Month: July 2021

Register to Compete at West Marine US Open Sailing – San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (July 26, 2021) – US Sailing launched the debut of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series at the beginning of the year with host yacht clubs in Florida including three events in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Clearwater that took place January and February. The second half of the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series in California is in full swing this summer. Following events in San Diego and Long Beach, the next and final event on the 2021 schedule is San Francisco on August 13-15, 2021, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, Treasure Island Sailing Center, and San Francisco Yacht Club.

Registration is open for sailors interested in competing at West Marine US Open Sailing – San Francisco.

Click here to register!

About the West Marine US Open Sailing Series
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class and one design racing for U.S. athletes with a long-term goal of attracting top-level national and 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 a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it was essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.

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 is 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.

The yacht clubs and sailing organizations hosting these West Marine US Open Sailing Series events are the Organizing Authorities for each regatta.

US Sailing Media Contact:
Jake Fish, Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org

Sailors Challenged by Tricky Conditions at US Open Sailing Long Beach Final

LONG BEACH, Calif. (July 12, 2021) – It was a lighter and tricky day for the 124 sailors competing at the West Marine US Open Sailing Series in Long Beach on Sunday, hosted in collaboration by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, and The US Sailing Center Long Beach. The third and final day of the regatta was a day to remember for the eight classes in competition on San Pedro Bay off Long Beach.

Click here for Final Standings.

Watch the Video Recap from the Final Day of Racing:

 

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Quotes of the Day:

Sammie Gardner (San Diego, Calif) – Winning 29er skipper with Alice Schmid on their win: “It’s great to see our hard work pay off in our results.”

Tommy Kraak (Palos Verdes Estates, Fla.) – Winning ILCA 6 sailor on the conditions: “Light wind is not my kind of conditions, but I was able to get the wind.” Noting the confidence a win has on his training, Kraak looks ahead at Youth Worlds in Lake Garda, Italy. “This event was huge to prepare me for it.”

Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, FL) – Winning Kite Foil sailor: “It felt really good after the last US Open Series down in Florida to put this together and come away with a win.”

PRO Bill Stump: “This is the first time we ever ran Kiteboard and iQFoil races. It was great fun, but don’t blink – the races are over fast. Jeff Johnson from SDYC told me I’d really like running races for Kites and Foils. I’m now a total fan of super-fast racing and enthusiastic sailors.”

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About the West Marine US Open Sailing Series:   

The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class and one design racing for U.S. athletes with a long-term goal of attracting top-level national and 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 a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it was essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.   

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 is 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.  

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.      

US Sailing Marketing and Communications Contacts: 

Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org    
Justine O’Connor, justineoconnor@ussailing.org  

Long Beach: Day 2

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series

LONG BEACH, CA (July, 10, 2021)— Day two of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series – Long Beach welcomed a consistent afternoon breeze ranging between 8-12 knots with flat water, typical conditions for the area. And although typical in Southern California, Long Beach always has the potential to bring challenges as the athletes found on day two.    

Tricky left-hand pressure was an added consideration on race circle C for the Nacra 17 and Finn Olympic Classes, as well as the 29ers. The breeze started out at 8-10 knots and topped off at 12 knots for the day. San Diego Yacht Club sailors Samantha Gardner and Alice Schmid figured it out and were particularly impressive in the 29er with three firsts and a second. Close behind are the Lamm Brothers, Tyler and Drew (N. West Palm, FL) with 12 points and Anton Schmid and Peter Joslin (San Diego, CA) with 16 points. With the final day of racing on Sunday, all three teams have a chance of coming away with the win. 

The ILCA 5 fleet is giving Long Beach a show with tight racing at the top. Tate Christopher (Alamitos, CA) holds the lead only slightly with 15 points. Katharine Doble (Marina Del Rey, CA), recently qualifying for the 2021 Youth Worlds Team at the Laser Midwinters hosted earlier this summer by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, sits in second with 15 points. Thomas Kraak (Long Beach, CA) sits in a close third with 15.5 points. The ICLA 5 competitors will be head-to-head with every detail of their sailing playing a factor in their final results on Sunday.   

Foiling Kites and iQ Foils on the stadium course saw pressure with a variety of velocities and direction due to the closer proximity to the shores of Long Beach. The popular decision for the kite group was to start the day powered up on their larger kites, but competitors quickly rushed back to the beach after race two to change out for smaller kites due to an increase in breeze. Unfortunately, the wind dopped down and many found themselves underpowered. “It was a game of who can make the right sail choice which has been really fun,” said Kai Calder (Alameda, CA).  

With sailors looking toward an Olympic future, the focus is on systems and development as opposed to short term results, leveling up what it will take to be the at the top of the fleet. With lots of seaweed to be avoided, kite choice was not the only factor determining who was winning races. Most races were determined at the finish, keeping the mix exciting. Markus Endegran (San Francisco, CA) has kept his lead heading into day three, but the top five are all in contention in their final day of racing on Sunday.  

The Race Committee and volunteers wrapped their day at a recognition party sponsored by West Marine and hosted at their local Long Beach store. They were greeted with drinks and appetizers and a few words from Executive Director of US Olympic Sailing, Paul Cayard, on what it means to be a part of the Los Angeles 2028 Games groundwork and the impact the sailing community and the West Marine US Open Sailing Series will have on helping bring American excellence back to the forefront of sailing. It was in 1984, the last time the Olympics came to Los Angeles, that the US Sailing Team took home exclusively Gold and Silver medals, so the drive to return to that era is more alive than ever with 2028 just around the corner. 

Day 2 Results


Photo Credit: 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Long Beach. Photo by US Sailing/Simon Staff.

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Long Beach: Day 1

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series

LONG BEACH, CA (July 9, 2021) – Olympic energy filled the air for day 1 of the US Open Sailing Series in Long Beach. The event, taking place at the site of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games sailing venue, features 124 teams across 8 classes – 6 Olympic classes (Finn, Formula Kite, iQ Foil, ILCA 7, ILCA 6, and the Nacra 17) and 2 youth Olympic development classes (the 29er and the ICLA 4). 

On the water, elite Olympic coaches helped prepare the competitors for the west coast leg of the Series with three days of pre-event sessions hosted by the Olympic Development Program (ODP). Two-time Olympic Bronze Medalist, Charlie McKee (Bend, Oregon), coached the Formula Kite sailors for the week and was impressed by not only the depth of talent developing, but also how the talent is developing together as a squad in the newest class on the program for Paris 2024. 

“We are super happy with everything that has happened here,” said McKee. “We had a great training camp leading into this event. It’s our first time having the kites at the West Marine US Open Series here in California. We have 23 kites on the line and the level of racing is really high. There is a good mix of teenagers that are super talented and adults that are experienced veteran Kite Foilers, and everyone is working together in a collaborative way to improve.” 

Bringing an international technology-driven approach to our US program, Yaniv Meir (Israel) worked with the iQ Foil group in Long Beach. His proven experience working with dominant Israeli board sailors is helping to invigorate the discipline in the States and jumpstart US efforts for both the 2024 and 2028 Games. 

“There’s no question the world of windsurfing changed because we changed the discipline to the IQ Foil,” said Yaniv. “Naturally for such a big country like the U.S. the benefit of changing the discipline is giving young sailors the opportunity to jump into a new and exciting class and follow their dreams. I am bringing the experience of coaching windsurfing, but what I get from the sailors is the excitement. What I have seen the last 4 days is the combination of my experience and knowledge of windsurfing with their ambitions. There’s no doubt that it’s opening the door for the US to do great things in the near future, where young American talent shows real results.” 

The eight classes are competing across three separate sailing circles off Long Beach and it’s all hands on deck to make the event a success. Southern California activated a volunteer staff of over 100 dedicated individuals from the local sailing community. Members from the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht club, and the US Sailing Center Long Beach worked together to host the 2021 event, laying the foundation that will continue to build over the next seven years in the lead up to Los Angeles 2028.  

“With 124 teams racing here in Long Beach, the West Marine US Open series continues to gain momentum,” said Paul Cayard, Olympian, World Champion, and current Executive Director of the US Olympic Sailing Team. “Apart from enjoying the conditions, support of top coaches and the local sailing community at large, these athletes are showing the depth that we are cultivating in the USA. The future of US Olympic Sailing is bright!” 

Later in the day, Cayard (San Francisco, Calif.) joined Olympic Bronze Medalist, Pamela Healy (San Francisco, Calif.), on site at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club to host the Tokyo Olympic Team Virtual Send-Off. They were joined virtually by US Sailing CEO Alan Ostfield, premiere partner of the US Sailing Team, John Kilroy, and each athlete heading to Tokyo. Details to watch the archived broadcast can be found below. 

The Long Beach component of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series is an exceptional added benefit to competitors taking advantage of the six-regatta series as it provides sailors with top level racing and coaching in future Olympic waters. On a broader scale, the US Open is delivering on a promise to provide annual, high-level racing on a domestic platform- all with the goal of racing toward excellence together on US waters in 2028. 

Watch Tokyo 2020 Athlete Send-off here: Let’s Go to Tokyo! Athlete Send-off Celebration 

  

Day 1 Results


Photo Credit: 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Long Beach. Photo by US Sailing/Simon Staff.

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Long Beach is Next Up at West Marine US Open Sailing Series

Preview: West Marine US Open Sailing – Long Beach 

LONG BEACH, Calif. (July 6, 2021) – The West Marine US Open Sailing Series continues the summer swing through California this week in Long Beach, one of the nation’s most popular sailing locations.  

The site of the Olympic Sailing competition for the 2028 LA Games will be in the spotlight as sailors in eight classes will race over three days on July 9 – 11, 2021. Men and women sailors will be racing the 29er, Finn, Foiling Kite, iQFoil, ILCA 7, ILCA 6, ILCA 4, and Nacra 17. 

West Marine US Open Sailing Series – Long Beach is hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, and the US Sailing Center Long Beach. The regatta will be sailed in the waters of San Pedro Bay off Long Beach. 

The West Marine US Open Sailing Series launched in January 2021 with a big splash in Florida over three events at major sailing venues in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Clearwater. This exciting new racing series resumed in San Diego on June 12 – 13 and racing was conducted in five classes. Read the Recap from San Diego. 

Long Beach is the second of three stops on the California tour. Following the stop in Long Beach, the series continues up the California coastline to San Francisco on August 13 – 15, 2021. 

Mike Van Dyke, Rear Commodore of the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and Event Co-Chair, discussed the Long Beach sailing conditions and looks forward to competitive racing this week. “Long Beach is blessed with near perfect sailing conditions almost year-round,” said Van Dyke. “The summer months, predictable sea breeze fills in the 12-18 knots range. Some might think this predictability removes some of the challenges of other venues, but it places a premium on boat handling and consistency of scores to come out on top.” 

Van Dyke also discussed the Olympic Sailing legacy in the Long Beach area. “Southern California has a long legacy of producing Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Due to the weather and the almost year-round ability to train, the presence of youth development organizations, like CISA, promoting pathways to international and Olympic competition, we continue to be a hub for those with Olympic aspirations.”  

“When Los Angeles expressed interest in bidding again for the games, it created excitement in the sailing community with the motivation to replicate the 1984 games. With US Sailing setting up base here for athletes to train under the guidance of Paul Cayard, as well as the local clubs, Long Beach Yacht Club, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, and US Sailing Center Long Beach, we are putting together an organizational structure to work under LA 2028.” 

Lisa Meier, Port Captain at LBYC and Event Co-Chair, also spoke of the history of Long Beach and Olympic Sailing. “Long Beach has a long history participating in the Summer Olympics! In 1932, the Southern California Yachting Association was given full authority to choose the “official games boat” and designated the Olympic Monotype Class. Again in 1984 Long Beach hosted Olympians from around the world. The yacht clubs and sailing centers of Long Beach joined forces along with hundreds of volunteers to spend years preparing for an outstanding Olympic Sailing venue and Games.”  

“Long Beach Yacht Club, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and The US Sailing Center Long Beach have joined together to assemble teams of dedicated volunteers from Southern California to prepare and host the regattas, tests and worlds in preparation for 2028. In 2024, after the Paris Olympics, the sailing world tilts in the direction of Long Beach. The community will be poised to welcome the world, preparing venues and connections that will have lasting positive effects on all who participate.”  

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About the West Marine US Open Sailing Series:   

The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic-class and one design racing for U.S. athletes with a long-term goal of attracting top-level national and 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 a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it was essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis.   

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 is 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.  

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.      

US Sailing Marketing and Communications Contacts: 

Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org    
Justine O’Connor, justineoconnor@ussailing.org  

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