RSX sailors qualify for Toronto 2015

by Sail Canada on 21 Jan 2015 The high performance sailing season is in full swing with action heating up across the sunny state of Florida. The 2015 Miami Midwinters and North Americans were hosted by the Coconut Grove Sailing Club including the 470’s, 49ers, FX, Nacra’s and RSX fleets.

While most sailors are using the event as a warmup to next week’s World Cup event, Canadian RSX sailors were vying for Pan Am qualification. 3-time Olympian Nikola Girke hopped back on her RSX board after a 2-year hiatus to tie for eighth overall and secure a spot for Pan Am Games. Nikola retired from the RSX class following her 10th place finish at the 2012 London Olympics and teamed up with 470 sailor Luke Ramsay to campaign for Rio 2016 in the new Olympic boat, the Nacra 17.

Zac Plavsic, returning from a string of injuries last season, put together a solid performance in the mens’ division placing eighth and also securing a 2015 Pan Am berth. Plavsic placed eighth overall at the 2012 London Olympics in the RSX class. The 2015 Pan Am Games will take place this July on home soil in Toronto and surrounding area.

Canadian 470 Saunders team secured the 470 North American title in 16th place overall. first place went to Aussie team led by Matt Belcher.

Just down the road from CGSC, the Paralympic SKUD team were competing at the Paralympic Classes Regatta against other international rivals. Canadian SKUD team John McRoberts and Jackie Gay are warming up for their first major event of the year at the Shake a Leg center next week.

Over in Ft Lauderdale, the Lauderdale Olympic Classes Regatta hosted Finn’s, Lasers, and Radials. Canadians among the fleet included Al Clark, Kyle Martin, Matt Ryder and Max Gallant and Luke Ruteinburg. Most of the sailors will head back to Miami to get rigged for the upcoming Miami World Cup, starting next Monday January 26th.