Canadian sailors Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance clinched the top spot in the 49er FX category at the Princess Sofia Trophy held in Palma de Majorca, Spain. The Lewin-LaFrance sisters, hailing from Chester, N.S., began the day trailing reigning world champions Paula Barceló and Maria Cantero of Spain by a single point.
In a thrilling turn of events, the Lewin-LaFrance siblings surged ahead in the final race of the tournament, securing the gold medal in the inaugural Grand Slam regatta of the season. The top 10 teams from the qualifying rounds battled it out in the two decisive races, with the Canadians maintaining their lead by deducting points from their weakest performance.
During the initial race of the finals, Antonia and Georgia claimed the fourth spot while the Spanish duo took the lead. However, Barceló and Cantero faltered in the subsequent race, dropping to 10th place, allowing the Canadian pair to overtake them and clinch the points lead. Germany’s Sophie Steinlein and Catherine Bartelheimer secured the silver medal, with the Spanish team settling for bronze.
Notably, the Lewin-LaFrance sisters secured the bronze in the world championship and the gold in the European championship last year. Their journey includes an 11th place finish in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Canadian sailors are now gearing up for the upcoming leg of the Grand Slam series scheduled for April 18-25 in the French Olympic Week.