Wearn wins in Palma
Matt Wearn takes out the ILCA 7 title on return as Australian Sailing Team shows depth in Palma.
Photography by Beau Outteridge
06 April 2026
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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.
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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 to 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.
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