Month: January 2022

Conditions Deliver for Final Day of West Marine US Open Sailing Series Miami

Catherine ShanahanJanuary 23, 2022Comments OffHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured

The Open 470 class on the starting line of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series – Miami. US Sailing Team / Allison Chenard

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Racing at the Miami West Marine US Open Sailing Series concluded Sunday with strong winds and even stronger racing across all classes. Biscayne Bay greeted competitors with a 12-15 knot northwest breeze. Though challenging, it was a welcome change from wind delays on Friday and Saturday.

“While racing was light the rest of the regatta, today was gorgeous racing,” said 49er and 49erFX PRO Lynn Lynch. “The shore breeze was shifty, but after a few tweaks here and there, we got the marks in we were able to run four good races.”

49erFX Class

The FX class was dominated by Canadian teams, with Tokyo Olympians Ali Tenhove and Mariah Millen taking first place. Teammates Georgia Lewin-LaFrance and Galen Richardson (CAN) came in second and Audrey Staples and Marion LaFrance-Berger (CAN) finished third.

“This was one of our first regattas after Tokyo, so we were focused on checking off our goals and learning as much as we can,” said Tenhove.

49er Class

US Sailing Team members Ian Barrows and Hans Henken came out on top in the 49er fleet with an impressive score line, finishing first in all but one race. Canadians Arie Moffat and Sam Bonin came in second, with a one-point lead over third place finishers Nevin Snow and Duncan Williford (USA).

Open 470 Class

In the 470 class, Americans Luisa Nordstrom and Trevor Bornarth made a clean sweep, finishing first in all nine races of the event. Winning the tiebreak for second place was Americans Kyra Phelan and Sawyer Bastian, with 22 points. Alec van Kerckhove and Dylan Murphy (USA) rounded out the podium in third.

Nacra 17

Even with only four competitors in the Nacra 17 class, racing was tight and tactical. US Sailing Team athletes Sarah Newbury Moore and David Liebenberg, who are campaigning for Paris 2024, came in first with 8 points. Carson Crain and Caroline Atwood (USA) came in second, while Ben Rosenberg and Cali Salinas (USA) took third.

Men’s iQFoil

Fresh off the last summer Games, US Sailing Team athlete Pedro Pascual won nearly every race of the weekend, finishing with a total of nine points. Olympic Development Program athlete Alexander Temko finished in second with 12 total points.

“Competition and conditions were tough, but I was able to focus on tactics and stay in the pressure,” said Pascual. “I’m looking forward to another great event at the US Open in Clearwater next weekend!”

Women’s iQFoil & Open Windfoil

The Women’s iQFoil and Open Windfoil classes were raced together on the iQFoil circle. ODP athlete Dominique Stater took first in the Women’s iQFoil, narrowly beating Bryn Muller, the US representative at the last Jr. Pan Am Games. American sailors JP Lattanzi and Garrett January took first and second place in the Open Windfoil, respectively.

Finn Class

Long-time participants in the Miami Olympic Class Regatta, the Finn class saw nine boats competing this weekend. After eight races, Miami local Rodion Mazin took first place with ten points. Peter Frissell took second and John Dane III rounded out the podium in third.

The West Marine US Open Sailing Series continues in Clearwater Feb. 3-6. Competitors in the ILCA 6, ILCA 7, Nacra 15, iQFoil, Formula Kite will go head-to-head in the last Series stop before the West Coast regattas. Clearwater is one of a two-part qualifying series for Youth Worlds in the ILCA 6, Nacra 15 and iQFoil classes. Registration is still open: https://ocr.ussailing.org/florida-ocrs/

West Marine US Open Series Heads to Miami

Catherine ShanahanJanuary 20, 2022Comments OffHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured

MIAMI, FL (January 20) – The second stop West Marine US Open Sailing Series opens this weekend, January 21-23, at US Sailing Center Miami. Current and former Olympic class boats will be on display, including 49er, 49erFX, Open 470, Nacra 17, iQFoil, Open Windfoil, and Finn. 58 sailors from six countries will be represented across the seven classes.

Miami is the longest standing Olympic-class regatta in the country and an important stop on the Olympic-class circuit. Over the years, event organizers have collaborated with US Sailing to host international regattas such as Miami Olympic Class Regatta (OCR) and World Cup Series Miami.

This year, sailors from the United States competing in Olympic classes will be eligible for prize money over the three Florida and three California events; a first in US Sailing history. Athletes are awarded for $1000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third.

The US Open Sailing Series is a set of six Olympic class regattas at popular sailing venues across Florida and California. The Series serves as a domestic training platform and provides solid annual racing opportunities for prospective Olympic-bound athletes.

Follow the Racing:

Regatta News & Coverage: Visit the official West Marine US Open Sailing Series site for news, results & standings, photos & videos, and regatta information.
Social Media: Follow US Sailing and the US Sailing Team on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for news and highlights from the racecourse.
Join the Conversation: Use hashtag – #USOpenSailing in your social media posts.
Entry List: Click here to find out who is racing this week.
Racing Specifics: The first warning signal for racing each day is 1100 hours (11am ET).

Each regatta will follow local guidance and ordinances regarding COVID protocols. Protocols are to be followed by competitors, race officials and event attendees. The health and safety of athletes, race officials and volunteers is US Sailing’s number one priority.

McCann, Meek, and Casellas Take First at West Marine US Open Sailing Series Ft. Lauderdale

Catherine ShanahanJanuary 17, 2022Comments OffHome Page Articles, Newsroom

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (January 17) – The first event of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series wrapped today, completing six races in a wide range of conditions. Lauderdale Yacht Club welcomed 135 sailors in the three ILCA classes – ILCA 4, 6, and 7.

Only two races sailed on Sunday after a morning postponement due to light winds. Racing was then cancelled on Sunday due to a squall line passing through the area. Monday’s racing saw a 12-17 knot shifty shore breeze.

Roger Casellas (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), winner of the ILCA 4 fleet, had a banner event, winning his division by 17 points with a score line of 2-1-3-1-3 (9). Isabella Mendoza Cabezas (Key Biscayne, FL) took second and Alfonso Lanseros (Key Biscayne, FL) came in third.

Winner of the ILCA 6 fleet, Robby Meek (Annapolis, MD), started off strong on Saturday with a 1-2 score line. After a mid-fleet race to begin Monday, he was able to grind back and secure first place overall. US Sailing Team ODP sailors Christina Sakellaris (Milton, MA) and Charlotte Rose (Houston, TX) took second and third, respectively.

“The conditions were super tricky, but I’m happy with my results,” said Meek. “I was glad that we were able to get four good races off in the breeze today.”

Marshall McCann (Miami, FL), a member of the US Sailing Team ODP, took first place in the ILCA 7 fleet after a weekend of tight racing at the top of the pack. Tom Ramshaw (Toronto, Can.) took second and Leo Boucher (Annapolis, MD) took third.

“The fleet was so close it wasn’t until the last race that I knew I was in contention for first place,” said McCann. “I went out, sailed my own race, and kept it simple.”

As podium finishing American sailors in Olympic Classes, Meek, McCann, Boucher, Rose and Sakellaris were awarded prize grants – $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third.

“It’s great to see some of the best sailors in the country, but it’s even better to see the developing sailors who were yesterday’s Optimists champions realizing how much more of a path lies ahead,” said Regatta Co-Chair Bob Meagher. “We’re happy that US Sailing and West Marine continue to make that path easier for them with the Series events.”

The series continues this month with the West Marine US Open Sailing Series Miami, featuring many of the Olympic Classes, including the 49er, Nacra 17, and 470; and the WMUSOSS Clearwater, featuring formula Kites, iQFoil and the ILCA classes.

Photos from the event can be found online and accessed with the password “WMUSOSS.”

About the West Marine US Open Sailing Series

The West Marine US Open Sailing Series serves as a domestic training platform and provides solid annual racing opportunities for prospective Olympic-bound athletes and one design racers.

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.

About West Marine

For more than 50 years, West Marine has been the premier retailer of boating, fishing, sailing and paddling gear. With 236 stores located in 38 states and Puerto Rico and an eCommerce website reaching domestic, international and professional customers, West Marine is recognized as a leading resource for cruisers, sailors, anglers and paddlesports enthusiasts. West Marine crew members share the same love for the water as our customers and provide helpful advice on the gear and gadgets they need to be safe and have fun.

2022 West Marine US Open Sailing Series Kicks Off in Ft. Lauderdale

Catherine ShanahanJanuary 14, 2022Comments OffHome Page Articles, Newsroom

US Sailing and Lauderdale Yacht Club will welcome 133 competitors in the ILCA classes January 15 -17 for the first stop on the 2022 West Marine US Open Sailing Series. First sailed in 2021, the series was created to fill the demand for a high-level domestic training platform geared towards prospective Olympic hopefuls.

The Lauderdale event features sailors from North America and the Caribbean, with six countries represented including the United States – the US Virgin Islands, Canada, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and the Cayman Islands will bring their all this weekend.

“We are so excited to have the ILCA class back at Lauderdale Yacht Club for the second West Marine US Open Series,” said Commodore Stephanie Toothaker. “LYC has hosted numerous Olympic class regattas in the past and look forward to making this another successful event.”

Among the registrants are many top finishers from the 2021 Orange Bowl Youth Regatta, like Robby Meek of Annapolis, MD who finished first overall in the ILCA 6 class; and Guthrie Braun, of St. Petersburg, FL, third in the ILCA 7 class.

Top US Sailing Team and Olympic Development athletes will be competing in Fort Lauderdale. Charlotte Rose, a member of the ILCA 6 (Radial) squad and Leo Boucher of the ILCA 7 (Full) are competing in the event fresh off the Jr. Pan Am Games and the team’s first training camp of 2022.

The Canadian Olympic team will also be represented this weekend by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Sarah Douglass, who is competing in the ILCA 6 class. Douglass placed sixth at the games in the Laser Radial.

New this year, sailors from the United States competing in Olympic classes will be eligible for prize money over the three Florida and three California events. Athletes will vie for $1000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third.

Follow the Racing: 

Regatta News & Coverage: Visit the official West Marine US Open Sailing Series site for news, results & standings, photos & videos, and regatta information. 
Social Media: Follow US Sailing and the US Sailing Team on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for news and highlights from the racecourse. 
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 ILCA events. 
Racing Specifics: The racing area shall be in the Atlantic Ocean approximately one mile north or south of the Port Everglades Channel Entrance. The first warning signal for racing each day is 1100 hours (11am ET).