiana Whitehead (AST)
iQFOiL - Men (119 entries)
12th - Grae Morris (AST)
25th - Rory Meehan (AS Squad)
65th - Phillip Crispey (ASF)
73rd - Jarrod Jones (ASF)
85th - Matthew Quinlan (SSPP)
49erFX (62 entries)
23rd - Laura Harding / Annie Wilmot (AS Squad)
48th - Brooke Wilson (ASF) / Evie Haseldine (AS Squad)
iQFOiL - Women (70 entries)
45th - Anna Crispey (ASF)
50th - Sammie Costin (AUS)
Formula Kite - Men (56 entries)
45th - Oscar Timm (SSPP)
470
35th - Sophie Jackson / Austin Cross (ASF)
40th - Sienna Brown / Ellis Merrit (ASF)
43rd - Ben Hinks / Fallon Katz (ASF)
46th - Alice Buchanan / Angus Higgins (SSPP)