Month: January 2020

Seven Champions crowned at 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 25 January, 2020. Erika Reinke wins gold for the USA.

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.

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 25 January, 2020. Andrew Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago qualifies for Olympics.

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.

Final Results and Standings

WATCH
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

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

PHOTOGRAPHY
High resolution imagery free for editorial usage will be provided throughout Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima.

Imagery is available to download here – https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Hempel-WCS-Miami-2020/C00002NQZEeKz4_o

The password to download is: WSimages

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

Day #6 Morning Report: Medal Race Schedule and Forecast

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

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

 

First Set of North American Tokyo 2020 Spots Earned in Miami

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 24 January, 2020.

 

MIAMI, Fla. (January 24, 2020) – The fifth and final day of fleet racing wrapped-up Friday at the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami. Many of the 182 sailors from 45 nations raced with Olympic qualification on the line and targeting a spot in Saturday’s pivotal Medal Races.

Hempel World Cup Series Miami is 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.

Elena Oetling qualified Mexico to Tokyo 2020 in the Laser Radial with further Mexican spots all but confirmed in the Finn and Men’s RS:X. Canada booked their ticket to Tokyo in the Men’s 470 and Women’s RS:X with the USA confirming their Women’s 470 place. It will go down to the wire in the Laser with Trinidad and Tobago looking to fend off three Canadian sailors in hot pursuit in Saturday’s Medal Race.

The light breeze posed challenges again on Friday, testing the nerves of the sailors competing with so much at stake. An additional race was scheduled for the Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser Radial, and Laser fleets due to Thursday’s conditions that limited the number of races completed. The Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Finn, and Laser classes managed just one race each in the light breeze on Thursday.

Friday’s weather forecast was mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid-70s. The breeze was on the low end throughout the day in the 5-6 knot range.

The Women’s and Men’s 470 and Finn classes each got one race completed this morning. Following a lengthy afternoon postponement, racing resumed for the Finns and they completed their second race of the day. Racing started in the afternoon for the Laser Radials who completed one race. There was no racing for the Lasers or RS:X fleets.

Oetling officially qualified both her nation and herself for Tokyo 2020 with her performance this week. Oetling posted five top 10 finishes in the 23-boat Laser Radial fleet. Aruba’s Philipine van Aanholt, St. Lucia’s Stephanie Devaux-Lovell, Mexico’s Sofia Ximena Palacios, Puerto Rico’s Sylvette Perez Figueroa and Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Arrindell were all vying for the North American spot at Tokyo 2020. Oetling bested this group of talented sailors to earn her place.

“I qualified Mexico and I qualified myself for the Olympics,” said an excited Oetling. “I don’t know how to feel about it. It’s something I’ve been working towards my whole life. I just cried, but I was so happy. It’s just a great feeling to accomplish something I’ve worked very hard for.

“It was a hard day because we had a lot of waiting,” she added. “The mental part becomes very important. You always have to be ready because at any moment a race can start. When we finally got the race in it was super-light, so it was hard for me to manage the race. I knew what I had to do – stay as close to my competition as possible and don’t let them have too many points. For me it was just that, having fun and just staying close to them.”

Leading the Laser Radial fleet is Erika Reineke of the United States. She has a narrow two-point lead over Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece and a five-point edge over Matilda Talluri of Italy.

The competition at the top of the Men’s 470 is extremely close. Australia’s Mat Belcher and Will Ryan are in first place, but even on points with Japan’s Keiju Okada and Jumpei Hokazono. Only seven points separates the top six teams in the class as they head into their Medal Race so it’s all to play for.

Jordi Xammar Hernandez and Nicolás Rodriguez Garcia-Paz of Spain are in fourth place overall and placed eighth today. “At the end, we managed to beat a few of our direct rivals so we’re a bit better in the overall results,” said Garcia-Paz. “We’re fourth now and tomorrow anything can happen. Seven or eight boats could win so we will see. We’re happy, but we know we can do better. We have to push tomorrow and do our best. Miami is really important for us. It’s the first race of the Olympic year and almost everyone came here to compete, so it’s been good to race against them. Tomorrow we will fight for the medals.”

Entering World Cup Miami, the race for Olympic qualification in North American for the Men’s 470 was between Canada and Mexico, who have three teams respectively. Canada prevailed and qualified its nation for Tokyo 2020. They were led this week by Jacob Saunders and Oliver Bone. They had their best race of the regatta today by placing 13th.

“It was tricky out there for sure,” said Saunders. “It can always be a little nerve racking going into a light race like that with an unsure forecast. We played it well. We kept making good decisions throughout the race and put up a solid score and were able to solidify the country spot for Canada. We now go into the final section trial for Canada in the lead so we’re happy for that and feeling good.”

“My crew Oliver and I, we started this campaign last minute,” he explained. “We were both working full time and sort of came out of retirement to make this happen. We’re happily surprised with how quickly we got back into the boat and how we felt sailing again. It’s been pretty natural together. Oliver started coaching me nearly ten years ago, so we’ve had a long relationship and now we’ve started racing together. It’s been going great and the attitude in the boat is really good and we’re psyched to be back at it competing again. It’s a lot of fun.”

Bone was also pleased with today’s performance in the light conditions. “Conditions were obviously challenging. We looked for wind but didn’t necessarily get to it, but we felt our strategy went well and we kept it simple. We made some gains where we could, especially on our downwinds where we made some big jumps.”

Greece had a strong day on the water today in the Women’s 470 with tandem Maria Bozi and Rafailina Klonaridou. They moved into second place after finishing second in the single race. They now trail leaders Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz of France by nine points.

“So far we are satisfied with how we’re going,” said Klonaridou. “We’ve made some mistakes, but we’re getting there. We hope for better conditions tomorrow so we’ll see what happens.”

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. The Brugmans and Cowles qualified for tomorrow’s Medal Race by finishing the fleet racing stage in eight and ninth, respectively. The Brugmans won today’s race and have a one-point edger over the Cowles.

Caleb Paine of the United States has won gold ahead of the Medal Race as he has an unassailable lead over Kyle Martin (CAN). Across the ten race series, Paine has taken five race wins and four seconds. An 11th in Race 9 today was his worst score of the week. Martin of Canada won Race 10 and now stands in second place. Luke Muller who is even on points with Martin is in third.

Mexico’s Juan Perez Soltero is squaring off against Bermuda’s Rockal Evans for the North American Tokyo 2020 Finn spot. Heading in the Medal Race, Soltero is firmly poised to take the spot for his nation.

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.

Early start times are planned for the Saturday’s Medal Races, beginning just after 09:00 with the Women’s 470.

Ken Read and Suzy Leech Win ORC DH Class in Key West Race

After a long night of fast sailing for some and start-stop action for others, the fleet on the Ft Lauderdale-Key West Race is finished now and enjoying the laid-back ambience of this touristic island once heralded as “The Southernmost Point in the US.” In the ORC Doublehanded Class, Ken Read and Suzy Leech endured a long night of squall after squall to finish at 9:19 AM on their Jeanneau 3600, Alchemist, to still defeat their rivals in corrected time, Mike Hennessy and Katie Pettibone on their Class 40, Dragon,  who finished two hours earlier at 7:05 AM

“This was a long night, and it really mattered where you were in relation to the squalls,” said Read after a daytime nap to get his batteries re-charged for the evening’s awards celebrations. “We were keeping close to the course boundary to stay out of the current and minimize distance, which gave us only a very narrow track. So, as the winds shifted in the squalls we had to meet each shift with a sail change. This is not easy with a full crew, much less two people.”

Nonetheless, Read was upbeat about the discipline and the promise it holds for testing the caliber of offshore sailors. “There are so many elements needed to succeed – keeping the boat fast in knowing your sail options, making the sail changes needed, developing and executing a game plan, and physically pacing yourself – all this is important. This was a great test of all that and more.”

This Doublehanded Offshore event is running in conjunction with Hempel World Cup Series Miami for the first time in event history. Complete Results


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

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

PHOTOGRAPHY
High resolution imagery free for editorial usage will be provided throughout Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima.

Imagery is available to download here – https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Hempel-WCS-Miami-2020/C00002NQZEeKz4_o

The password to download is: WSimages

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

Day #5 Morning Report: Early Start for Sailors Expected on Friday

The Radial sailors will attempt an earlier start time of 10:30 am on Friday and the Lasers will attempt to start at 10:40 am. An additional race is scheduled for the 470s, Laser Radial and Laser. The Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Finn, and Laser classes managed just one race each in the light breeze on Thursday. Friday is final round of fleet racing before Saturday’s Medal Races.

Friday’s weather forecast is mostly cloudy with isolated showers. The high will be near 78 degrees. The gradient wind is SE, and will be quite light. Cloud coverage and the possibility of showers may keep the breeze light. The breeze on the low end will be in the 4-8 knot range and on the high end it will be 10-12.

QUICK LINKS TO COVERAGE:

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

Coverage from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race – DH Offshore Event:

Light Wind Limitations at Hempel World Cup Series Miami; Offshore DH Event Begins in Ft. Lauderdale

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 23 January, 2020.

MIAMI, Fla. (January 23, 2020) – Through four days of action-packed racing on Biscayne Bay, the athletes competing at the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami have experienced a vast array of conditions. Cold temperatures, wind chill, rain, strong breeze, and more typical South Florida conditions have challenged the 182 sailors from 45 nations.

The challenge has been real on the Bay and this has created exciting racing and a level of unpredictability adding more intrigue to this year’s annual Olympic class regatta in Miami.

Heading into Thursday’s racing the Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, and Men’s and Women’s 470 had completed six races, while the Men’s and Women’s RS:X finished nine.

However, the breeze failed to cooperate for most of Thursday, as rain showers sporadically dampened the sailing venue, and racing was limited after lengthy postponements.

The RS:X women and men managed just one race each. Japan’s Megumi Komine won her third race of the regatta in Race 10 and is now in second place behind fleet leader Demita Vega de Lille of Mexico by three points. Farrah Hall of the United States is in third place and five points back.

On the men’s side of the RS:X fleet, Pedro Pascual (USA) won his fourth race of the regatta to take a nine-point lead through 10 races. He leads Ignacio Berenguer of Mexico, who is in second place, and fellow American Geronimo Nores, who is in third. Nores was second to Pascual today and has placed either first (4) or second (2) in each of the last six races to make a charge up the leaderboard.

American Caleb Paine won his fourth race of the regatta in Race 7 of the Finn class. He was third in Race 8 and leads by 17 points over Luke Muller (USA). Oisin McClelland of Ireland is in third.

Hugh Macrae of Canada won the only Laser race of the day and has placed in the top two of the last couple races of the regatta. Argentina’s Francisco Guaragna Rigonat came in second and continues to lead the pack through seven races.

“We launched mid-morning and the race didn’t start until 3 o’clock, so there was a lot of waiting, trying and failing,” said Macrae. “We finally we got one off. There was hiking but again it changed midway to light wind, but I managed to get away with a win. I didn’t make the mistakes I’ve been making and it’s now showing.”

There was no racing today in the Laser Radial class, however, Aruba’s Philipine van Aanholt is excited to be back in Miami and sailing again in the Laser Radial after some time away. The two-time Olympian and several other sailors representing North American and Caribbean nations are also trying to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

“This week has been quite challenging. We’ve had lots of different conditions – mostly breezy. I’ve really enjoyed it,” said van Aanholt. “Yesterday was a bit too much. In the last race I was really tired, but it was fun and very shifty like Miami always is. The first couple of days I could really read the shifts well and yesterday in the last race I had some problems. Everybody is bringing it so it’s fun.”

“I came in really late for this campaign,” she added. “I sailed the Rio and London Games, but I haven’t been full-time sailing in a really long time. I do have a full-time job, which is why I came early to prepare. I have had to focus on myself but, of course you look at the competition and it’s tough. There are a lot of girls going for that one spot.”

As it stands, Elena Oetling is poised to take the single North American spot with van Aanholt 17 points off. However, with today’s Laser Radial racing postponed, three races will be sailed on Friday with plenty of possibilities.

The Men’s and Women’s 470 fleets attempted to sail but the fickle and shifting wind made things tricky for the Race Committee team so no racing was possible.

Heading into Friday’s action, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) top the tree in the men’s division and France’s Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz are in control in the women’s.

An additional race is scheduled for the 470s, Laser Radial and Laser on Friday, January 24 with an earlier start time of 10:30 am for the Radials and 10:40 am for the Lasers.

New Doublehanded Offshore Event Underway at Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race

Ken Read and Suzy Leech racing Alchemist, a Jeanneau 3300, at the start of Ft. Lauderdale-Key West Race. Photo by Sharon Green/ultimatesailing.com

While the 2020 Olympic class hopefuls competed around the buoys in Biscayne Bay, further offshore was a fast downwind start to the 45th edition of the Ft Lauderdale-Key West Race, hosted by Lauderdale Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club. Within the fleet of 28 entries in this 160-mile offshore race was a new mixed-gender Doublehanded class similar to the Mixed Two-Person Offshore Keelboat discipline that is coming to the 2024 Olympic Games.

“South Florida is a natural venue for the class, given the history of the Olympic Classes/World Cup Regatta on Biscayne Bay and the terrific sailing conditions in the winter,” said Race Chairman Chip Sabadash of Lauderdale Yacht Club.

In the ORC Doublehanded class Ken Read and Suzy Leech are racing Alchemist, a new Jeanneau 3300, and Mike Hennessy and Katie Pettibone are sailing Hennessy’s Class 40, Dragon. Both feature water ballast and sail control systems suited to Doublehanded racing, and with the new ORC Doublehanded certificate ratings they can have fair racing under handicap between themselves and the remainder of the ORC fleet as well, despite differences in boat size and type.

“We worked hard with US Sailing and ORC to get these boats rated in time for this race,” said Chris Woolsey of the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC), where this is the third in a four-event offshore series. “We used a special scoring model that reflects the mostly downwind conditions the fleet will see today and tonight, and therefore fairly calculate an overall winner based on ORC ratings.”

With the 15-20 knot breeze trending from NE at the start and veering through E and SE into the evening and tomorrow, the fleet is expecting a fast reaching and running passage in its westward arc closely hugging the Florida keys, a track necessary to steer clear of the Gulf Stream flowing fast in the opposite direction.

Leading the ORC pack and speeding down the track are two full-crewed carbon speedsters, Jim Grundy’s Dunning 42, Baby B and Sledd Shelhorse’s brand new Carkeek 40 MkII Meridian XI, while not far astern is Hennessy and Pettibone on Dragon and another full-crewed Class 40, FK Day’s Longbow.

Coverage from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race – DH Offshore Event:

Quick Links to Hempel World Cup Series Miami Coverage:

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

PHOTOGRAPHY
High resolution imagery free for editorial usage will be provided throughout Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima.

Imagery is available to download here – https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Hempel-WCS-Miami-2020/C00002NQZEeKz4_o

The password to download is: WSimages

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

VIDEO – American Finn Sailors Compete for Tokyo 2020 Spot in Miami

The stakes are high for competing sailors at the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami with North American Olympic qualification spots up for grabs and US Sailing Team Tokyo 2020 Olympic trials ongoing.

In the Finn, Luke Muller and Caleb Paine, Rio 2016 bronze medallist, are in a duel at the front of the fleet in Miami in the second of their three selection events for the sole American spot.

The American Finn selection process brings together the 2019 Finn Gold Cup, the Hempel World Cup Series event in Miami and 2020 Finn Gold Cup.

At the Finn Gold Cup, Muller finished 17th to Paine’s 25th, giving himself an eight point advantage heading in to Miami. After three days of competition in Miami, Paine is a place ahead of Muller at the top of the leaderboard.

Find out what the sailors think about the selection process and what the stakes are below:

If the results stay the way they are in Miami, Muller will have a seven point lead going into the Finn Gold Cup in Palma de Mallorca, Spain this May.

Day #4 Morning Report: Start of Doublehanded Offshore Event, Weather and Conditions

Sailors should expect tricky conditions on Thursday, especially in the afternoon on Day #4 of 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami.

Patchy fog early and partly to mostly cloudy throughout the day including a slight chance of showers is forecasted. Warmer temperatures than Wednesday and Tuesday are expected with the high near 76 degrees.

Most of the day will be a ENE-E gradient wind. Wind speeds may increase with the ENE wind to 10-15 knots this morning. Afternoon breeze will average 7-12 knots and perhaps lower.

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami is partnering with the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race this year. Thursday is the start of this new Doublehanded Offshore Event. Doublehanded offshore teams will start south of Port Everglades and the boats will race to Key West, with an expected course length of approximately 160 miles.

Tune in on the SORC Sailing Facebook page for live video from the signal boat. Spectators on shore can view of the start from the Dania Beach Fishing Pier. The finish is off of Mallory Square in Key West.

QUICK LINKS TO COVERAGE:

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

Sailors Rise to the Occasion in Unexpected Miami Conditions

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 21 January, 2020.

MIAMI, Fla. (January 22, 2020) – The 182 sailors embraced the challenge of the uncharacteristically cold and blustery conditions in Biscayne Bay on Day 3 of the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami. The athletes were faced with similar conditions on Tuesday, but Wednesday’s overall shifty conditions and wind chill presented an even greater test of their physical and tactical skills.

Sailors raced under mostly sunny skies and wind speeds ranged from 16 to 18 knots on the low end and 23 to 24 on the high end this morning. The wind was not quite as strong in the afternoon and ranged from 13 to 16 knots on the low end and 16-18 on the high end. Similar to Tuesday, the conditions were shifty and puffy.

Heading into Wednesday’s racing the Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, and Men’s and Women’s 470 had completed four races over two days, while the Men’s and Women’s RS:X finished six. Wednesday morning’s conditions forced some short postponements for the Finn, Laser Radial, and Men’s 470 classes.

World Cup Miami is 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.

Mexican representatives Juan Perez Soltero and Alejandro Perez Ontiveros are going up against Rockall Evans of Bermuda for the North American Tokyo 2020 spot in the Finn class.

Evans performed well in the breezy conditions today and placed fifth and third. He is in sixth place overall and leads Soltero by four points, who posted two seventh place finishes.

“Today was really windy, choppy, and cold. Nice conditions for the Finn class,” said Soltero. “Today was a rough day for me but a great day for sailing. I thought it was going to be a little bit windier today (than Tuesday) and it got super windy. It was super fun downwind and super physical upwind. I just tried to sail my own race, keep it simple, keep my boat fast the whole time and try to keep my boat upright and not capsize. Tomorrow is going to be light and I am very good in light winds so I’m excited for tomorrow.”

The American selection process also continues this week in the 14-boat Finn class. Caleb Paine is the overall fleet leader with seven points over six races. He was second twice today and leads American teammate Luke Muller by eight points. Muller was third and sixth today.

“It would mean the world to me to qualify to the Olympic Games,” said Muller. “It’s obviously been a long-term goal in my life. It will be the culmination of a lot of hard work. If I don’t qualify, it won’t be the end of the world as there’s a lot of sailing opportunities for me. Caleb certainly has a few more years’ experience in the Finn. He’s been to the Olympics and he’s been under a lot of high-pressure scenarios. He’s a great sailor and a formidable competitor. I look forward to racing him every day.”

From 27 January to 3 February 2019, Miami will host sailors for the second round of the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series in Coconut Grove. More than 650 sailors from 60 nations will race across the 10 Olympic Events. ©PEDRO MARTINEZ/SAILING ENERGY/WORLD SAILING
03 February, 2019.

Ireland’s Oisin McClelland is in third place and trails Muller by three points. McClelland won Race 6 and placed fourth in Race 5.

“I managed to come out with a fourth and a first. A few people tipped it in, but I managed to stay upright and took the win,” said McClelland.

As Miami is the final opportunity for North Americans to qualify for Tokyo 2020, the final European stop of the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series in Genoa is their last shot.

“The major goal for me is the Genoa World Cup and the European continental spot. The only one left for Europe. I’m 100 percent focused on that and this event is a good warm-up. There’s a couple of us here who are going for the spot – Ukraine and Russia. It’s a good early test to see how we’re going. “We had some goals in mind for what I wanted to get out of this regatta – technique wise – but if the week goes well then I’d be really be pleased with a podium.”

The race for Olympic qualification for the Men’s 470 in North America is between Canada and Mexico, who have three teams respectively.

Luke Ramsay and Hunter Lowden of Canada are one of the teams vying for position and they are currently ahead of their Olympic qualification competitors with two days of fleet racing remaining this week.

“We were seeing 22 to 26 knots and it was really steep with choppy waves, which made it really hard to keep the boat rumbling all the time,” said Ramsey. “All of the top guys in the top 20 are here so it’s a really good gauge to see where you’re at. We’ve been going well at times, but our losses seem to come in the really tricky spots.”

Ramsey and Lowden know what is at stake and have their eyes on teams from Mexico, especially. “When it’s windy you don’t really have a lot of influence on other boats. We’ve tried to sail our own track. When it gets a bit lighter that might change, and you’ve got to keep a closer eye on them and see where they’re going and what’s happening. Today was just trying to keep the boat fast, do the right thing and not focus on everybody else.”

Moving into first place in the Men’s 470 class today was the Mat Belcher and Will Ryan of Australia, who placed third in Race 6 and won Race 5. Dropping into second place was Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergstrom of Sweden.

Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis of Greece are in third place and six points behind the leaders.

“It was very difficult to manage and stay in the same position,” said Mantis. “We had one good race and one bad. We’ve got two more days before the Medal Race. It was very cold in the morning and it’s a bit of a shock for us. Everyone was expecting something a little bit warmer. There have been some very good moments so far this week but there have been some bad. We’re happy with our performance.”

Women’s 470 Tokyo 2020 medal favorites Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz (FRA) hold the initiative in their 16-boat fleet. A race win and a fifth from Wednesday’s action has given them a eight point advantage over Poland’s Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Ogar. The day’s other race win went the way of Tina Mrak and Veronika Macarol of Slovenia who are third overall.

The USA will confirm a spot in the Women’s 470 fleet at Tokyo 2020 this week and the event acts as a team qualifier. Twin sisters Carmen and Emma Cowles hold an initiative with four fleet races remaining.

Olympic qualification is on the line 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 all have their sights set on Tokyo 2020.

Oetling has the edge over the other five competitors so far this week and is in sixth place overall. She was fourth and eighth today and has a 17-point lead over van Aanholt.

American Erika Reineke has a hold on first place by a five-point margin over Vasileia Karachaliou of Greece. Karachaliou made gains on Wednesday by winning both races, while Reineke placed second to Karachaliou twice.

Argentina’s Francisco Guaragna Rigonat continues to lead in the 40-boat Laser fleet after posting a third and a first. Peru’s Stefano Peschiera is six points off the Argentine having won the opening race of the day. Enrique Jose Arathoon (ESA) is in third.

Andrew Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago is in fourth, chasing the leading pack. He currently leads the way in the North American qualification battle but he has five Canadian sailors directly behind him chasing hard to overthrow him.

Pedro Pascual’s (USA) grip on top spot in the Men’s RS:X strengthened on Wednesday after he posted two thirds and a second. He is ten points clear of Mexico’s Ignacio Berenguer who is also in the driving seat to qualify his nation for Tokyo 2020. Geronimo Nores (USA) moved up the leaderboard after a pair of race wins and a second. He is third overall.

There is a tight tussle in the Women’s RS:X as just six points separate the top four. Demita Vega de Lille of Mexico holds the lead on 20 points and is trailed by Farrah Hall (USA) on 22, Megumi Komine (JPN) on 24 and Mariana Aguilar (MEX) on 26.

Aguilar took the first race win of the day before Komine hit back in the second. The third race win went to Canada’s Nikola Girke who is on course to qualify her nation for Tokyo 2020.

Racing resumes at 11:00 local time on Thursday, January 23.

Quick Links to Coverage:

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

PHOTOGRAPHY
High resolution imagery free for editorial usage will be provided throughout Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima.

Imagery is available to download here – https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Hempel-WCS-Miami-2020/C00002NQZEeKz4_o

The password to download is: WSimages

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

Day #3 Morning Report: Sailors Embrace for Morning Cold

The Miami and South Florida region is experiencing near-record cold conditions on Wednesday morning, as temperatures dropped to the low 40s with wind chill throughout the area. The chilly temperatures of Tuesday will be surpassed by the conditions on Wednesday, as the sailors competing at the 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami embrace for the challenge on Biscayne Bay.

Sailors will race under mostly sunny skies and the high temperature this afternoon is expected to be 67 degrees. Waves will be 2-4 feet and the water temp will be in the low 70s. Wind speeds are expected to be 16-18 knots on the low end and 23-24 on the high end this morning.

The wind is expected to drop in the afternoon and expected to be 13-16 knots on the low end and 16-18 on the high end. Similar to Tuesday, the conditions are expected to be shifty and puffy.

See the schedule for Wednesday (pictured right) first warning signals for the seven fleets racing this week. Schedule is subject to change.

Quick Links to Coverage:

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

 

Sailors Challenged by Shifty Miami Breeze on Tuesday

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 21 January, 2020.

MIAMI, Fla. (January 21, 2020) – Sailors were greeted with cooler temperatures, sunny skies, and plenty of breeze on Day 2 of 2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami, USA.

On Tuesday, 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. Tuesday marked the second of five days of fleet racing leading up to Saturday’s all-important Medal Races. The Medal Races will be broadcast live on World Sailing’s YouTube Channel.

World Cup Miami, the second stop on the 2020 Series, is the final opportunity for North American nations to qualify for the 2020 Games in all seven classes at this regatta and the 182 sailors from 45 nations are also competing this week for advancement in the World Cup standings.

Tuesday’s weather was mostly sunny with temperatures in the 60’s. Wind speeds this morning were 12-16 knots, including gusts up to 20 knots. Conditions in the afternoon were more shifty and puffy with an increase in breeze.

The Laser is 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 has 12 Laser representatives, while Mexico has four and Antigua two. One of the favorites to book his nation’s spot in Tokyo 2020 is Trinidad and Tobago’s Andrew Lewis. The two-time Olympian secured his first ever Hempel World Cup Series medal in Genoa, Italy last season in a tough fleet.

Lewis is in third place through four races after finishing third and fifth today. He leads all North American sailors in the regatta standings. Lewis enjoys the Miami conditions and is excited to be here at the venue.

“Blue skies make me smile all day,” said Lewis. “This is just an amazing place to sail. I’ve been coming here for about ten years and Miami has a special place in my heart. It’s the closest place we race to at the highest levels in the Caribbean in my opinion. Today was super challenging. The pressure was filling in around the racecourse. I’m happy with my results today and I’m happy with how the regatta is going.”

Lewis remains focused on his sailing despite what is at stake this week. “It’s too early to be keeping eyes on the other sailors. I’m consistently focused on staying as far in front of the fleet as possible.”

Only two spots behind Lewis in fifth place overall is Canada’s Robert Lewis, who posted a pair of fourth place finishes on Tuesday. Davis finished ahead of Lewis at the 2019 Pan Games.

“We had more offshore wind today, which made it more puffy, choppy and shifty,” said Lewis. “You had to keep your head out of the boat and look for the wind. Most of the wind was coming off the shore to the left side, and I wasn’t quite punchy on that but still managed to get a couple decent scores today.”

Davis remains focused on being consistent throughout the week. “I think consistency is going to win here in Miami because it’s a soft and tricky venue, but at the same time it’s a relatively small fleet. If you are not trying to go for some of those obvious puffs and shifts on days like today, somebody else is going to go for them and I need those points.”

Joaquin Blanco (ESP) posted two bullets on Monday and has a lead on the Laser fleet, despite a black flag penalty in Race 4 today. He was fifth in Race 3.

“I got a black flag penalty at the start of the second race, so I was disappointed, but this is the beginning and I’ll do my best in my next races,” said Blanco. “Monday was really good for me, but it’s a long week. Today, I couldn’t be as consistent, but I will try do better.”

Also, with seven points atop the leaderboard is Argentina’s Francisco Guaragna Rigonat.

The United States has a lead in the Laser Radial fleet, as Erika Reinke has performed well over the first two days in Miami. Reineke moved into first, overtaking Monday’s leader Viktorija Andrulyte of Lithuania, with a second place finish in Race 3 and she won Race 4. Andrulyte is three points back.

Caleb Paine of the United States continues his dominance in the 14-boat Finn event. He has won three of four races and placed second in Race 3 today. He has a four point lead over teammate Luke Muller, as the American selection process continues to make waves this week in Miami. Canada’s Kyle Martin is seven points back and in third place.

In the Women’s 470, Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz of France have emerged as Tokyo 2020 medal favorites after they secured the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series title, gold at READY STEADY TOKYO and the 2019 European Championship. They have won three of the four races this week and lead the overall standings.

In second place is Poland’s Agnieszka Skrzypulec and Jolanta Ogar, who won Race 3. “We had a lot of fun on the water today,” said Skrzypulec. “We had a nice strong wind with a lot of shifts, so we had to be focused at all times. Yesterday, we struggled a bit in the second race, but today we started off with a fresh mindset and today was a new beginning with new wind conditions.”

2020 Hempel World Cup Series Miami © Pedro Martinez / Sailing Energy 21 January, 2020.

The only nation in the running for the North American Tokyo 2020 spot in the Women’s 470 is the United States. The event also acts as an American team qualifier for Tokyo 2020 with Nikole Barnes and Lara Dallman-Weiss, Carmen and Emma Cowles as well as Atlantic and Nora Brugman. The Cowles are currently the top American team in eighth place overall. They placed fifth and eighth today and lead the Brugmans by four points.

These young American tandems are gaining critical experience this week.

“The biggest step up for us has been the competition on the Women’s 470 circuit,” said Emma Cowles. “You have 50 percent of the fleet rounding really close together, so we were trying to get up to speed with them.”

“We’ve all learned a lot in these past few years,” added Emma. “We are all pretty new and we don’t have decades of experience in the boat like some of the athletes do. We are just thinking about what we can do one event at a time to keep improving.”

Over in the 30-boat Men’s 470 fleet, Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergström of Sweden maintain their lead from Monday. They have a three-point edge over Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagiali of Greece. Stuart McNay and David Hughes are the top North American team in ninth overall.

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 favor, with five-time Olympian David Mier Y Teran and Ignacio Berenguer leading the charge. The Dominican Republic’s Samuel Perez Hults is also contending this week. In total, eight sailors are racing in the Men’s RS:X fleet and the event is also acting as an American qualifier for Tokyo 2020.

Pedro Pascual of the United States continues his lead over the fleet from Monday with seven points following three more races. He won the first race of the day and has collected three wins so far this week. Following in close pursuit of the lead is Berenguer and Teran, who are placing second and third respectively.

“Today was completely different than Monday,” said Teran. “This morning it looked windy, but it was really light and then it kept building. I got lost in the first race because of the conditions, but by the second race I got a little better and continued to get better in the third race. I think I sail better in extreme conditions.”

Nikola Girke (CAN) has made 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. Girke will confirm the spot by completing the event. She is currently in sixth place.

“It’s my first time back on the RS:X after a couple years, so I’m trying to get my racing legs back,” said Girke. “Having this regatta under my belt before World Championships is really important and I want to qualify my country for the Olympics. The real reason why I came back is to have fun.”

Mexico’s Demita Vega de Lille and Mariana Aguilar have 11 points each and they lead the Women’s RS:X fleet through six races. In third place is Farrah Hall, who won the final race of the day.

“I’m mostly working on a little bit of technique and a lot of psychology,” said Hall. “Sailing is a very complex sport, so for me, I’m pretty regimented in my daily routines. For now, I’m focusing on keeping all of that straight, but being flexible at the same time.”

Racing resumes on Wednesday morning, January 22 on Biscayne Bay.

Quick Links to Coverage:

SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the event on World Sailing’s social networks and get involved in the conversation using #hwcsmiami

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/
Twitter – @worldsailing

PHOTOGRAPHY
High resolution imagery free for editorial usage will be provided throughout Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima.

Imagery is available to download here – https://worldsailing.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Hempel-WCS-Miami-2020/C00002NQZEeKz4_o

The password to download is: WSimages

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

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