New Cycles, New Crews: The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Fleets Reset for LA 2028
Across the globe, programmes are evolving fast. Some of the sport’s most familiar names are stepping away from full-time Olympic life, others are re-emerging with new teammates, and training hubs are lighting up as teams chase sunshine, speed and rhythm. The next four-year story is being written now.
A new era for New Zealand’s 49er programme
After a standout Paris 2024 campaign, silver medallists Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie have stepped away from full-time Olympic campaigning. It marks the end of a hugely successful partnership—but not the end of New Zealand’s influence in the 49er class.
Life has moved quickly for both sailors. McKenzie is now based in Sydney, working full-time as an engineer, while McHardie has completed his building apprenticeship and is now a qualified carpenter. Away from the racecourse, both have also hit major personal milestones, with engagements announced and weddings on the horizon.
Yet neither has drifted far from performance sailing. McKenzie has joined the New Zealand Black Foils in a shoreside support role, working alongside former 49er coach Matt Steven. Combining engineering know-how with elite skiff experience, he’ll travel with the team contributing to performance analysis and race support.
Their legacy remains clear. A deep domestic fleet is already active, Nationals are approaching, and a new generation of Kiwi skiff sailors is stepping confidently into the space McHardie and McKenzie helped define.
Training camps light up the off-season
With winter biting in the north, many teams have gone chasing sun—and the usual hotspots are buzzing.
Lanzarote is once again a focal point for the 49er fleet, hosting a strong mix of German, French and Polish teams. On the water are Paris Olympians Jakob Meggendorfer and Andreas Spranger (GER), alongside France’s Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin, with Polish crews including Staniul and Sztorch adding depth and pressure.
Across the multihulls, several Nacra 17 teams are clocking serious mileage in Lanzarote, including world championship bronze medallists Scipio and Willemijn, joined by the Austrian Nacra squad as European programmes ramp up early.
In the 49erFX fleet, German teams have spread across Sicily, Cagliari, Vilamoura and New Zealand, deliberately rotating venues to build versatility in waves, chop and lighter Mediterranean airs.
Meanwhile, the wider foiling world overlaps constantly. Several Nacra 17 sailors are sharpening racecraft elsewhere, with the Liddell brothers currently leading a 66-boat fleet at the F18 World Championship—a reminder of how transferable foiling skills have become across classes.
Cecilia Low returns to the 49erFX—with a new teammate
A familiar name is back on the FX circuit. Rui Qi Cecilia Low has returned to 49erFX racing, teaming up with Elizabeth Lin.
Low brings deep experience: an Olympic campaign at Tokyo 2020, where she and Kimberly Lim became the first Singaporean sailors to qualify for an Olympic medal race, plus an Asian Games gold medal and multiple World Cup appearances. The new partnership has been years in the making, and both sailors are already eyeing major regional targets as the long LA 2028 road begins.
Her return adds maturity and momentum to a fleet that continues to deepen in both quality and global reach.
Closing one chapter, opening another in the 49erFX
After five intense years together, Lara Granier and Amélie Riou have formally closed their Olympic campaign. Following a narrow miss on Paris selection and a period of reflection after Cagliari, the pair chose to end a project defined by growth, resilience and shared highs on and off the water.
But endings in this fleet are rarely final. Riou is already back on the start line, forming a new partnership with Manon Peyre. With the 49erFX World Championship in Quiberon in May as their first major milestone, the focus is firmly on building foundations—fast.
A fresh pairing in the Nacra 17
Early-cycle movement continues in the multihull fleet. Sarah Newberry-Moore has announced a new Nacra 17 partnership with Hoël Menard, officially launching their LA 2028 campaign. Training is already underway, underlining just how quickly new combinations are forming across the class.
Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Regatta: early signals
The Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Regatta delivered strong international racing across the 49er fleet. Overall victory went to Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush, with Swiss Olympians and SailGP sailors Sebastian Schneiter and Arno De Planta second. Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn completed the podium, while Americans Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid placed fourth.
All are expected back on the line for the New Zealand 49er Nationals, before heading to the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma this March—one of the first true measuring sticks of the new cycle.
Eyes on the horizon: Ruggero Tita
And finally, a name that always draws attention. Ruggero Tita has been dropping hints about a potential return to the Nacra 17. Nothing official—yet. But in a fleet where combinations shift quickly and ambition never rests, the sailing world is watching closely to see what shape that next move might take.