Day 3: Sailors Race Hard on Saturday, Look Ahead to Sunday’s Finale

January 23, 2021Comments Off on Day 3: Sailors Race Hard on Saturday, Look Ahead to Sunday’s FinaleHome Page Articles, Home Page Featured, Newsroom

Riley Gibbs and Anna Weis (USA) on Day 3 at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Miami. Photo by Allison Chenard.

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KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (January 23, 2021) – True to form this week, the afternoon breeze showed up on time on Biscayne Bay as sailors raced for positioning on Saturday at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Miami. The regatta comes to a close on Sunday.

The Nacra 17 fleet owned the bay early this afternoon. The catamarans started racing just after 2pm ET and completed three races before the other fleets hit the course. The Nacras raced in 6-10 knots with some choppy conditions. The 49er, 49erFX, and Mixed 470 also finished three more races in later afternoon sailing that started after 3pm ET.

Samuel Albrecht and Gabriela Nicolino (BRA) extended their lead from six to eight after another strong day on the water that featured two more wins in the Nacra 17 fleet. Currently in second place is Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) and Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Ravi Parent (Bradenton, Fla.) and David Liebenberg (Richmond, Calif.) were the top performing American team of the day. They posted an impressive 2-1-3 scoring line.

Prior to racing, Gibbs and Weis spoke about how eager he and Weis were to get out on the water in a regatta setting this week. “We have not raced since March and it feels a bit new again, but we are happy to be back out on the racecourse. We are focused on our development and the continuation of our communication on the boat, so now is the right time to practice that.”

“It’s nice to take what we have been working on in our training and apply it to a race setting,” added Weis.

Carson Crain (Houston, Texas) and Caroline Atwood (Clinton, Conn.) are also racing together this week in the Nacra 17.

“I was drawn to the Nacra 17 because I really enjoy foiling,” said Crain. “Caroline and I are excited to be able to go around the racecourse with these teams. It’s great training and a great way to check-in to see how other teams are setting up their boats and how they race.”

Nevin Snow (San Diego, Calif.) and Dane Wilson (Ojai, Calif.) are red hot with seven consecutive wins to pace the 49er fleet, including three more bullets on Saturday. Ian Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.) placed second in all three races today and the trail by seven points going into Sunday.

The 49erFX continues to be one of the most competitive fleets this week. Stephan Baker (Miami, Fla.) and Nicholas Hardy (Newton, Mass.) regained their lead after great results on Sunday, which featured three consecutive wins, to take a seven point lead over Lucy Wilmot (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).

Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Ithaca, N.Y.)  continue to lead the 470 fleet. Mixed teams Louisa Nordstrom (Osprey, Fla.) and Trevor Bornarth (Stuart, Fla.), and Michelle Lahrkamp (Rye, N.Y.) and Jack Parkin (Riverside, Conn.) continue to keep at a high level. Lahrkamp and Parkin finished the day with a win in Race 8.

Early morning start times are planned for Sunday’s final day of racing.

 

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Ravi Parent and David Liebenberg (USA) on Day 3 at 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing – Miami. Photo by Allison Chenard.

The Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation is serving as the Organizing Authority for this event. Racing continues through Sunday, January 24.

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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