US Sailing Team at 2020 ILCA Women's Laser Radial World Championships - Day 5
by Brittney Manning 27 Feb 2020 06:01 PST
Erika Reineke at the 2020 ILCA Women's Laser Radial World Championships, Day 4 © Jon West Photography
For the first time since U.S. athletes began training in Melbourne for the 2020 Worlds Championships a few months ago, sailors were met with westerly winds that created shifty, puffy, and unpredictable conditions.
At a velocity of 15-20 knots, the westerly delivered 20-30 degree shifts that came down the course randomly.
Naturally, the inconsistent and unpredictable wind vexed the competitors at the 2020 ILCA Women's Laser Radial World Championships. "The whole fleet was kind of scratching their head when they came in. They weren't really sure what was happening out there," said US Sailing Team Laser Radial coach, Steve Mitchell (GBR).
"There wasn't much I could say in our debrief today because nobody's performances had anything to do with speed or technique," Mitchell continued. "It was just being in the right pressure at the right time and there wasn't any pattern to that, unfortunately. So it was a tough day, but we've got three more tomorrow, so we'll see what that brings."
After today's challenging races, US Sailing Team athletes Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), and Charlotte Rose (Houston, Texas) will begin the final day of racing standing in 21st, 22nd, and 32nd, respectively.
Tomorrow will feature three more fleet races to close the final series. These final races will also determine the victor of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. Whoever emerges with the lowest combined score from this event and the 2019 World Championship will qualify for a spot on Team USA at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The current leader is Railey, with Reineke trailing by eight positions in the overall standings and Rose trailing by seven.
Tomorrow, the athletes are anticipating some more normal Melbourne conditions. While they're still expecting chilly temperatures, a more predictable southwesterly seabreeze is in the forecast. Racing is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m., local time.
U.S. Laser Radial Results
- Erika Reineke - 21st
- Paige Railey - 22nd
- Charlotte Rose - 32nd
- Hanne Weaver - 82nd
View full results here