The British Sailing Team delivered a stunning overnight haul of three medals at the San Pedro OCR Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, capping off what has been an extraordinary month of racing on the waters that will host the 2028 Olympic Games.
Silver medals went to James Grummett and Rhos Hawes in the 49er and to the established Nacra 17 pairing of John Gimson and Anna Burnet, while Freya Black and Saskia Tidey secured bronze in the 49erFX. The triple-medal night brought Great Britain’s total tally at the regatta to a remarkable eight medals across the ten Olympic sailing classes contested over the past month.
A Statement of Intent on LA28 Waters
The significance of these results extends well beyond the medal count. The San Pedro OCR Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta is being staged on the very waters that will serve as the sailing venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, making every race a critical opportunity for teams to build familiarity with the local conditions. The Long Beach and San Pedro coastline presents a unique set of challenges, including complex thermal sea breezes, Pacific swells, and current patterns that differ markedly from European racing grounds. For the British squad, banking this level of experience — and doing so with podium-level results — represents a powerful strategic advantage heading into the Olympic cycle.
The fact that British crews medalled in eight of ten classes is a breadth of performance rarely seen from any nation at a single international regatta and underscores the depth of talent currently running through the programme.
49er: Grummett and Hawes Continue Their Rise
James Grummett and Rhos Hawes have been building momentum throughout the current Olympic cycle, and their silver medal in the 49er confirms their status as genuine contenders for LA28 selection. The 49er remains one of the most physically demanding and tactically complex classes in Olympic sailing, with its asymmetric spinnaker and trapeze-powered speed rewarding crews who combine raw athleticism with razor-sharp decision making. For Grummett and Hawes to finish on the podium against what is typically a fiercely competitive international fleet is a significant marker of their progress.
49erFX: Black and Tidey on the Podium
Freya Black and Saskia Tidey added to the British celebration with a bronze medal in the 49erFX. Tidey, who previously represented Ireland at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics alongside Charlotte Dobson, brings a wealth of championship experience to the partnership. Her transition to sailing under the British flag has been closely watched, and results like this suggest the combination with Black is gelling at exactly the right time. The 49erFX fleet has grown increasingly competitive in recent years, and a podium finish at a major regatta on Olympic waters is a clear statement of intent.
Nacra 17: Gimson and Burnet Still Among the Best
Perhaps the most reassuring result for British Sailing came from John Gimson and Anna Burnet in the Nacra 17 multihull class. The duo are no strangers to the biggest stages in the sport, having won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and remained a fixture at the top of international Nacra 17 rankings ever since. Their continued ability to challenge for medals heading into a third Olympic cycle is a testament to their skill, fitness, and relentless drive. The Nacra 17, a foiling mixed catamaran, demands an unusual blend of boat handling finesse and high-speed decision making, and Gimson and Burnet remain among the very best in the world at mastering it.
Building Towards LA28
With the 2028 Olympics now less than two years away, the British Sailing Team’s performance in Long Beach sends a clear message to rival nations. Eight medals in ten classes is not the product of one or two standout crews — it reflects a programme operating at a consistently high level across the board. The coaching infrastructure, sport science support, and competitive pipeline that have defined British Sailing’s success in recent Olympic cycles appear to be firing on all cylinders once again.
As the countdown to LA28 intensifies, the British team will take enormous confidence from knowing they can perform at the highest level on the waters where it matters most. For Grummett and Hawes, Black and Tidey, and Gimson and Burnet, these medals are more than hardware — they are proof of concept for campaigns aimed squarely at Olympic glory in Los Angeles.
