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The 2026 49er season is shaping up to be unpredictable. With reigning champions Diego Botín and Florian Trittel stepping back to focus on the America's Cup and SailGP, the podium race is wide open. Olympic silver medalists Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie have retired, while bronze medalists Hans Henken and Ian Barrows are not competing this year. Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki have split, and other notable teams like the Fantela brothers and British Olympians James Peters and Fynn Sterritt are also absent.
In this shifting landscape, watch for French duo Clément Péquin and Erwan Fischer, fresh off a world championship win. They are poised to dominate. Spanish pair Conrad Konitzer and Antonio Torrado, ranked fifth, are another team to watch, especially with Konitzer's local advantage in Palma. The Dutch duo Bart Lambriex and Floris van de Werken return as strong contenders, keeping the competition fierce.
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