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

July 6, 2021Comments Off on Long Beach is Next Up at West Marine US Open Sailing SeriesHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

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  

Final Recap: Champions in Five Classes Decided on Sunday at West Marine US Open Sailing Series – San Diego

June 13, 2021Comments Off on Final Recap: Champions in Five Classes Decided on Sunday at West Marine US Open Sailing Series – San DiegoHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

 

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Final Standings

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (June 13, 2021) – It was a mad dash to the finish in champagne conditions on Sunday at the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series – San Diego. Top athletes competing in the ILCA 7 (Laser), ILCA 6 (Laser Radial), ILCA 4 (Laser 4.7), Finn, and 29er events this week raced over two days this weekend at the launch for the West Coast tour of the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series.

Sailors raced in moderate breeze, 10 to 12 knots, under sunny skies for most of Sunday. Sailors on both courses experienced swells with choppy conditions and three to four foot waves rolling through. The wind held steady on the right side of the course for most of the day.

The young and talented ILCA 7 (Laser) fleet featuring 18 sailors included action-packed and close racing throughout the weekend. Leo Boucher (Annapolis, Md.) closed out a successful regatta on Sunday with another strong performance. After posting 1-2-2-1 results on Saturday, he remained consistent on Sunday with scores of 2-2-[5]. Boucher edged Ford McCann (Kemah, Texas) by two points. McCann won three races in the regatta including the final race of the event to pull within two points of the lead. Connor Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) took home third place honors. The win for Boucher marks his second West Marine US Open title of 2021. He also won last February in Clearwater.

“We had more pressure and breeze today which put more sailors in play at the top, so it was super competitive,” added Boucher.

Thomas Kraak (Palos Verdes Estate, Calif.) won first place overall in the ILCA 6 (Radial) fleet, while Katharine Doble (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) was the top performing female sailor in the fleet and second overall. Kraak sailed fast on Sunday with a 1-3-2 scoring line to win by four points. Doble had a strong regatta this weekend after jumping out to an early lead on Saturday by winning two of the first three races of the event.

“I had some great moments this week, especially yesterday with the starts,” said Doble. “We had a couple of pin favorite starts and I was pleased with how they went for me. I made a good decision on the first beat, and I think that was really important to break out from the fleet and then have all the options.”

“It’s great to have the series come here in California,” she added. “Being able to compete against such a talented fleet in San Diego is a great way for me to train without having to travel too far.”

The Finn class had a race thrown out from Saturday due to a drifting mark and made up that race on Sunday. They had ample breeze on Sunday and sailors were allowed to pump and rock the boats around the course. In the end it was Rob Coutts (La Jolla, Calif.) who just edged AJ Nosar (Long Beach, Calif.) in a tiebreaker to take home first place. Coutts won two races this weekend including the final race of the regatta to win the championship. Nosar was second in Race 6. James Buley (San Diego, Calif.) placed third overall, just one point off the lead.

Sammie Gardner and Alice Schmid (San Diego, Calif.) continued their dominance in the 29er fleet on Sunday. The duo capped off a successful regatta with another strong day on the water. They won four of the seven races this week and won the championship by two points over Anton Schmid and Peter Joslin (San Diego, Calif.) who were close behind. Kelly Holthus and Jon Seawards (La Jolla, Calif.) finished third.

“The highlight of the weekend for us was being able to go out in the ocean with waves and practice surfing, especially since we had such great wind today,” said Alice Schmid. “It helps us get a better feel for racing in different conditions. We’re stoked that we won. It came down to the last race and was very close.”

Oscar Parzen (San Diego, Calif.) led the pack in the ILCA 4 (4.7) fleet and won by six points over Talia Hamlin. Parzen won four of seven races this weekend.

Event News and Social Media:


Event Media Contacts:
Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications
jakefish@ussailing.org    

Casey Coffin, SDYC Communications
casey@sdyc.org  

Day 1: California Tour Gets Underway at West Marine US Open Sailing Series

June 12, 2021Comments Off on Day 1: California Tour Gets Underway at West Marine US Open Sailing SeriesHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego. Photo by Ellinor Walters.

by Casey Coffin

West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego. Photo by Simone Staff.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (June 12, 2021) – The West Coast tour of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series kicked off on Saturday in full San Diego sunshine. With only two days of racing, stakes were high on Day 1 for a mix of young Olympic hopefuls and experienced sailors.

The 29ers and the Finns set out this morning for Course A while the ILCA 7 (Laser), ILCA 6 (Laser Radial) and ILCA 4 (Laser 4.7) ventured slightly further and took on Course B. The breeze stuck around 8-10 knots with some puffs and favored the left side for most of the day, an unlikely occurrence in San Diego. All of the classes sailed four races today.

The ILCA 7 class was dominated by Leo Boucher. After three races, Boucher took the lead by six points over Ford McCann with a 1-2-2-1 scoring line on the day. All three of the current top standings are participating in the series as part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP).

The ILCA 4 was the smallest fleet on the water today with five boats on the starting line. Oscar Parzen beat Kousei Hatter by only two points, finishing with seven overall in the current standings and winning two of the four races. With such light winds, Parzen found it challenging to move quickly, but sailed smart and stayed consistent in the results.

“The first race was pretty important,” said Parzen. “In most regattas, it is, because you don’t know a lot about the conditions and the fleet, and it sets your mental attitude for the rest of the day. I’m planning on going out there early again tomorrow to practice like I did today.”

Parzen is currently training for the ILCA 4 National Championships in Norfolk, Virginia in two weeks. “My goal overall in sailing is to just have a really good time.”

The top 10 sailors of the Radial fleet experienced a really fair game with a variety of scoring and results across the fleet. Katherine Doble finished day one with two bullets in three races, earning herself the first place spot on the standings.

“The courses were well set and long,” said Doble. “A big priority for me was getting off the start well. I have good speed in these conditions, being from California, but if you have a good start, it makes the other decisions come easier. To get off on the right foot in race one was an important way to start the day and the regatta.”

She continued, “I’m really excited that the US Open Sailing Series has come to the west coast. It’s great to have such talent come right here and get to race against them in the conditions that we have here on the west coast in the summer.”

Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Robert Kinney finished first in the Finn Fleet, two points ahead of James Buley in second and four points ahead of AJ Nosar in third. The fleet sailed four races.

In the 29ers fleet, Samantha Gardner and Alice Schmid were a force to be reckoned with. The duo spoke at an in-store event with fans on Friday night at West Marine – San Diego alongside two-time Olympic medalist and San Diego Yacht Club mentor JJ Fetter. Fetter checked in with them on the water, where they explained they were working on finding their rhythm and climbing back up after a rough start on race one.

Paul Cayard, Executive Director of the US Sailing Team, made an appearance on the West Marine Coaches Corner this morning. With Los Angeles 2028 in the future, Cayard emphasized how crucial a domestic platform like the West Marine US Open Sailing Series really is.

“Building a domestic platform in the United States is fundamental to us being the strongest team in the world. Having 70 to 80 sailors racing against each other six times a year in the US, heading towards Los Angeles 2028 when we’re sure a lot of international sailors will also participate in these regattas, is a fantastic opportunity and a fundamental building block in making the USA the strongest country in the world in sailing,” said Cayard.

 

 

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West Marine US Open Sailing Series Begins Summer Tour in San Diego

June 10, 2021Comments Off on West Marine US Open Sailing Series Begins Summer Tour in San DiegoHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

Top Young Sailors to Compete in San Diego 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (June 10, 2021) – 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 US Sailing racing series resumes this weekend in sunny San Diego, a historically popular sailing location with Olympic sailing roots.  

West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego is hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club and Southwestern Yacht Club on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13. The San Diego event is the first of three stops in California as part of the series. Following the stop in San Diego, the series heads North with events in Long Beach in July and San Francisco in August.  

“We are excited to continue the series as the summer tour in California gets underway this weekend in San Diego,” said Leandro Spina, Olympic Development Director at US Sailing. “It’s great to be working closely with local sailing community here in San Diego who are committed to Olympic sailing. There is a collection of good, young athletes from the Olympic Development Program and also from the local community who are competing in the series.” 

Racing Details: 

  • Racing Days: Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13 
  • Sailing Venue: San Diego South Bay and the Pacific Ocean course off Point Loma in San Diego. 
  • Racing Classes: ILCA 7 (Laser Standard); ILCA 6 (Laser Radial); ILCA (Laser 4.7); Finn; 29er 

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“We have been running Olympic-class regattas like this for years, and we welcome the collaboration with US Sailing,” said Susi Graf, Regatta Chair at the San Diego Yacht Club. “As part of the West Marine US Open Sailing Series we are benefiting from the overall organization of the series in many ways: sponsorships, marketing, technical expertise, equipment and more. Going forward, our event will just get bigger and better as we all work together towards the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.” 

MarkSetBot, a revolutionary new race committee tool that increases the accuracy and efficiency of mark setting, is a supporting sponsor for the three West Marine US Open Sailing Series events in California. They are providing MarkSetBot devices for all three of these events. 

 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series events in California:  

  • June 12-13: San Diego, California
    San Diego Yacht Club / Southwestern 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 – Registration Coming Soon!
    St. Francis Yacht Club / Treasure Island Sailing Center / San Francisco Yacht Club  

Registration is open for sailors interested in competing at West Marine US Open Sailing Series events in San Diego and Long Beach. Click here to register.  

  • San Diego: Registration period closes Thursday, June 10.  
  • Long Beach: Registration period closes Saturday, July 10.  
  • Registration for West Marine US Open Sailing – San Francisco will likely open in June. 

Join us for a Panel Discussion with Sailing Olympians and Olympic Hopefuls: 

As we kick off the West Marine US Open Sailing Series in California, we invite you to join us in a panel discussion with sailing Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.  

Join San Diego’s JJ Fetter and athletes at West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego where they will share their stories and answer questions from the attending audience. 

Fetter is a two-time Olympic medalist and four-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award winner. Samantha Gardner and Alice Schmid are competing at West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego and Diego Escobar is coming off the pre-US Open Olympic Development Camp. 

Meet the Panelists: 

  • JJ Fetter (San Diego, Calif.) – Two-time Olympic Medalist 
  • Samantha Gardner & Alice Schmid (San Diego Yacht Club) – 29er Team 
  • Diego Escobar (Mission Bay Yacht Club) – ILCA (Laser) Sailor 

Event Details: 

  • Friday, June 11, 2021 at 5:30 pm PDT / 8:30 pm EDT 
  • Location:
    West Marine San Diego
    1250 Rosecrans
    San Diego, CA 92106 

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.   

Event Media Contacts:
Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications
jakefish@ussailing.org    

Casey Coffin, SDYC Communications
casey@sdyc.org  

 

Olympian JJ Fetter Joins Discussion Panel at West Marine US Open Sailing Series in San Diego

June 7, 2021Comments Off on Olympian JJ Fetter Joins Discussion Panel at West Marine US Open Sailing Series in San DiegoHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

Diego Escobar (right)

Join us for a Panel Discussion with Sailing Olympians and Olympic Hopefuls

Click to Register for Free 

As we kick off the West Marine US Open Sailing Series in California, we invite you to join us in a panel discussion with sailing Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. 

Join San Diego’s JJ Fetter and athletes at West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego where they will share their stories and answer questions from the attending audience.

Fetter is a two-time Olympic medalist and four-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award winner. Samantha Gardner and Alice Schmid are competing at West Marine US Open Sailing – San Diego and Diego Escobar is coming off the pre-US Open Olympic Development Camp.

This is a limited seating event, so sign-up today! 

Panelists:

  • JJ Fetter (San Diego, Calif.): Two-time Olympic Medalist
  • Samantha Gardner & Alice Schmid (San Diego Yacht Club) – 29er Team
  • Diego Escobar (Mission Bay Yacht Club) – ILCA (Laser) Sailor

Event Details:

  • Dates: Friday, June 11, 2021 at 5:30 pm PDT / 8:30 pm EDT
  • Location:  
    West Marine San Diego
    1250 Rosecrans
    San Diego, CA 92106 
  • Click to Register for Free 

Register to Compete at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series Events in San Diego and Long Beach

May 13, 2021Comments Off on Register to Compete at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series Events in San Diego and Long BeachHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series

Click Here to Register 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (May 13, 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 gets underway this summer at major sailing venues including San Diego, Long Beach, and San Francisco.  

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series events in California: 

  • June 12-13: San Diego, California
    San Diego Yacht Club / Southwestern 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 – Registration Coming Soon!
    St. Francis Yacht Club / Treasure Island Sailing Center / San Francisco Yacht Club 

Registration is open for sailors interested in competing at West Marine US Open Sailing Series events in San Diego and Long Beach. Click here to register 

  • San Diego: Registration period closes Thursday, June 10. 
  • Long Beach: Registration period closes Saturday, July 10. 
  • Registration for West Marine US Open Sailing – San Francisco will likely open in June 2021. 

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. 

Click Here to Register 

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

Day 4 Final Report: Racing Heats up in Clearwater Final

February 7, 2021Comments Off on Day 4 Final Report: Racing Heats up in Clearwater FinalHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing/Ellinor Walters. Pictured – Evan Heffernan (USA)

 

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (February 7, 2021) – Yes, it is Super Bowl Sunday, and the greater Tampa/St. Pete area is consumed by national and local media attention and fanfare for the big game. Only 25 miles west of Raymond James Stadium, another major championship was on the line for the sailors competing on the final day of racing at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater, the third and final Florida tour stop in the new six event series.

Sunday was also a big wind, big wave, and big wet kind of day as sailors and kiters ripped through the racecourse. They raced in 14 to 16 knots and gusts in the mid-20s.

The Foiling Kites notched three more races on Sunday for 18 total and it was a mad dash to the top of the podium between Evan Heffernan (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Kai Calder (Alameda, Calif.). Heffernan had a lead entering Sunday, but Calder posted a pair of wins to take the lead entering the final race.

“Going into the final race of the day I was two points behind,” said Heffernan. “The final race was a tough one, but I had a few people between me and Kai, and I was able to pull off the win. It’s been tight racing all week.”

Heffernan also discussed the important decisions he had to make about his gear and equipment this week. “Changing out my kite and taking the loss and missing the first race allowed me to be set up for the final two races of the day, even though I might have been behind. Weather is such a big factor and being set up with the right gear will make a big difference.”

He spoke about the top Foiling Kite sailors training in Florida this winter. “For the past two weeks we’ve been out here training together with the support of ODP and US Sailing and it’s been really cool to see everyone working as one, analyzing all the data, and seeing where we are making gains.”

Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, Fla.) had a tremendous regatta through the first two days before sustaining an injury and could not compete in the final two days of the regatta. Edegran had a six-point lead through 11 races in the Foiling Kites fleet.

Daniela Moroz (Lafayette, Fla.) finished the regatta in sixth overall as the only women’s competitor in the fleet. She was second in the last race of the day and she posted nine top five results this week. Noah Runciman (La Porte, Texas) rounded out the podium with a third-place finish overall.

Hometown sailor and Olympian Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) won the women’s division in the Laser Radial fleet after another exciting duel with Sarah Douglas (Toronto, CAN). Railey posted a 3-4 on Sunday which was good enough to edge Douglas by one point. Douglas made a push on Sunday by winning Race 10 and placing second in Race 11. These two training partners competed closely at West Marine US Open Sailing – Fort Lauderdale with Douglas earning the win in January.

“I was pretty consistent and not very risky at all, so I think that is what set my scores apart from the others,” said Railey. “I had really good downwinds as well and that saved me a lot of points. The waves were perfect, and we got some nice swell with some chop, so two different directions with the waves. You round the windward mark, and you can just rip downwind. I thought that was pretty fun. It made all the hiking we did upwind worth it.”

Chapman Petersen (Fontana, Wis.) took home the overall title in the Laser Radials with 19 points through 11 races. He won five races this week and never placed worse than seventh. Peterson also won the Laser Radial fleet at West Marine US Open Sailing – Fort Lauderdale.

Leo Boucher (West River, Md.) held back a hard charging Marshall McCann (Kemah, Texas) to win the Laser fleet by six points. Boucher had a 17-point advantage heading into Sunday’s final set of races. McCann and Boucher alternated first and second place finishes in Sunday’s two races. Boucher won four races this week and finished in the top three in all 11. Connor Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) took third place honors in the fleet and finished just 11 points behind Boucher. By contrast, at West Marine US Open Sailing – Fort Lauderdale, Boucher was 10th, McCann was ninth, and Nelson was eighth.

“We got a little bit of everything from the weather and conditions this week,” said Boucher. “Towards the end of the regatta the racing got a lot closer and it was a lot of fun.”

Anna Vasilieva (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) wrapped up an impressive four days on the water by placing second and first in Sunday’s two races in the Laser 4.7 fleet. She won 10 of 11 races to earn a 15-point win. Evan Wern (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was the top male sailor in the fleet and second overall. Oscar Parzen (San Diego, Calif.) finished third. The win marks an improvement for Vasilieva who placed fourth at West Marine US Open Sailing – Fort Lauderdale.

The iQFoil fleets conducted an hour-long marathon race beginning at about 12:30 pm ET. In the Men’s fleet, Mateus Isaac (Sao Paulo, BRA) put the finishing touches on a perfect week by winning all 15 races to take the title. Adrien Gaillard (MEX) was second and Alexander Temko (Palm Harbor, Fla.) was the top performing American in third place. Temko posted 10 top five finishes this week.

Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon (MEX) won the Open iQFoil fleet by 11 points over Giovanna Prada (BRA) who won today’s race. She was followed by Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) who was third in today’s race and third overall for the regatta. She posted eight top three finishes.

The Organizing Authorities for this 2021 US Open Sailing Series regatta are Clearwater Yacht Club, Clearwater Community Sailing Center, Tampa Bay Charities, and Sail Life. We thank the City of Clearwater and the City of St. Petersburg for their support to host this event both in 2021 and 2022.

On 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.

The first two events of the 2021 series took place in January at venues in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The series resumes in San Diego this June for the start of three events in California, including Long Beach in July and San Francisco in August.

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.

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2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing/Ellinor Walters.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications
jakefish@ussailing.org

Allison Chenard, US Sailing Team Communications
allisonchenard@ussailing.org

Day 3: Sailors Set the Stage for Sunday

February 6, 2021Comments Off on Day 3: Sailors Set the Stage for SundayHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing Team/Allison Chenard.

 

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (February 6, 2021) – Sailors experienced another day of various conditions and new challenges on the water at Day 3 of 2021 West Marine US Open – Clearwater. Sunday marks the final day of racing at the regatta featuring 90 sailors in six classes.

The Open and Men’s iQFoil fleets enjoyed a physical day on the water in the conditions. The men completed six more races and the Open fleet totaled five races on Saturday. They raced a slalom course in 8 to 12 knots with light swell.

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing Team/Allison Chenard. Pictured – Farrah Hall (USA)

In the Men’s fleet, Mateus Isaac (Sao Paulo, BRA) continues his hot streak with 14 consecutive wins to remain perfect for the regatta. He holds a 21-point lead over Adrien Gaillard (MEX). Alexander Temko (Palm Harbor, Fla.) is the top American in third place. Temko has seven top three finishes, including three on Saturday.

Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon (MEX) won the first 11 races of the regatta until Race 12 where she placed third. This currently stands as her throw-out score after winning Race 13. She has an 11-point lead over Giovanna Prada (BRA) who Race 12 on Saturday. Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) remains the top American in third place. She has seven top three finishes this week.

Donna Sue Marks, Deputy Race Officer for the kites and boards this week has been running races with kites for six years. “We’ve seen the progression of the U.S. sailors and it gets better every year. I was at the US Open in Miami with the iQFoils and we didn’t have the conditions we had today. The sailors who were in Miami and are now in Clearwater got to experience better conditions. We are watching how the equipment is performing so we can report back to the class.”

The leaderboard got real tight in the Foiling Kites class in late afternoon racing. Passing showers and light breeze kept the kites grounded for the earlier part of the day. Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, Fla.) had a six-point leader over Evan Heffernan (Santa Barbara, Calif.) after Friday’s races. Edegran did not compete on Saturday due to an injury. Heffernan posted 1-2-2-3 scores to take over the lead. Cai Calder (Alameda, Calif.) bounced back after a DNC in Saturday’s first race, with three straight wins in Races 13, 14, and 15. Calder is in second place and two points behind.

US Sailing Team Coach, Charlie McKee, is impressed with the competition and fascinated by the kites this week. “These kites are up on hydrofoils so the speeds that they are sailing at are very high. Despite how fast they are going they are so efficient and use tacking and gybing very little. It’s a great combination of really difficult technical skills, speed, and also tactics and strategy. It is amazing how close the racing is. The top three are typically finishing within five seconds of each other.”

All eyes are on the Laser Radial fleet as Chapman Petersen (Fontana, Wis.) continues to post strong scores through another three races. He leads overall by 11 points after a 2-6-2 on Saturday. The top women’s performer is Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) who is second overall. She leads Isabella Maegli Aguero (GUA) by 16 points. Aguero, Sarah Douglas (Toronto, CAN), and Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) each won a race on Saturday.

Leo Boucher (West River, Md.) posted a 2-3-3 scoring line and has a 17-point advantage heading into Sunday’s final set of races. Marshall McCann (Kemah, Texas), Charles Anderson (West River, Md.), and Humberto Porrata (North Palm Beach, Fla.) each posted wins on Saturday.

Anna Vasilieva (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) continues her hold over the Laser 4.7 fleet with three more wins on Saturday to remain perfect over nine races. Evan Wern (St. Petersburg, Fla.) is the top male sailor in the fleet and is in second overall.

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.

Follow the Racing:

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications
jakefish@ussailing.org

Allison Chenard, US Sailing Team Communications
allisonchenard@ussailing.org

Day 2: Sailors, Kiters Rip it up in the Gulf

February 5, 2021Comments Off on Day 2: Sailors, Kiters Rip it up in the GulfHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing Team/Allison Chenard.

 

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (February 5, 2021) – The action on the water picked up on Friday right where they left off from Thursday’s first set of races in the Gulf. For some classes, Day 2 of 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater featured stronger winds than any other US Open event in 2021. This proposed new challenges and thrilling races for much of the day.

The Foiling Kites have now totaled 11 races after logging another six on Friday. The conditions were very good for the kiters this morning at 15-17 knots, with puffs reaching 25 knots. The left side of course was especially difficult to contend with due to the buildings on shore making it hard to complete tacks and gybes from the pressure differences.

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing/Ellinor Walters.

Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, Fla.) put some separation between himself and the rest of the fleet after close racing on Thursday. He leads by six points over Evan Heffernan (Santa Barbara, Calif.). Edegran has yet to place worse than third place and has won six of 11 races.

“We had good breeze and we were able to downsize our kites and get rippin’ pretty good close to shore,” said Edegran. “Definitely tricky with offshore breeze but good fun out there.”

“This event provides a good start to domestic racing that we’ve been lacking for the last couple years. It will be good to have a set schedule in the U.S. where all the top guys will come together. We are all happy to be here joining the Olympic classes going forward,” continued Edgran.

Daniela Moroz (Lafayette, Calif.) is the only women’s kiter in the fleet and maintained her fourth-place position.

“I’m the only girl in the fleet right now, so the boys are keeping me on my toes,” said Moroz. “Markus and Evan have been super-fast. It was pretty hectic out there today. It was super gnarly, really gusty, and a lot of big wipe-outs coming from the Kite fleet, but it was a lot of fun, and everyone is super stoked to be racing.”

“I can see this being a very good racing and training venue here in Clearwater,” added Moroz. “It’s good training for international events and it’s good training and competition for U.S. sailors here as we look ahead to our Olympic campaigns for the 2024 Games. I’m definitely planning on coming back next year.”

The ultra-packed Laser Radial fleet continues to entertain. The top five sailors in the fleet through six races are Chapman Petersen (Fontana, Wis.), Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), Sarah Douglas (Toronto, CAN), Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas), and Lillian Myers (Sarasota, Fla.). Petersen held to his lead from Thursday after winning the last two races of the day to take a five-point lead.

Rose is in fourth place and had this to say about today’s sailing. “The conditions we sailed in today were some of the best conditions I’ve ever sailed in. I felt really good in the boat today and I had good speed.”

Rose also spoke about her training and focus this week. “The ODP [Olympic Development Program] girls have been working on our hiking and Coach Steve [Mitchell] has been pushing us to do upwind sprints, so I was working on that today.”

The three Laser fleets tallied three more races for six total. The Lasers raced further offshore than the other fleets. After taking a one-point lead through three races Thursday, Leo Boucher (West River, Md.) expanded his lead to 12 following another strong day on the course. Robert Hallawell (Jensen Beach, Fla.) is in second place.

Anna Vasilieva (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) remains undefeated in the Laser 4.7 fleet through six races after winning three more on Friday. She owns a 10-point lead at the midway point of the regatta.

The iQFoil Open fleets continues to be led by Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon (MEX) who has won all eight races. Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) is the top American in third place and 10-points back. Giovanna Prada (BRA) is in second place.

Mateus Isaac (Sao Paulo, BRA) is eight for eight in the iQFoil Men’s fleet and has an 11-point lead over Noah Lyons (Clearwater, Fla.) who is in third place and the top American. Adrien Gaillard (MEX) is in second place.

Follow the Racing:

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 CONTACTS:

Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications
jakefish@ussailing.org

Allison Chenard, US Sailing Team Communications
allisonchenard@ussailing.org

Day 1: Good Start for Lasers, Kites, and Foils in Clearwater

February 4, 2021Comments Off on Day 1: Good Start for Lasers, Kites, and Foils in ClearwaterHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing Team / Allison Chenard.

 

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CLEARWATER, Fla. (February 4, 2021) – The Gulf of Mexico offered new challenges for the sailors racing today at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. The first two events of the new series in Fort Lauderdale and Miami were contested in the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the sailors who raced in one of those events made the short trip across the state to be here this week in Clearwater.

US Sailing Team Laser Radial Coach, Steve Mitchell, is optimistic about the sailing conditions this week in Clearwater. “We’ve had some cold fronts come in over the past couple of days, which has brought fantastic winds for training. We had an offshore easterly today as the front moved past us, which is tricky. The wind will come from the south and start to build over the next few days, and that should provide some great racing this week. It’s going to be a great event. We’ve got sailors from all over the country and all over the world here.”

Despite light conditions this morning, all five classes completed racing this afternoon. The Foiling Kites completed five races, the Lasers finished three races, and the iQFoils posted two races on Thursday. The  three Laser fleets started racing just after 11 am in 5-7 knots with very few puffs and flat water. The breeze changed direction significantly and the racecourse was re-located for the second race to take advantage of the breeze coming in from the west, where they found ample wind at 11-13 knots. The Foiling Kites raced in the early afternoon after a postponement and the iQFoils contested all of their racing later in the afternoon.

The Foiling Kites were the busiest fleet of the day and through five races the leaderboard is very close. Only seven points separates the top four kiters. Markus Edegran (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Evan Heffernan (Santa Barbara, Calif.) are at the top of the fleet with six points. Daniela Moroz (Lafayette, Calif.) is the top women’s kiter with 13 points and in fourth place overall.

Lou Boucher (West River, Md.) jumped out of the gate with an early one point lead through three races in the Laser fleet. He won the first two races of the regatta today. Boucher placed 10th at US Open Fort Lauderdale last month.

Anna Vasilieva (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) took an early lead in the Laser 4.7 fleet with three straight wins. Vasilieva placed fourth overall and was the top women’s sailor in the 4.7 fleet at US Open Fort Lauderdale.

Chapman Petersen (Fontana, Wis.) paced the Laser Radial fleet in Fort Lauderdale and won the overall title. He is back at the US Open this week in Clearwater and looking put together another strong performance against elite competition from both the men and women sailors in the fleet. The Laser Radial fleet this week includes Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) and Sarah Douglas (Toronto, CAN). Petersen, Railey, and Douglas are at the top of the leaderboard through three races.

The iQFoil fleet in Miami only competed one race. Mateus Isaac (Sao Paulo, BRA) won that race and he won both races today in the men’s fleet. Mariana Aguilar Chavez Peon (MEX) won both races in the Open fleet. Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) is four points back in third place.

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Clearwater. Photo by US Sailing/Ellinor Walters. Pictured – Demita Vega De Lille (MEX)

Follow the Racing:

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 CONTACTS:

Jake Fish, US Sailing Communications
jakefish@ussailing.org

Allison Chenard, US Sailing Team Communications
allisonchenard@ussailing.org

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