Stepping Up in Europe: Our 2025 Mixed 470 Campaign 

March and April of 2025 saw us return to Europe to compete in two of the most competitive Olympic sailing regattas on the calendar—the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma, Mallorca, and Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, France. These events marked a big milestone for our Mixed 470 campaign and a huge step forward from where we were just twelve months ago. 

Last year, we finished 60th at the Princess Sofia Trophy. This year, we cracked into the top of the fleet, finishing 35th out of 55 boats, and were the top Australian team in the event. Two weeks later, we wrapped up French Olympic Week in 26th out of 39 boats, and second Australian overall. While the results might not jump off the page for those outside the class, for us, these numbers represent a massive leap in performance—one we’re incredibly proud of. 

This kind of progress doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of hard work both on and off the water, and the combined support of our team. We’re hugely grateful to our coach, Adrian Finglas, for his expertise and tireless belief in us, and to the RQ Wyuna Fund for enabling us to travel and compete at this level. We’re also incredibly thankful to our Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron community—your backing means the world to us. 

Palma gave us a glamour week of racing. Clear skies, sparkling water, and steady conditions made for some of the most enjoyable and tactical racing we’ve done to date. We were thrilled to post three top 10 finishes, including an unfortunate BFD in qualifying that had us crossing the line in 8th place—our best race result so far. To be in the mix like that shows how far we’ve come. Rounding the top mark first in the final race after spotting and executing a persistent left-hand shift was another standout moment. 

French Olympic Week in Hyères brought a totally different challenge: raw, powerful breeze and some of the windiest conditions we’ve ever raced in. One race was sailed in over 30 knots of wind, with the upwind leg feeling more like a reach than a beat. In spite of the tough conditions, we managed another top 10 finish, this time in a deep, single fleet packed with Paris Olympians.  

These moments aren’t just flashes of success—they’re evidence that we’re starting to feel comfortable in this fleet, and that we’re developing a solid foundation of boat speed, tactical decision-making, and resilience under pressure. We were particularly pleased with our consistency across both events, which is something we’ve worked hard on in training over the last four years. 

Now, after a big few months, we’re stepping out of the boat for a bit of an off-season. This time away from the water will let us refocus on other areas of our lives, rest, and reset before we ramp up preparations for the 2026 European season. We’re proud to be taking ownership of our campaign and doing things our way—keeping it sustainable, personal, and true to who we are as athletes. 

Thank you again to everyone who continue to support us on this journey. We can’t wait to get back into it and keep pushing toward our long-term goals—one regatta, one race, and one shift at a time. 

See you on the water, 
Ashlee & Brayden