Great results at the SWC Miami—Sailing news from Canada and beyond

by David Schmidt, Sail-World on 5 Feb 2016 For fans of North American Olympic sailing, the London 2012 Olympics were a serious comeuppance, and the first time that the American-flagged team sailed home sans a single medal since the Berlin 1936 Olympics. Since then, the American squad has significantly retooled itself, including new leadership (although this change was part of a longstanding succession plan and had no bearing on the London results), new coaches, new fundraising efforts and a new talent pipeline.

While it’s important to remember that big organizations often respond to large-scale change much like a big ship responds to helm commands (read: prolonged reaction times), based on the U.S. team’s results at World Sailing’s recently concluded Sailing World Cup (SWC) Miami (January 23 to January 30, 2016), it appears as if these changes are having their desired effect.

Olympic veterans Stuart McNay and David Hughes earned the team’s only Gold medal at the Sailing World Cup Miami in the Men’s 470 class, which they dominated the entire week, securing three bullets, two seconds and several other Top 5 results, as well as a twelfth and a thirteenth place finish, the later being their discard result. Also, Canadians Jacob Chaplin-Saunders and Graeme Chaplin-Saunders earned a seventh-place finish in the Men’s 470 class.

Sydney Bolger and Carly Shevitz, sailing in the Women’s 470 class, earned a solid fifth-place finish that included one bullet as well as eight other Top 10 results, however the women were dragged down by two 18th place finishes, the first of which was discarded. While this is a highly competitive class, both internationally and domestically (for a berth on the U.S. Olympic team), there’s no question that Bolger and Shevitz stepped up their game in Miami.

Also finishing in fifth place in his class was Zach Railey, a Silver medalist in the Finn class at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic sailing team. Railey all but vanished from Olympic sailing following a twelfth-place finish in London, but now the Olympic vet is roaring back into action. Railey posted two bullets and a second-place finish as his best results at the 2016 Sailing World Cup Miami, which was strong enough to see him place one position higher in the final results than fellow countryman Caleb Paine, who is also competing for an Olympic berth in the Finn class.

Railey’s sister and Olympic veteran Paige Railey placed seventh in the hard-fought Laser Radial class. While Railey didn’t earn any bullets, she did score a second in the final race of the regatta, as well as five other Top 10 results.

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North American sailors were also fast in the Paralympic classes, with Canadian Bruce Millar taking Silver in the 2.4 metre class. US sailor Charles Rosenfield earning a proud Bronze medal in the same class. Rosenfield didn’t earn any bullets, he did sail an impressively consistent regatta, with two seconds, a third, a fourth and four fifth-place finishes. While there is still a lot of sailing to be done between now and Rio, Millar and Rosenfield are clearly demonstrating the kind of consistency that’s required if an athlete wishes to hear their national anthem during the medal ceremony.

Canadian sailors Paul Tingley, Logan Campbell and Scott Lutes dominated the Sonar class with three bullets, two second-place finishes, a pair of thirds, a fourth and two sevenths (one of which was discarded to take the Gold medal. While Americans Alphonsus Doerr, Brad Kendell and Hugh Freund were just seven points outside of the medal race, they posted all Top 10 results, including two bullets, a third and four fourth-place finishes. The team’s worst results were three seventh-place finishes (one of which was discarded), again demonstrating great consistency in a tough class.

While this is all great news, it’s clear after this year’s SWC Miami that American sailors are still off the pace in the Laser, 49erFX Women, Nacra 17, RS:X Men, RS:X Women classes. Also, it’s important to remember that the U.S.-flagged team performed well at both the 2011 ISAF (now World Sailing) World Championships and at the 2012 ISAF SWC Miami, yet London proved to be an unforeseen train wreck, so it’s important not to read too deeply into the pre-Olympics regatta results.

With less than six months to go before the start of the Rio 2016 Olympics, it is crucial for North American sailors to stay focused and hungry, both as they compete for their Olympic berths, and as they gear up to represent their countries on the world’s stage this summer.

May the four winds blow you safely home,