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KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (January 21, 2021) – Biscayne Bay was gifted with a late afternoon breeze and four fleets got in some nice racing on day one of racing at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Miami.
The Nacra 17, 49er, 49erFX, and Mixed 470 fleets were fortunate to get in racing on a light wind day. The IQ Foil and Open Windsurf Foil fleets will aim to start their racing on Friday. Click here for Day 1 results and standings.
Sailors hit the water at approximately 2:30pm with the goal of racing by 3:30pm. The four fleets completed two tactical light air races each in about 5 to 6 knots, with the wind blowing south at 180-190 degrees.
Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) made her racing debut in the 49erFX with Lucy Wilmot on Thursday. The new duo discussed the 49erFX as well as Erika’s transition to a new class and doublehanded sailing.
“I was thinking about a change after so many years in the Radial,” said Reineke. “I wasn’t really sure what that was going to be, then I got a call from Lucy and we came down here and trained together. I fell in love with the class and sailing with her. That’s what got me into it.”
She elaborated on the differences between the boats and what the transition has been like. “The equipment is very different and the budget is much bigger than the Laser. The sails are more high-performance, the boats are more high-performance, and there is carbon on this boat. It goes a lot faster because of it all.”
Wilmot spoke about their training and where they are in the process. “Our focus this fall was on boat handling around the course in all conditions. More recently, with our new set of sails, we got more into dialing speed and the rig, and we are hoping with the 2021 rig coming out, we can get into the technical side and solidify that.”
“This has been on the calendar since we decided to sail together. We were excited about all the domestic training leading up to this. It’s been awesome having all the American sailors here in the boat park and being able to collaborate. It’s been great getting to know everyone and make new training friends. This is what’s all about,” said Wilmot.
470 sailor, Micky Munns spoke about the 470 and how it has suited him well in his transition to the boat. “In the 2016 Games, the boat that really strongly resonated with me was the 470 with Stu [McNay] and Dave [Hughes], and Annie [Haeger] and Briana [Provancha],” said Munns. “The 470 is known as a technical boat, but it’s not crazy complicated. A lot of the systems you set up. I realized recently why all the controls are right near the skipper, it’s because you have to play with them all the time, and so we are getting the hang of that.”
“The 470 relates to all my learning in terms of grassroots sailing in FJs and 420s to college sailing,” added Munns. “The 470 is one of the strongest connections to grassroots sailing there is. All the skills are transferable to other kinds of sailing.”
2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Miami. Photo by US Sailing Team/Allison Chenard.
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KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (January 20, 2021) – The 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series launched with excitement and a sense of pride last week in Fort Lauderdale and now the series heads south to Miami for four days of racing on Biscayne Bay at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Miami. The Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation is serving as the Organizing Authority for this event. Racing begins on Thursday, January 21 and the regatta concludes on Sunday, January 24.
Five Olympic-classes featuring both men and women sailors will be racing in Miami, including the Mixed 470, Nacra 17, 49er, 49erFX, and iQFoil. The Open Windsurf Foil, not an Olympic-class event but exciting to sail and watch, will also be racing this week.
Miami is the longest standing Olympic-class regatta in the country. For 32 years, Biscayne Bay and Miami have been an important stop on the Olympic-class circuit. Over the years, event organizers have collaborated with US Sailing to host these international sailing regattas, such as Miami Olympic Class Regatta (OCR) and World Cup Series Miami.
The race organizers acknowledged the importance of maintaining the tradition of hosting an Olympic-class regatta this year despite the many challenges. Olympic-class events hosted here have helped develop aspiring local sailors to further their goals of reaching the Olympics as they compete against top athletes from around the globe.
Last January, sailors from around the globe convened in Miami with North American Olympic qualification at stake and the Tokyo 2020 Games only six months away at the time. Hempel World Cup Series Miami was the final opportunity for North American nations to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Regatta across several events. Soon after World Cup Miami, the global pandemic forced Games organizers to alter the Tokyo Games timeline, and now the 2020 Games will be contested in the summer of 2021, still only six months away.
Nine countries will be represented across the six events this week, including the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuala, and Great Britain.
The US Sailing Team will be represented by 11 total athletes across three classes: the Nacra 17, 49er, and Mixed 470. Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) of the Nacra 17 class have been training most recently in Fort Lauderdale with their coach, Sally Barkow. Ravi Parent (Bradenton, Fla.) and David Liebenberg (Richmond, Calif.) are sailing together this week and have enjoyed putting their engineering knowledge to use in the Nacra 17. Caroline Atwood (Clinton, Conn.) is racing with former US Sailing Team windsurfer, Carson Crain (Houston, Texas), this week.
Nevin Snow (San Diego, Calif.) and Dane Wilson (Ojai, Calif.) of the 49er class have been sailing out of the US Sailing Center in Miami for the past few months participating in three of the 2NINER Skiff Generation Grand Prix events. They have been training with the 49er squad, comprising of fellow teammates Ian Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.), and Harry Melges IV (Fontana, Wis.) and Finn Rowe (Fontana, Wis.). All three boats have been training with their coach, Mark Asquith, and enjoy pushing each other to improve each day. Barrows and Henken will be joining Snow and Wilson on the course this weekend. Five other USA-based 49ers and one Mexico-based 49er will round out the fleet for an exciting weekend of racing.
Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Ithaca, N.Y.), selected Tokyo Men’s 470 athletes, are back in action this week. “Racing is always good preparation for the next race, so we’re using this as part of our world championship preparation,” said McNay. “Our Worlds are in Portugal at the beginning of March and we need to get more racing situations under our belt between now and then. It was great to get a whole bunch of starts in at the Oakcliff Triple Crown regatta and then at the North American Championships a couple of weekends ago, and we’ll do the same again at the West Marine US Open Sailing Series in Miami. It’s been fun to train with the younger teams from the United States this last month. [Coach] Yevgeniy has a nice group from the Oyster Bay Area, and the Cowles twins [Carmen and Emma] have been fantastic to sail with as well. We look forward to getting out on the starting line with some official scored races.”
On Monday, January 11, US Sailing and host yacht clubs at sailing venues in Florida and California launched a new racing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021 and beyond.
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class racing for U.S. athletes with a goal of attracting top-level international competitors to race in these regattas for years to come.
US Sailing and the larger community of sailors in the U.S. identified a demand for a racing and training platform based in the United States that serves to provide as a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it is essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.
Follow US Sailing and the US Sailing Team on Instagram for breaking news, fun stories, videos, photos, and more from Fort Lauderdale.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 18, 2021) – It was a banner, yet challenging, day of sailing on the water for the 135 sailors competing at the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series inaugural event, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club. The fourth and final day of the regatta took place on Monday as sailors in three Laser classes pushed through the shifty conditions to close out on a strong note.
Laser Radial:
Chapman Petersen (Fontana, Wis.) had an eight-point lead entering today and he won by 11 points after three more races in the 70-boat Laser Radial fleet. He won two of the three races on Monday to close out the regatta. Petersen won four of seven races overall. Robby Meek (Annapolis, Md.) placed second and Sarah Douglas (CAN) finished third and was the top performing female. She edged Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) who finished the regatta in fourth overall and Hallie Schiffman (Sarasota, Fla.) was fifth.
“This is the biggest event of the winter and I’m super excited to be here,” said Chapman. “I’ve been looking forward for to this event for nine months.”
Chapman has been making incremental improvements on his technique and that work has paid off. “One way I stay consistent is getting good transitions between puffs and lulls and having good tacks and good starts. If on an average you are doing the little things better, than on average you are going to continue to get better. My next goal is to win a Youth World Championship in the Laser Radial and then move to Full Fig.”
Canadian sailor Sarah Douglas has been training in South Florida with U.S. sailors for the past several months leading up to the start of the series. “I’ve been training with the American girls this fall and winter and we keep pushing each other on the water,” said Douglas. “We worked on our speed and technique, and put together good hiking blocks in Clearwater and Fort Lauderdale.” Douglas is attempting to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Laser Full Rig:
Three-time Olympian Juan Maegli (GUA) took first place overall honors in the 42-boat Laser Full Rig competition. He won by seven points over Francisco Rigonat (ARG). Charlie Buckingham (USA) placed third and was the top U.S. sailor in the event. Maegli had an early lead in the regatta after winning three of the first four races. He placed third and fifth today and did not need to compete in the final race of the regatta to win.
Nicholas Reeser (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was the top performing junior sailor in the Full Rig fleet. Reeser was seventh overall.
“I have just been trying my best to put my boat in position, no matter where the wind was coming from and that led to some pretty good decisions on the water,” said Maegli. I have been focusing on my fitness more recently and have not spent much time on the water. I will spend the next couple months here in Florida and put a lot of hours on the water. We have a really good fleet here with Charlie (Buckingham) my training partner, some good young Americans, Canadians, and the Latin Americans, so it’s a nice field.”
Laser 4.7:
Umi Noritake (Miami Beach, Fla.) won a closely contested 23-boat Laser 4.7 fleet by four points over Conor Kellett (Miami Beach, Fla.) and seven points over Jacob Zils (Wayzata, Minn.). Only one point separated these three sailors entering Monday, with Zils holding on to a one-point lead. Noritake placed fourth and fifth today and was able to move into first place to win the Laser 4.7 fleet.
“It was really hard racing this week and it was super shifty,” added Zils. “Consistency was the name of the game and I was just trying to stay in the top three each race.”
Noritake was ecstatic with the win and his performance this week. “It was a tough weekend. The wind was all over the place. Whoever was the most consistent with their starts and races was on top and that happened to be me.”
He also reflected on his experience being out on the water with Olympians. “It was a change from regular practice. We’ve practiced with some of them before and it can be a little nerve racking at the starting line being a 14-year-old against Olympians.”
“The best thing I had going for me the entire regatta was my boat handling and wanting it more than anyone else,” added Noritake.
Anna Vasilieva (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was the top female performer in the 4.7 fleet, and she finished fourth overall.
On Monday, January 11, US Sailing and host yacht clubs at sailing venues in Florida and California launched a new racing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021 and beyond.
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class racing for U.S. athletes with a goal of attracting top-level international competitors to race in these regattas for years to come.
US Sailing and the larger community of sailors in the U.S. identified a demand for a racing and training platform based in the United States that serves to provide as a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it is essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.
“This was the official start of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series and it’s a game changer for providing a consistent schedule of racing from year to year,” said Leandro Spina, US Sailing Olympic Program Director. “We have different conditions and excellent venues on both coasts and it helps us be very efficient with our resources and expedite the progress we’re chasing. We’re able to bring together top talent, entry level, and everything in between, and the series is attracting strong sailors from other countries.”
“This platform is an excellent opportunity to keep training, and this weekend was a successful measurement of how the Olympic Development Program is making our sailors stronger. It was great to see the strong, young talent this weekend pushing the athletes, and it’s exciting to see the rising level of competition that’s working together to make each other stronger. This has been an amazing starting point and it’s only going to get better.”
Leandro Spina, US Sailing Olympic Program Director:
For more content, visit the US Sailing and US Sailing Team on social media: #USOpenSailing
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 17, 2021) – The 135 sailors waited patiently on Sunday for consistent breeze by making the most of their time to work on their craft and connect with fellow athletes during a lengthy postponement. As conditions improved in the afternoon, all three Laser fleets completed one race each on Day 3 at the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series – Fort Lauderdale.
Shifty winds made racing a challenge in the late morning and early afternoon hours. Later in the afternoon winds picked up reaching 8 to 12 knots with puffy and shifty gusts and relatively flat seas.
Juan Maegli (GUA) added to his lead by taking Race 4 in the Laser Full Rig fleet. He now leads Francisco Guaragna Rigonat (ARG) by 10 points. Leo Boucher (Annapolis, Md.) placed second in today’s race, while Luke Ruitenberg (CAN) finished third. Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif) is the top American entering Monday’s last day of racing in fifth place.
Boucher discussed his day on the water with the Full Rigs including his second place finish. “We went out there with very little hopes of getting races off. It was pretty chilly, very cloudy, and it didn’t look promising. Then around three o’clock we got a bit of breeze; just enough to get us started. The breeze never settled in and was very all over the place.”
“We waited until we could get a clean start off. I ended up going right in our race on the first upwind, just waiting for a variety to take me back to the top mark. I ended up getting one and rounded the windward mark in 7th. I stayed in 7th on the reach and passed a boat or two on the first downwind. I gybed onto port and noticed that there was a bit of a lefty happening on the downwind. Right before I rounded the leeward mark, I looked upwind and saw that the first and second place boats tacked onto port and it looked like thy were sailing a lefty so I wanted to make sure I got onto port tack as quickly as I could. So I rounded the course right gate so I could be on port tack immediately, and from there I was anticipating another righty after the lefty phased out. So we all tacked on the righty and I made a gain, the breeze kept winding to the right, and I had already been set up to be one of the furthest right boats. I just got to put my bow down and go fast instead of tacking repeatedly to get in the pressure that was on the right. The risk paid off and I was very happy.”
Chapman Petersen (Fontana, Wis.) had another strong performance in Race 4 with a win in the Yellow Fleet to lead the Radials by eight points over Robby Meek (Annapolis, Md.). Isabella Maegli (GUA) earned the win in the Blue Fleet. Sunday was the final qualifying round for the Radials with the fleet splitting into Gold and Silver on Monday.
Jacob Zils (Wayzata, Minn.) has a one point lead over Umi Noritake (Miami Beach, Fla.) and Conor Kellett (Miami Beach, Fla.) through four races in the 4.7 fleet after placing second in Race 4. Dorothy Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) won today’s race and moved into fifth place overall.
Monday is the last day of racing and 2-3 races are planned. RESULTS & STANDINGS
Morgan Reeser, Olympic Development Program (ODP) Coach and Olympic Gold Medalist was observing the racing and was impressed with the overall talent of these young athletes. “They’ve all shown flashes of brilliance, which I’d much rather have than just an average performance. I’d rather see some some great ones, and they’ve all had top four races or top six races. That’s all I’d ask for at this point.”
“I go back to when I was their age, there was nothing like this. So I constantly tell them they have no idea how lucky they are. They have hardworking, really smart people behind them trying to guide them, whereas I had to continually make mistakes myself and just try not to make the same mistakes twice. So we’re trying to help them not make the mistake the first time.”
ODP Coach, Chris Barnard said, “It’s great that all these sailors at different levels are mixing it up this week. It’s on us to keep pushing the level higher and over the years we will keep getting better.”
Watch Sunday’s Video Recap:
2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series – Fort Lauderdale / Ellinor Walters
Follow the action on US Sailing and US Sailing Team social media: #USOpenSailing
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 16, 2021) – The Lauderdale Yacht Club was bustling with energy this morning for the start of racing at the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series – Fort Lauderdale. Sailors were especially eager to race after Friday’s lack of consistent wind and eventual postponement.
The conditions on a cool, cloudy Saturday in Fort Lauderdale were much improved with a pressure system to the west creating a nice northwesterly breeze. The breeze started at about 10 knots early in the day and continued to build throughout the afternoon with gusts exceeding 20 knots. The wind was coming from the offshore creating tricky conditions.
All three Laser fleets, including the Full Rig, Radial, and 4.7, completed three races on Saturday. Juan Maegli (GUA) takes an early lead in the Laser Full Rig fleet of 42 entries. He won Race 1 and 3, and posted a sixth place finish in Race 2 to take a three point lead.
The 70 Radial sailors were split into two blue and yellow fleets. Chapman Petersen (USA) led the way in the blue fleet with a 2-1-2 scoring line and Kaitlyn Hamilton (USA) had a strong day to pace the yellow fleet with scores, 2-2-5.
Umi Noritake (USA) won the first two races in the 4.7 fleet of 23 boats and added a fourth place finish in Race 3 to take a four point lead.
US Sailing’s Olympic Development Program athletes were up for the challenge today.
“The highlight of my day was during the first race,” said Conner Nelson (Tampa, Fla.). “I was up there in the top five for a while and competing with these top guys and seeing that I can keep up with their speed. Once I’m able to eliminate a few more mistakes I can be right there at the top consistently.”
Another young Laser sailor, Nick Sessions (San Francisco, Calif), expressed his highlight of the day. “It was great being at the top of the fleet. I felt pretty comfortable in my decision to go right and stuck with my plan, but eventually tacked out a little too early about halfway up the beat and lost a couple of boats. But I still had a good race and it was a great learning experience.”
Radial sailor Christina Sakellaris (Milton, Mass.) said, “We had a really good first day of racing here. It was really up and down today with huge shifts. We had everything from 8 to 18 knots. I had three really good races. I was just focusing on trying to be really consistent, getting off the line well, and sailing shifts. It was a really fun day.”
Steve Mitchell, US Sailing Team Laser Radial Coach, has been looking forward to the US Open Sailing Series events here in Florida after training with Laser Radial athletes in Miami, Clearwater, and Fort Lauderdale over the past three months.
“This is an opportunity to look at the young talent coming through,” said Mitchell. “The ODP (Olympic Development) pathway that started after the 2012 Games has been producing some amazing talent over the past few years. For us to be training with the ODP athletes, seeing the yacht club programs that are here, and watching how their programs are advancing is great.” See the full interview below on Facebook.
Photo credit US Sailing/2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 15, 2021) – The 135 sailors representing 10 countries will have to wait one more day to begin racing in Fort Lauderdale. The exciting start of the inaugural 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series was postponed on Friday due to insufficient and inconsistent breeze.
They attempted one race on Friday, however that attempt was quickly abandoned as the breeze could not hold up and the shifty conditions and tides also made racing a challenge. Despite the conditions, sailors enjoyed their time on the water with fellow teammates, competitors, and coaches.
The youth movement is in full swing this week in Fort Lauderdale with a number of eager and enthusiastic young sailors ready to race against strong competition in challenging conditions. Lucas Sawin, a freshman at the College of Charleston and the 2019-20 ISSA (High School) National Champion said, “I really want to see how I stack up against the competition with former Olympians here this week. Competing against them is hard, but we are learning from the best. This is the first regatta of the year for me so I’m happy to be here and sail fast.”
Collin Porter, a sophomre at Hobart College said, “It’s great to get out on the water and test the skills. I haven’t been in a big fleet in a while so it’s good to line up what I need to work on to prepare for Nationals later in the year.”
New Laser sailor Sophia Fogarty said, “This is only my second Laser event. I sail the I-420, so my goal is to learn from these experienced sailors and keep up with them as much as I can.”
Sixteen of the young sailors here in Fort Lauderdale this week are members of US Sailing’s Olympic Development Program. These sailor are looking to take their Olympic-class sailing to new heights and are utilizing the US Open Sailing Series platform as a way to compete, develop, and train against top notch competition.
“I think the coolest part about the open series is that it’s actually happening,” said Leo Boucher (Annapolis, Md.). “It’s been tough to get good-caliber sailors all together in one place. The fact that we can have this list of regattas on our schedule every year is pretty important in our journeys to get better.”
Chase Carraway (Wrightsville Beach, N.C.) was also looking forward to this weekend. “I think the Open series is really special because it brings a lot of high level talent all together at the same place and it really helps the ODP group see how we match up against the other sailors like Charlie [Buckingham] and some of the foreign Laser sailors. It’s really great to see how we stack up.”
“I think it’s something we haven’t really had before here in the US,” added Diego Escobar (San Diego, Calif.). “Normally we’d have to travel to Europe to really get a taste of what’s going on at the international circuit, but being able to develop that platform for us here is super beneficial.”
Follow US Sailing and the US Sailing Team on Instagram for breaking news, fun stories, videos, photos, and more from Forth Lauderdale.
Day 1 Video Recap:
Watch the West Marine US Open Coach’s Corner on Facebook with Fred Strammer:
Watch the Weather Briefing on The Starboard Portal with Chelsea Carlson:
Follow the action on US Sailing and US Sailing Team social media: #USOpenSailing
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (January 14, 2021) – A new U.S. based Olympic-class racing seriestakes center stage this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the start of the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series. The Lauderdale Yacht Club will host the first-ever US Open Sailing Series regatta for four days of exciting racing beginning this Friday, January15 through Monday, January 18.
Fort Lauderdale will feature three events this week, all representing the Laser Class. Over 130 men, women, and youth sailors have registered to compete in one of the three competing events, including the Laser (41), Laser Radial (71), and Laser 4.7 (21).
Ten countries, including the United States, will be represented by competing sailors this week in Fort Lauderdale. Sailors representing Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Argentina, Bermuda, Chile, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela will be in action this week.
Top Laser sailor athletes on the US Sailing Team will be racing this week. The women’s Laser Radial fleet features two-time Olympian and Tokyo 2020 selected athlete Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.). The Florida native has been training in her hometown of Clearwater withcoach, Steve Mitchell.
Railey has enjoyed training with fellow teammate Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas), who will also be competing in the Laser Radial fleet this week. The two have been joined in their training by Olympic Development Program (ODP)Laser Radial sailors Lilly Myers, Christina Sakellaris, and Hallie Schiffman.Rose has been staying connectedwith her college sailing team at Jacksonville University while she continues training in Miami, Clearwater, and Fort Lauderdale.
The Laser fleet is headlined by 2016 Olympian and Tokyo 2020 selected athlete Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.). The 2019 Pan American Games Bronze Medalist had a busy latter half of 2020 with strong finishes in Europe at the Italian Olympic Class Championship (1st overall), Kieler Woche (4th overall), and the Laser European Championship (6th overall). Following his long trip through Europe, Buckingham taught a weekend Laser Clinics to youth sailors in Long Beach and enjoyed sharing his expertise and connecting with the next generation of sailors. Buckingham arrived in Fort Lauderdale last week and will also race at the US Open Sailing Series – Clearwater coming up in early February.
The youth movement is in full swing this week in Fort Lauderdale with a number of talented youth athletes, 16 representingUS Sailing’s ODP, testing themselves against a fleet that includes Olympians, World Champions, and a strong cast of experienced national and international sailors.
The list of international sailors racing this week features accomplished Olympic-class sailors with strong resumes. Guatemala’s Juan Ignacio Maegli (GUA) will be racing in the Laser class.Maegli is a three-time Olympian (2016, 2012, 2008) and he won the ICSA (Intercollegiate Sailing Association) Coed Dinghy National Championship with the College of Charleston in 2013. He was named College Sailor of the Year that same year.
Argentina’s Francisco Guaragna Rigonat (ARG) has returned to South Florida for racing and training this winter. Rigonat captured the Silver Medal at the 2020Hempel World Cup Series Miami in the Laser class last year.
Canada’s Sarah Douglas won Gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru and is pushing forward towards her goal of competing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Douglas has been training in Florida this winter and will be racing this week in Fort Lauderdale.
Join the Conversation: Use hashtag – #USOpenSailing in your social media posts.
Entry List:Click here to find out who is racing this week in the three Laser events.
Racing Specifics:The racing area shall be in the Atlantic Ocean approximately one mile south of the Port Everglades Channel Entrance. The first warning signal for racing each day is 1100 hours (11am ET).
The Laser is one of the world’s most popular adult racing class boats and typically rewards athleticism, steering and trimming techniques, and tactical excellence. The Laser Radial is outfitted with a smaller sail and shorter, more flexible mast than the Laser. The Laser Radial is the perfect racing class boat for small adults, women, and youth alike. The Laser 4.7 is a competitive youth class sailboat and a great entry level racer for younger and lighter sailors.
On Monday, January 11, US Sailing and host yacht clubs at sailing venues in Florida and California launched a newracing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021 and beyond.
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class racing for U.S. athletes with a goal of attracting top-level international competitors to race in these regattas for years to come.
US Sailing and the larger community of sailors in the U.S. identified a demand for a racing and training platform based in the United States that serves to provide as a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it is essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.
Founded in 1938, Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) has always been a traditional private club run by its members with the focus on a family friendly environment. The club iscommitted to promoting and teaching the sport of sailing and seamanship to the youth of the club and community.
The LYC has been hosting Olympic-class regattas since 1982. They have hosted the annual Finn Midwinters and Women’s Laser Radial North American Championships over the years. These events often served as a runway for athletes planning to race at World Cup Miami.In 2004, LYC hosted the Olympic Trials for the Finn Class and the Europe Dinghy Class. The LYC Olympic Class Regatta has been used as an Olympic Trials event for other countries. The club has also hosted numerous Pan American Games Trials used to select the United States representatives.
There have been numerous Olympic campaigns launched from LYC. Sailors with Olympic campaigns often request the opportunity to train at LYC,and these sailorsgive back to the junior sailing program at the club. This structure has helped thejunior sailing program develop into one of the best in the world.
To learn more about the West Marine US Open Sailing Series and to follow all the action in 2021, visit the series website at usopen.ussailing.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications jakefish@ussailing.org
Six Olympic-Class Regattas Scheduled in Florida and California
BRISTOL, R.I. (January 11, 2021) – US Sailing and host yacht clubs at spectacular sailing venues in Florida and California are thrilled to launch a new U.S. based racing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021.
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class racing for U.S. athletes with a long-term goal of attracting top-level international competitors to race in these regattas for years to come.
US Sailing and the larger community of sailors in the U.S. has identified a strong demand for a racing and training platform based in the United States that serves to provide a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it is essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.
US Sailing and event organizers are honored to have West Marine as the title sponsor for the new series. For more than 50 years, West Marine has been the premier retailer of sailing, boating, fishing, and paddling gear. The company is committed to providing the local sailing community and all boaters with the highest quality products and expert service, all while inspiring a new generation. West Marine has a long-standing history of supporting the sport of sailing with a focus on youth and young sailors who aspire to reach new heights.
“West Marine’s mission statement is to outfit, educate and inspire boaters,” said Ken Seipel, CEO of West Marine.“Partnering with US Sailing on this new Olympic-class series is a great opportunity to inspire both current Olympic hopefuls as well as young athletes about to enter the sport with dreams of standing on the podium.”
This series of regattas allows US Sailing to provide more support for sailors at these events through advanced and in-person coaching, training, and data collection. The series will become an important part of the training plans for young sailors participating as part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a US Sailing initiative supported by the AmericaOne Foundation that provides world-class coaching support to promising American youth sailors competing in high-performance classes.
2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series:
January 15-18: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Lauderdale Yacht Club
January 21-24: Miami, Florida
Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation
February 4-7: Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater Yacht Club, Clearwater Community Sailing Center, Tampa Bay Charities, Sail Life
June 11-13: San Diego, California
San Diego Yacht Club
July 9-11: Long Beach, California
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, US Sailing Center Long Beach
August 13-15: San Francisco, California
St. Francis Yacht Club, Treasure Island Sailing Center, San Francisco Yacht Club, Richmond Yacht Club
The yacht clubs and sailing organizations hosting these US Open Sailing Series events are the Organizing Authorities for each regatta.
“This series is a real game changer for Olympic-class sailing in the U.S.,” said Leandro Spina, US Sailing Olympic Development Director. “The U.S. really needs an Olympic sailing platform like this, so prospective athletes at every level can race and train right here in the United States. We want to be more efficient and resourceful with our efforts to prepare our athletes for the Games and provide them with a tremendous experience.”
Spina also commented on the opportunities for the best Olympic-class sailors from all over the world to come to the U.S. and race in US Open Sailing Series regattas. “The long-term goal is to attract the best sailors in the world to these outstanding venues here in the U.S. as they prepare for and look ahead to Paris 2024 and LA 2028.”
Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), a two-time Olympian in the Laser Radial and Florida native who will represent Team USA in her third Olympics at the Tokyo Games this summer, was excited to learn of the new US Open Sailing Series coming to three Florida venues in 2021. “Domestic events allows the top U.S. athletes to stay home, and our youth sailors can compete against our experienced top sailors at local events. This is important because it allows our kids to interact and learn from the older athletes. It’s a great way for a transfer of knowledge to happen organically.”
Jeff Johnson, Waterfront Director at San Diego Yacht Club, discussed their local Olympic Class Regatta and it’s move to the US Open Sailing Series. “This event is four years old now and the evolution of the regatta is evidence of our commitment to competitive one design racing. With the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles on the horizon, establishing a path of well-run events on the West Coast that can accommodate the needs of campaigning Olympic-class sailors, as well as translate their drive into a positive net for the local sailing fleets and communities, would be a huge win for everyone.”
Johnson learned from his experiences participating at World Cup Series Miami over the years what these large-scale international regattas can do for a local sailing community. “Having participated in the World Cup Sailing Series in Florida for many years, I would be most excited to see that same level of international participation develop on our club’s doorstep. I think everyone gains from exposure to that high level of focus and execution of skill.”
Fans do not have to wait long for the start of the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series. The first event begins this week in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, January 15 through Monday, January 18. The Lauderdale Yacht Club has been hosting Olympic-class regattas like this since 2016. They have hosted the annual Finn Midwinter and Women’s Laser Radial North American Championships since 1982. These events often served as a runway for athletes planning to race at World Cup Miami.
The second event of the series will pick up in Miami on January 21-24, just days after the Fort Lauderdale event concludes. Miami is the longest standing Olympic-class regatta in the country. Over the years, event organizers in the Key Biscayne area collaborate to host these international sailing regattas, including US Sailing’s Miami Olympic Classes Regatta and World Cup Series Miami.
A new Olympic-class regatta has been created in Clearwater, running February 4-7. This event rounds out the three-event Florida tour and increases opportunities for these sailors to compete.
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series resumes this summer on June 11-13 in San Diego. Most recently, San Diego has been hosting Olympic-class and other one design regattas similar to this series since 2018. San Diego’s long history of Olympic sailing achievement has been inspiring sailors to participate in the sport for generations.
Long Beach, the location for the Olympic Sailing competition at the LA 2028 Games, will host the next regatta in the series on July 9-11. Long Beach has been a popular sailing destination on the West Coast for decades and they have been conducting these major regattas over the past 50 years for both Olympic-class boats and popular local classes.
The 2021 series comes to a wrap on August 13-15 in spectacular sailing venues of San Francisco. A new event in the Bay Area was developed to contribute to the domestic training platform in a major U.S. market on the West Coast.
To learn more about the West Marine US Open Sailing Series and to follow all the action in 2021, visit the series website at usopen.ussailing.org.
MIAMI, Fla. (January 25, 2020) – Miami got a taste of Olympic class sailing at the highest level this week, and on Saturday champions were crowned at the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami.
Sailors from around the globe convened in South Florida this week with North American Olympic qualification at stake with the Tokyo 2020 Games only six months away.
The top 10 entries for each of the seven classes qualified to race on Saturday for a chance to improve their standing, and perhaps, earn a place on the podium. Earlier start times were slated in order to capture the morning breeze.
Hempel World Cup Series Miami was the final opportunity for North American nations to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games across the 470, RS:X, Laser, Laser Radial and Finn fleets. Six of seven places had virtually been decided heading into today’s Medal Races with Mexico sealing places in the Laser Radial, Finn and Men’s RS:X. Canada picked up the Women’s RS:X and Men’s 470 place and USA captured the Women’s 470.
American Laser Radial athlete, Erika Reineke put the finishing touches on her gold medal performance today. She was fifth in the medal race to win the regatta by six points over Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece. Reineke had a narrow two point lead over Karachaliou and Italy’s Matilda Talluri entering today’s finale. The race featured several penalties, including one on Karachaliou on the final downwind. Karachaliou gets the silver medal, while India’s Nethra Kumanan took the bronze after winning the Medal Race.
“Off the start I felt really good,” said Reineke. “I tacked and I was at the front of the race and then I messed up one shift and my competitors split from me. Vasileia played the first beat extremely well and I tried to keep my head in the game and not give up. On the last downwind I covered her and unfortunately she got a flag, but that’s the sport. I had to beat her [Vasileia] in the race and the Italian [Talluri] was also very close so I just went out trying to win the race.”
Reineke was ecstatic to win her first race of 2020. “It feels really good. I’m still trying to get my head around it, but it feels great. The nerves got to me during the race. I dropped my tiller extension during the race, and I had bad mark roundings, but now it’s great. I couldn’t have done it without Steve [Mitchell], my team and support.”
The Men’s and Women’s RS:X classes also concluded their week with today’s Medal Races and on the Men’s side it was Pedro Pascual of the United States winning his fifth race of the regatta to dominate the fleet and take the gold medal by 19.5 points.
Pascual received the US Sailing Team’s Golden Torch award for the top performing American at World Cup Miami. He becomes the first windsurfer to ever receive this distinction.
“It’s awesome to win a World Cup,” said Pascual. “It’s my first time winning an event on the senior class. It was really hard to stay consistent. We had really different conditions. On the first day we had light wind and then we had a couple of days where it was strong.”
“This is our second event of the trials and I’m leading. We have one more event in Australia – the World Championships and that will be the last one. Hopefully I do well in that one too. Right now, I’m concentrating on qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team and then I’ll start training and I’ll see where I can go.”
Mexico’s Ignacio Berenguer was the silver medalist and qualified Mexico, and himself, for the Olympics in the Men’s RS:X. Juozas Bernotas of Lithuania captured the bronze medal.
A fight was on in the Laser between a hard chasing Canadian pack and Trinidad and Tobago’s Andrew Lewis with the latter prevailing in dramatic circumstances.
Stefano Peschiera of Peru jumped from second to first with his win in the Medal Race to take the gold medal in the talented Laser class. Argentina’s Francisco Garagna Rigonat dropped to second place to earn the silver medal and Enrique Jose Arathoon Pacas of El Salvador took the bronze. Meanwhile there was an emotional battle for as he booked his place at Tokyo 2020.
“I couldn’t do any type of match race or any complicated strategy to try and get the guy in first to have a bad race,” said Peschiera, the gold medallist. “I had to focus on my own race. All I could do was make him nervous at the start and that was about it. All I had to do was put two boats between the guy in first and not let the guy in third finish five boats ahead of me, so that was a bigger gap. That’s what ended up happening.”
Lewis, a two-time Olympian, held the advantage heading into the Medal Race for the Tokyo 2020 North American spot and after a Laser start and a penalty it looked like his chance to qualify slipped away. However a race abandonment gave him a second chance and a better understanding of how his rivals would face off against him.
In an up and down race he placed fourth which saw him finish fourth overall, ahead of the Canadians, to book his ticket to Tokyo.
“Olympics number three – here I come – amazing,” said Lewis after the race. “It was hard out there. Five Canadians in the Medal Race. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Medal Race with that many sailors from one nation. Five of them were trying to prevent me from getting one position. Three of them could overtake and at one point during the race one of them had it. One went left, one went right, one nearly won the race. I wanted to push for the bronze medal but in that position, I didn’t want to take the risk.”
“I’m really happy for my training partner from El Salvador to win the bronze,” he added. “I was able to protect against the two Canadians behind me and catch the one in front. If I’m not mistaken, for half the race the Canadian had the spot as he was in first and I was sixth or seventh.
“I kept telling myself, ‘Andrew, stay calm and go, stay calm and go.’ I was catching the one in front and the ones behind were catching me. What a nerve huh. I’ve been fighting for this since 2018 in Aarhus and thanks to the lord, this is a special one.”
It was a great day for the Women’s RS:X sailors from Mexico. Demita Vega De Lille and Mariana Aguilar each won gold and silver, respectively, and Megumi Komine of Japan got the bronze.
“I was doing a completely different race because this was my selection event for Tokyo,” explained De Lille. “I was carrying points from the national selection in Garda, so even if I was ahead for the entire week, I had a gap between the Mexican for the Games. Today, I was willing to sacrifice the first place as long as I could qualify. I had a perfect ending because I finished first and I’m going to Tokyo.”
First on tap this morning was the Women’s 470. Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz of France continued their excellence on Biscayne Bay by winning their fifth race of the regatta to win the gold medal by a 13-point margin over Slovakia’s Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol who took silver medal honors. Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Ogar of Poland won the bronze medal.
The turning point in the race was on the second upwind, the French team made a big gain by heading right and finding some better breeze. That propelled them back up the pack.
“We had a great week, but not a great start today,” said Lecointre. “We started the race at the back of the fleet, stuck in a low gear. But we did not panic, but it was really intense. I feel we still have to improve a bit in light wind. Overall, we felt really good in the strong wind and in the shifty conditions. It was a hard week.”
Retornaz discussed their preparation before the regatta. “We sailed a lot outside in front of Key Biscayne to enjoy the waves, because it’s good practice for Japan where there will be a lot of waves. We had long hours on the water in Miami. We spent our winter in Vilamoura in Portugal to train. We are going back to Vilamoura to train a little bit before heading to Palma [Spain] for our World Championship and then the Trofeo Princesa Sofia.”
Carmen and Emma Cowles (USA) placed eighth as the highest finishing North American team. The Cowles qualified the United States for the Women’s 470 at the 2020 Olympic Games.
The competition at the top of the Men’s 470 was extremely close heading into the Medal Race. Australia’s Mat Belcher and Will Ryan were in first place, but even on points with Japan’s Keiju Okada and Jumpei Hokazono. However, Jordi Xammar Hernandez and Nicolás Rodriguez Garcia-Paz of Spain propelled themselves up the leaderboard from fourth place and won the Medal Race to capture the gold medal. They finished even on points in the ultra-close standings with Okada and Hokazono, who took the silver medal. Belcher and Ryan earned bronze medal recognition. Only five points separated the top four teams in the final standings.
“Seven boats could win the event and we knew we had to do our best to be at the front at the beginning,” said Garcia-Paz. “We managed to do it and at the end we arrived at the last upwind knowing that we had to slow down two boats – the Japanese and Australians. At the end the Japanese passed us. We knew that on the last downwind we had to push to beat them and then to win the event. We were really happy we managed to do it.”
Hernandez explained what is important for the team to focus on moving forward. “We have to stay in the boat because the Olympics are getting closer,” he said. “There’s still a lot of work to do. Even though we won, we have a whole list of things to work on. We are very happy to win, but we’re not so happy on some aspects that we need to work on. We’ll keep on working and put the ticks next to every single piece of detail.”
On Friday, Caleb Paine of the United States won gold ahead of the Medal Race as he had a significant lead over Kyle Martin (CAN). Across the 10-race series, Paine collected five race wins and four seconds. Martin won the silver medal, while Paine’s American teammate, Luke Muller captured his second consecutive bronze medal at World Cup Miami.
“I just focused more on the sailing and not all of the stuff that surrounds it, the trials and all of the drama behind that and everything else that brings to the table,” said Paine. “I was really thinking about what makes the boat go fast and what gets it around the racecourse as quickly as possible.”
Mexico’s Juan Perez Soltero sealed the North American Tokyo 2020 Finn spot by besting the other contenders in the fleet this week. He was sixth overall and third in the Medal Race.
As Miami is the final opportunity for North Americans to qualify for Tokyo 2020, the final opportunity for European sailors will be the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series in Genoa this April.
2020 HEMPEL WORLD CUP SERIES MIAMI – NEWS & COVERAGE
The Olympic Channel will be airing a one hour highlight show of the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami in the United States on Friday, January 31 at 6:00 pm ET and Saturday, February 1 at 10:00 am ET.
PRESS RELEASES
All World Sailing international press releases throughout the duration of the Hempel World Cup Series, including the latest news and reports, are available to read here – http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/news/index.php
CONTACTS
Hempel World Cup Miami Press Officer
Jake Fish
E: JakeFish@usssailing.org
World Sailing Director of Communications and Digital
Daniel Smith
T: +44 (0)7771 542 131
E: Daniel.smith@sailing.org
It’s time to “rise and shine” for the sailor athletes who qualified to compete in Saturday’s Medal Races. Early start times across seven classes have been scheduled in order to capture the morning breeze.
The optimal time for breeze on Saturday will likely be between 8:00 am and 11:00 am. Wind speeds are expected to drop after 12:00 pm. Breeze is expected to be in the 4-9 knot range this morning from the NNW-N, especially in northern part of the Bay. There is potential for a sea breeze later this afternoon, but likely not until 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
Patchy fog this morning on the Bay, with a few clouds and mostly sunny conditions. Temperatures are in the in mid-70s.
Quick Links to Hempel World Cup Series Miami Coverage:
WATCH
Daily highlights and live streamed Medal Races on Saturday 25 January will be available across the World Sailing YouTube Channel. Click here to subscribe.
Saturday Medal Races – Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser, Radial, Finn and Men’s and Women’s RS:X,
URL – https://youtu.be/kBBpDfCOzRU
Embed – <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/kBBpDfCOzRU” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
SOCIAL MEDIA Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami
