Hyeres World Cup

French Olympic Week

20.–24. 4. 2026

The French Olympic Week 2026, the second World Cup event for Olympic sailing classes, took place in Hyères, France, from Monday, April 20 to Friday, April 24. The 56th edition of this prestigious regatta hosted more than 700 boats, windsurfers, and kites from 59 countries across all Olympic classes. Czech kiteboarding was represented by Vojtěch Koška and Dominika Braunová from TJ Sailing Pálava..

After the qualifying series, Vojta advanced to the final day in eighth place. He won the quarterfinal and moved on to the semifinal, where it was no longer enough for him to advance to the final.

“I finished in seventh place, which is a great result for me, although I’m disappointed about the semifinal. I had a well-started race and was leading, but at the bottom mark another competitor ran into me, caught my kite, I crashed, and ended up finishing last, which cost me a place in the final. Otherwise, I felt good on the water, my starts were working well and I had good speed. The conditions were quite challenging all week – the first two days there was almost no wind, then an offshore wind came in and gradually shifted to the right. In addition to my regular coach Mario Calbucci, I was also supported in Hyères by experienced former Olympic ILCA sailor Martin Trčka, who came to see me and helped me look for new things we can keep working on.”Vojta said.

With his seventh-place finish, Vojtěch Koška improved by one position compared to the opening regatta of the season in Mallorca. Dominika Braunová placed 21st among the women. Both will now compete at the Formula Kite World Championship, which will take place from May 9 to 16 in Viana do Castelo, Portugal.

Vojtěch Koška’s result confirms his consistent world-class performance and his ability to compete successfully even in a strong international field. The French Olympic Week has long been one of the most prestigious events in Olympic sailing and regularly attracts the very top athletes in each class. For both Czech competitors, the regatta also served as an important test of form ahead of the upcoming World Championship, which will be one of the highlights of this season.

Photo Sailing Energy