The pressure on Lake Neuchâtel ramped up a notch on the final day of the SSL Gold Cup African and Oceanian Qualifiers with double points on offer.
Tahiti knew they just needed a third place in race 7 to qualify, but they went further, winning both races to wrap up the win and book their place at the SSL Gold Cup Finals Brasil 2026. The celebrations on the Tahiti Black Pearls yacht were exuberant, together with their trademark ‘Proa Paddle’ crossing the line.
Yann Rigal, Tahiti Bow, reflected on what was an outstanding final day, “We knew today we needed to finish third in the first race to qualify, and during the last two days we hadn’t sailed at our best level, because we had made a few mistakes, but today the teamwork was incredible. We have one guy on board, Moana (Hugonot), for whom it’s the first regatta of his life, so the teamwork was huge to be able to work all together and push the limit of the boat. Two bullets were not part of the plan – the plan was to be qualified and to enjoy our sailing – but a victory is always good fun.”