The 182 sailors from 45 countries got off to a great start on Monday at 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami, USA. The Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser, Laser Radial, and Finn fleets completed two races, while the Women’s and Men’s RS:X fleets finished three races.
The second of five days of fleet racing begins this morning on Biscayne Bay. The top sailors from each fleet with compete in Medal Races this Saturday, January 25.
Tuesday’s weather is mostly sunny and a high temperature of 70 degrees. There is a cold Northwest gradient wind, which will bring 12-16 knots to the Bay this morning, including gusts to 20 knots. Conditions in the afternoon will be much more shifty and puffy.
Bottom wind speeds: 10-12 knots
Top wind speeds: 18-20 knots
On Monday, the 182 sailors from 45 nations demonstrated their skills on spectacular Biscayne Bay in the first of six days of racing at 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami, USA. Hempel World Cup Miami marks the second instalment of the 2020 Series and the only stop in North America.
The competition this week consists of fleet racing for all seven classes on Monday through Friday and Medal Races on Saturday, January 25 featuring the week’s top teams. Medal Races will be broadcast live on World Sailing’s YouTube Channel.
As the racing heats up in Miami this week, the sailors here also have their sights set on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition, only six months away. World Cup Miami is the final opportunity for North American nations to qualify for the 2020 Games across the 470, RS:X, Laser, Laser Radial and Finn fleets.
Principal Race Officer (PRO) Maria Torrijo of Spain had this to say about the forecasted racing conditions this week. “I think the conditions here on the Bay this week will be perfect. We should have 10 to 15 knots every day, and we believe it will be quite windy later in the week. The classes we have here are good enough to race in 25 knots. We are quite confident we will get in all our races this week.”
Olympic qualification is paramount for 23-boat Laser Radial fleet. Aruba’s Philipine van Aanholt, St. Lucia’s Stephanie Devaux-Lovell, Mexico’s Elena Oetling and Sofia Ximena Palacios, Puerto Rico’s Sylvette Perez Figueroa and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Arrindell are all aiming for Tokyo 2020.
Oetling got off to a strong start by finishing third in Race 1 and 12th in Race 2 and she is in fifth place overall. Devaux-Lovell is in seventh place after posting a 6-15 scoring line on Monday.
“It’s such a small fleet, you can really see who is out there and I may have struggled with that today,” said Devaux-Lovell. “I’m going to take that forward and tomorrow I’m going to just sail my own race. Usually I’m strong in these conditions. It was quite shifty with pressure differences. Sometimes you have to get your head out of the boat and see what’s going on and sail to the breeze.”
Leading the Laser Radial fleet is Viktorija Andrulyte of Lithuania, who placed first and second today. The top American is Erika Reineke who is in fourth place (4-3).
Over in the Laser, two bullets for Joaquin Blanco (ESP) puts him top, with Andrew Lewis (TTO) and Stefano Peschiera (PER) close behind.
Bermuda’s Rockal Evans is going up against Mexican representatives Juan Perez Soltero and Alejandro Perez Ontiveros for the North American Tokyo 2020 Finn spot.
“Today was a tricky day on the racecourse,” said Evans. “We got a clear start in the first race, got a good lane, and just played the shifts upwind and downwind, so I’m happy with my results. The breeze picked up a bit in the second race and they put up the free pumping flag. We had another good start and two good downwinds for another good result.”
Along with racecourse and shifting conditions, Evans is also tracking his primary competition this week.
“It’s a lot about the racecourse, but also the other countries, like Mexico, who are also going for the North American spot, so it’s a lot about keeping my eyes on them, plus playing the racecourse and getting boats in between us. It’s a lot of work.”
The American selection process also continues this week in the Finn. After one event, Luke Muller (Fort Pierce, Fla.) has an eight-point advantage over Rio 2016 bronze medallist Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.). Muller earned the bronze medal last year in Miami.
Following wins in both Race 1 and Race 2, Paine takes an early lead in the Finn. Two Americans are in the top four, as Muller is in fourth place (5-3).
“I’m just focused on my own sailing this week,” said Paine. “I’m working on fleet management and trying to minimize splitting away. We are also emphasizing downwinds, but it was a bit of a struggle today trying to get the right feel for the downwinds. But all-around it’s been much better, just a few minor mistakes that can be easily corrected.”
The race for Olympic qualification for the 470 Men in North America is between Canada and Mexico, who have three teams respectively. Leading the way between these two countries are Hector & Jeronimo Guzman of Mexico who stand in 20th place overall after two races (14-25).
“We are trying our best not to be too aggressive this week,” said Jeronimo Guzman. “We want to sail as smart as possible and be faster than the other countries we are competing against for the Olympic spot. We need to focus on having good races so we can be at our best.”
Fronting the 30-boat Men’s 470 fleet overall is Anton Dahlberg & Fredrick Bergström of Sweden (3-2). The top American team is Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) & David Hughes (Miami, Fla.) in fourth place (1-11).
French duo Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz already have a good advantage in the 470 Women, with two race wins putting them ahead of nearest competitors Elena Berta & Bianca Caruso (ITA) and Frederike Loewe & Anna Markford (GER).
In the RS:X Men’s fleet, two wins out of three for Pedro Pascual (USA) sets him ahead of David Mier Y Teran (MEX) and Ignacio Berenguer (MEX).
Mexico are also performing well in the RS:X Women’s fleet, with Mariana Aguilar and Demita Vega de Lille first and third respectively. Megumi Komine (JPN) is second.
Racing resumes on Tuesday 21st January at 11:00am (UTC-5) on Biscayne Bay.
For a complete review of Monday’s race results and standings, please click here.
The 182 sailors from 45 countries will begin their first of five days of fleet racing on Monday, January 20 at the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami, USA. Sailors will be competing for positions in the Medal Races this Saturday, January 25.
The weather for Monday features mostly cloudy skies with a chance of showers. A cold front has moved through and cooler air will filter down from the North. A light Northwest breeze this morning will turn North later in the morning. The wind speed this morning will be in the 5-10 knot range, increasing this afternoon to 10-14 knots. The high temp for Monday is 74 degrees.
Start times are posted. Updates were made to start times on Sunday night to the Men’s Laser, Women’s 470, Men’s RS:X, and Women’s RS:X.
Morning Quote: Meredith Brody, Event Co-Chair
“It is wonderful to bring the world’s stage to the waters of Biscayne Bay. This year we will have 50 nations racing, many of which are vying for spots to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Miami has been supporting this event for over three decades and has provided a consistent spot on the international racing calendar bringing the best of the best to the U.S.”
Ahead of the Hempel World Cup Series event in Miami, USA, sailors and officials teamed up on Friday 17 January to rescue a coral reef.
The expedition, led by World Sailing and the University of Miami, and supported by Hempel, World Sailing’s Official Coatings Partner, and World Sailing’s Beyond Sport Climate Action Award, saw six international sailors alongside further officials become citizen scientists.
Throughout the four-hour expedition, the sailors were able to learn about the stresses on coral reefs such as climate change and pollution before planting over 150 staghorn corals that had been nursery-reared by the University.
Laser Radial sailors Estere Kumpina (LAT), Valeria Lomatchenko (RUS) and Philipine van Aanholt (ARU), Finn sailors Kyle Martin (CAN) and Alexey Selivanov (RUS) and Laser sailor Tijn van der Gulik (ARU) all participated. US Sailing also supported through the participation of their Olympic Director, Meredith Brody.
The expedition supported World Sailing’s Sustainability Agenda 2030, sailing’s bold contribution to global sustainability, with a view to providing education to international sailors as well as making a contribution to enhance the local environment through hosting a World Sailing event.
Dan Reading, Head of Sustainability at World Sailing, commented, “Today was a great opportunity for the sailors and officials to learn about the local marine environment, as well as carry out some hands-on citizen science whilst contributing to the health of the marine ecosystem.
“The regatta has partnered with the University of Miami for several years and we were excited to offer this expedition to sailors which proved to be very popular.”
Dalton Hesley, Program Manager at Rescue a Reef, said, “Today was really successful. In total we were able to outplant over 150 corals which was amazing.
“Rescue a Reef is an extension of our coral research lab at the University of Miami, with a focus on citizen science. We want to better connect with the general public and actually have them play a role in our research and restoration.
“It was great to have sailors on board. They understood how to work as a team and learned very quickly. We accomplished everything we wanted to and then some! It was a pleasure to work with everybody today.”
The sustainability focus in Miami did not end there. On Saturday 18 January, a mangrove clean was held for sailors and the local community.
Seventy youth sailors from a number of local sailing clubs joined Olympic sailors and hopefuls all working together to pick up plastic in the area. Working with local organisation ‘Send it for The Sea’ (who weighed the plastic) they were able to collect 295kg (650lbs).
This further demonstrates World Sailing’s commitment to working with local organising committees to benefit the local environment.
The Hempel World Cup Series rolls into Miami, in the sunshine state of Florida, USA from 19 – 25 January 2020 for the second instalment of the 2020 Series.
205 sailors from 49 nations will race across seven fleets in Miami and the stakes are high for North American competitors. The event is the final opportunity for nations to qualify to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition across the 470 and RS:X fleets, Laser, Laser Radial and Finn.
Racing commences on Monday 20 January and will conclude with seven Medal Races on Saturday 25 January, which will be broadcast live on World Sailing’s YouTube Channel.
The Laser will be the largest fleet in Miami with 49 registered sailors. A single North American spot remains available to sailors and competitors from Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago will be on the start line.
Canada will have 12 Laser representatives all capable of qualifying the nation in Miami. Mexico will have four and Antigua two. The higher number of sailors, the better the chance but arguably the favourite to book his nations spot in Tokyo 2020 will be Trinidad and Tobago’s Andrew Lewis.
Lewis, a two-time Olympian after racing at London 2012 and Rio 2016, secured his first ever Hempel World Cup Series medal in Genoa, Italy last season in a tough fleet. Robert Davis of Canada will also strongly fancy his chances of qualifying after beating Lewis by two points to sixth place at the 2019 Pan Games, but with a high number of nations on the startline, the competition will be tense.
Peru’s Stefano Peschiera qualified his nation at the first time of asking at the 2018 Hempel Sailing World Championships and with a good run of results behind him, he will be a firm favourite for gold, but expect Davis, Lewis and Mexico’s Yanic Gentry to also fight for the podium.
The qualification battle will be on in the 23-boat Laser Radial fleet. Aruba’s Philipine van Aanholt, St. Lucia’s Stephanie Devaux-Lovell, Mexico’s Elena Oetling and Sofia Ximena Palacios, Puerto Rico’s Sylvette Perez Figueroa and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Arrindell are all targeting Tokyo 2020.
The sailors tested themselves against each other at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. Mexico’s Oetling finished ahead of her rivals then by a good distance, but the experience in these situations belongs to Aruba’s van Aanholt. A London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympian, the Aruban knows what it takes to get to the Olympic start line.
A good number of leading Laser Radial sailors will be in the Miami fleet including 2019 bronze medallist and current World #4 Vasileia Karachaliou (GRE), 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Champion Viktorija Andrulyte (LTU) and Uruguay’s Dolores Moreira Fraschini.
The highest calibre of competition will be in the 470 fleets where 30 male and 18 female teams will race.
Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS), Jordi Xammar and Nico Rodriguez (ESP) and Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergström (SWE) have fought for major titles over the last 12 months and regularly share the podium.
At the Enoshima triple-header in August and September, where the trio sailed at the 470 World Championships, READY STEADY TOKYO and Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima, the Australians took three golds. The Spaniards took two silver medals and a bronze and the Swedes secured a silver, bronze and a fourth place.
They will continue their fight in Miami as they aim to put a marker down ahead of Tokyo 2020. The race for Olympic qualification in North American will be between Canada and Mexico who have three teams respectively.
In the Women’s 470, Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz of France have emerged as Tokyo 2020 medal favourites after they secured the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series title, gold at READY STEADY TOKYO and the 2019 European Championship. They will spearhead the Women’s 470 fleet with further contenders including Afrodite Zegers and Lobke Berkhout (NED), defending Miami champions Frederike Loewe and Anna Markfort (GER) and Silvia Mas and Patricia Cantero (ESP).
The only nation in the running for the North American Tokyo 2020 spot in the Women’s 470 is the USA. The event also acts as an American team qualifier with Nikola Barnes and Lara Dallman-Weiss, Carmen and Emma Cowles as well as Atlantic and Nora Brugman evenly-matched.
Bermuda’s Rockal Evans will face off against Mexican representatives Juan Perez Soltero and Alejandro Perez Ontiveros for the North American Tokyo 2020 Finn spot. The fleet of 15 will also see the American selection process continue. After one event, Luke Muller has an eight-point advantage over Rio 2016 bronze medallist Caleb Paine.
In the Men’s RS:X, two nations are aiming to qualify for Tokyo 2020 – Dominican Republic and Mexico. The odds are stacked in Mexico’s favour, with five-time Olympian David Mier Y Teran and youthful Ignacio Berenguer leading the charge. The Dominican Republic’s Samuel Perez Hults is relatively inexperienced in comparison to the pair, with his best result a 24th at the 2019 READY STEADY TOKYO. In total, 12 sailors will race in the Men’s RS:X fleet and the event will also act as an American qualifier for Tokyo 2020.
Nikola Girke (CAN) will make her competitive RS:X return in the 10-boat Women’s fleet. The Canadian represented her nation in the 470 at Athens 2004, the RS:X at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and the Nacra 17 at Rio 2016. Canada is the only North American nation in the fleet who has not yet qualified so Girke will confirm the spot by completing the event.
Racing will commence at 11:00 local time on Monday 20 January 2020 and run through to Saturday 25 January where seven Medal Races will decide the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami Champions.
Next week, Hempel World Cup Series Miami launches from spectacular Biscayne Bay for an important milestone on the road to the 2020 Olympic Regatta in Enoshima, Japan.
For 31 years, Biscayne Bay and Miami have been an important stop on the Olympic-class circuit. Among the 171 athletes, from 50 countries, are numerous Olympic medalists and World Champions. The Opening Series for each class starts on Monday, January 20. The top 10 athletes or teams in each of the seven classes will advance to the double-points Medal Race on Saturday, January 25. Medals will be awarded to the top three boats in each class.
Additionally, for the first time, the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami is partnering with the SORC Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race to host a doublehanded offshore event. The doublehanded class event is also new for the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race. Doublehanded offshore teams will start south of Port Everglades on Thursday, January 23 and race to Key West.
Domestic Storylines:
US Sailing Team athletes will be competing in all classes except the Laser. American athletes will be competing in all classes.
Olympic Country Qualification: In the Women’s 470 class, the U.S. athletes will have the final opportunity to qualify the United States for representation at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Because more countries compete in the Olympic classes than there are spots at the Games, the country has to qualify for representation before athletes can be named to Team USA. A U.S. Women’s 470 team must be the top North American in Miami to claim the spot for Olympic qualification. This is the last country qualification event for the United States. The U.S. is currently qualified in 8 of 10 classes (except Women’s 470 and Men’s 49er) and first in line to take a spot forfeited by another country in the Men’s 49er.
Olympic Athlete Trials: This event will impact the Olympic athlete trials for the Finns, Men’s and Women’s 470, and Men’s and Women’s RS:X. The team/individual with the lowest cumulative score of overall finishing positions at this event, the 2019 Worlds, and the 2020 Worlds will be named to Team USA (if the U.S. is qualified for representation in that class).
The 182 sailors from 45 countries got off to a great start on Monday at 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami, USA. The Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser, Laser Radial, and Finn fleets completed two races, while the Women’s and Men’s RS:X fleets finished three races.
