Great Britain's Saskia Tidey, a member of Dun Laoghaire's Royal Irish Yacht Club and helm Freya Black claimed the bronze medal in the 49erFX fleet as the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta concluded on the waters that will stage the sailing competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The British pair held third place through Sunday's two medal races to finish behind Sweden's Vilma Bobek and Ebba Berntsson, who secured gold, and Spain's Paula Barcelo and Maria Cantero, who took silver.
Bronze Charge: Great Britain's Freya Black and Saskia Tidey (GBR 24) race on a fast reach during the San Pedro OCR, where the British pairing secured the 49erFX bronze medal on the future LA 2028 Olympic sailing waters. Photo: Lexi Pline
Bobek and Berntsson capped a week-long improvement after overcoming an inconsistent start to the regatta. "It's not been so easy," Bobek said after the victory. "As for the racing, there were some hectic starts and a bit of a war zone sometimes, but we learned a lot during our climb throughout the week. To win here at the Olympic waters means a lot."
Berntsson said simplifying their approach proved decisive. "We for sure learned how to keep it simple throughout the week. We did not in the beginning." The Swedish crew entered the medal races with a nine-point lead before finishing second in the opening race and winning the regatta finale to confirm the title.
In the 49er fleet, Germany's Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger completed a commanding wire-to-wire victory, leading the standings throughout the week. "It's race after race, and then keep it clean," Rieger said of their consistent approach.
Great Britain's James Grummet and Rhos Hawes won the final medal race to climb into second overall, while Uruguay's Hernán Umpierre and Fernando Diz secured bronze.
The Nacra 17 title went to Sweden's Emil Järudd and Hanna Jonsson, who completed a steady climb up the leaderboard after beginning the regatta in third place.
Photo Finish: Australian Nacra 17 sailors battle through a challenging manoeuvre during the San Pedro OCR, with the Olympic venue testing crews across a demanding week of racing. Photo: Lexi Pline
"You really had to keep your head out of the boat," Jonsson said. "Just try to fly high and go as fast as you can." "It's the most intense teamwork you can imagine, which makes it really fun," added Järudd.
Great Britain's John Gimson and Anna Burnet mounted one of the regatta's strongest recoveries to finish second overall after rebounding from a UFD and a disqualification with eight consecutive top-three finishes.
The six-day regatta brought together 140 sailors from 20 nations, including 27 Olympians and seven Olympic medallists, providing competitors with valuable experience on the racecourse that will host the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic sailing events. For many teams, including Tidey and Black, the knowledge gained in San Pedro's demanding conditions will be as valuable as the medals won.
