For more than 50 years, the elite of Olympic sailing have been journeying to Hyères, the historic jewel of the French Riviera, at the end of April. Over the years, the Semaine Olympique Française - Toulon Provence Méditerranée has become an unmissable event for every national team. In 2023, for its 54th edition, Hyères will have the pleasure of once again welcoming the world's best Olympic sailors in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The event
With almost 1,000 athletes from over 60 countries, the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères is once again the Mediterranean event not to be missed - along with the Trofeo Princesa Sofia - for the Olympic elite with under a year and a half until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Like every year, “La SOF” continues to stage an event exclusively dedicated to the 10 Olympic classes: ILCA (women's and men's single-handed dinghy), 49er (men's and women's double-handed dinghy), Nacra 17 (mixed double-handed catamaran), 470 (mixed double-handed dinghy), Formula Kite (men's and women's kitefoil), iQFOiL (men's and women's windfoil), will compete on the Hyérois waters less than 500 days before the first Olympic events.
Very high-level competition
The Olympic champions from Tokyo (2021) and/or Rio (2016) competing in Hyères will include:
• Brazilian Martine Grael (49er FX) – double gold medallist in Rio and Tokyo
• The Italians Ruggero Tita & Caterina Banti (Nacra 17 mixed) - gold in Tokyo - will be challenged by the gold medallists in Rio, the Argentinians Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli.
• Australians Matt Wearn (gold in Tokyo) and Tom Burton (gold in Rio) will face each other in the ILCA 7.
• France’s Charline Picon (gold in the women’s RS:X in Rio), will compete in the 49er FX.
• China’s Lu Yunxiu (gold in the women’s RS:X in Tokyo) will compete in the iQFOiL.
A powerful French team, gearing up for a home Olympics, will include:
• Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (ILCA 7 world champion)
• Lauriane Nolot (Formula Kite European champion and world silver medallist)
• Camille Lecointre (bronze in Tokyo in the 470) will be compete in the mixed duo with Jérémie Mion. Lecointre will face her gold medal winning partner from Tokyo (where there were men’s and women’s events) Aloïse Retornaz, who is now paired with Hippolyte Machetti
Onshore activities
The event, coming during the school holidays, will be freely open to all and in particular to children, who will be able to get close to the best sailors in the world. There will be a multitude of onshore events to introduce sailing to as many people as possible.
Programme (subject to change):
- Friday April 21 : reception and registration
- Saturday April 22 reception and registration
- Sunday April 23: reception and registration
- Sunday April 23: opening ceremony
- Monday 24 to Friday April 28: qualifying phase
- Saturday April 29:Medal Races
- Saturday April 29:Prize giving and closing ceremony
Dates to remember: the next edition
2024: April 20 to 27 April – 55th edition