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France concluded the sailing events at the 2026 Mediterranean Games with three medals across the four Olympic classes on the program. Two were gold medals, won in the ILCA class by Marie Barrue and Lorenzo Mayer. The third went to Gaspard Carfantan, who placed third in the iQFoil class. Beyond the medal tally, the week in Italy primarily challenged the sailors to master the intricacies of light winds.
Marie Barrue Defends Her Title Four Years After Oran
Marie Barrue had come to win two gold medals. The Frenchwoman leaves Taranto having achieved her goal after her victory in the ILCA 6 class ahead of Slovenia?s Alenka Valencic. Périne Milleret, the second Frenchwoman competing in the event, finished in 8th place.
This result holds special significance for Barrue. Having already won at the 2022 Mediterranean Games in Oran, the sailor from the COYC Hyérois has defended her title four years later.
But the Italian regatta was anything but a walk in the park. The wind remained between 4 and 6 knots for much of the race. In this range, every boat length lost at the start and every misjudgment of a wind shift comes at a high cost. Speed also depends on the ability to keep the boat moving, with little room to correct a tactical error.
The final day brought a change of pace, with winds of about 10 knots on the course. Barrue maintained enough control to finish the series ahead of Valencic.
And the Frenchwoman barely has time to put away her ILCA. The ILCA 6 World Championship begins in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, on September 5, 2026?just three days after she wins the Mediterranean title.
Lorenzo Mayer Wins His First Title at This Level
In the men's competition, Lorenzo Mayer won the ILCA 7 event ahead of Greece's Marios Stathas. He earned his first gold medal at this level in Taranto.
In light winds, the French sailor has found conditions that play to his technical and tactical strengths. This is a key factor in a one-design series like the ILCA, where differences in equipment are minimal and the ability to move the boat forward in just a few knots becomes crucial.
The heat also took its toll on the competition. Mayer admits he had a tough first day before gradually finding the right setup.
However, his decision to compete in the Mediterranean Games was not an easy one, given the particularly packed international schedule. The event conflicted with the ILCA 7 World Championship, to be held in Dun Laoghaire from August 23 to 30, 2026.
The gold medal thus validates a different approach to sports?that of a multisport competition held only once every four years.
Gaspard Carfantan stays in contention with the Italians in the iQFoil
The third French podium finish came in the men's iQFoil event. Gaspard Carfantan finished third behind two Italians, Leonardo Tomasini and Federico Alan Pilloni. Fabien Pianazza finished just behind him in 4th place.
Carfantan remained in the lead group throughout the week and held third place for most of the competition. However, he was unable to gain enough points on the second-place Italian to turn his bronze medal into a silver.
Rounding out the French results in the women's competition were Manon Pianazza in 5th place and Théa Le Borgne in 8th. Danai Pontifix of Greece won the women's event.
One unique feature of the iQFoil is that when the wind dies down, the ability to maintain flight and minimize transition phases becomes crucial. A week dominated by light winds therefore calls for a different approach than when the board is consistently riding its foils at high speeds.
France Wins Three Medals in Four Events
The Mediterranean Games featured four Olympic sailing classes: women?s ILCA 6, men?s ILCA 7, women?s iQFoil, and men?s iQFoil.
France made it to the podium in three of them. With two victories in the ILCA class and a third-place finish in the iQFoil class, France finished as the top nation in the sailing competition in Taranto.
The results, therefore, go beyond just Barrue and Mayer?s finishes. Of the seven French competitors who entered and were listed in the results, four finished in the top five of their heats: Barrue 1st, Mayer 1st, Carfantan 3rd, and Fabien Pianazza 4th. Manon Pianazza also took 5th place in the women?s iQFoil division.
In a competition consisting of only four heats, this intensity explains both France's first-place finish and its three medals.
From the Games to the World Championships with no real break
The biggest challenge now lies ahead for several members of the French team: switching to a new competition immediately without a proper recovery period.
Gaspard Carfantan, Fabien Pianazza, and Manon Pianazza are expected to compete in Weymouth at the iQFoil World Championships, scheduled for September 4?12, 2026. Marie Barrue, for her part, is set to travel to Dun Laoghaire for the ILCA 6 World Championship, scheduled for September 5?12, 2026.
The Italian event thus serves as a full-scale rehearsal ahead of these two competitions. But the back-to-back schedule also requires the team to manage fatigue, travel, and the change in body of water within just a few days.
The medals from Taranto provide an indication of the French team?s current form. The World Championships will now offer a much broader gauge of their performance, with larger international fleets and a level of competition that will no longer be limited to nations in the Mediterranean basin.
