Please select your home edition
Edition
Excess Catamarans

Stage one of Oakcliff Triple Crown delivers opportunities to measure progress

by US Sailing Team 28 Sep 2020 19:49 HKT 25-27 September 2020
2020 Oakcliff Triple Crown © US Sailing

The first stage of the Oakcliff Triple Crown Series has concluded with US Sailing Team athletes Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Huges (Miami, Fla.), and Carmen and Emma Cowles (Larchmont, N.Y.) comfortably taking first and second place, respectively.

The sailors were kept on their toes for the final day of racing thanks to the shifty and puffy conditions on Oyster Bay. McNay said, "We had two to seven knots and a lot of close racing out there. The course was tucked up under the land, so we had a lot of wind shifts. There was also a bit of current out there, so there were a lot of factors to consider, which made for fun racing."

Despite the unstable conditions, the athletes managed to stay in front of the fleet. Carmen and Emma posted two more first-place finishes, while McNay and Hughes rounded out the final two races with a second and third-place finish.

This event was the first racing opportunity for the US Sailing Team athletes, since competing at the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami, this past January. Coming into the event, all four athletes and their respective coaches were very much looking forward to using the event as a way to check in on the progress they have been working on in training.

Though the fleet isn't as deep as the competition on the international level, McNay and Hughes' coach, Thomas Barrows (Cambridge, Mass.) is pleased with how the event has gone for the team. "They and the Cowles definitely have the most experience in the fleet, so it can still be a bit of a two-boat battle at times, but its shifty and the current weird enough here that other boats are in the mix," he said. "It's also a good mindset change."

Barrows was particularly interested in McNay and Hughes' mindset this weekend. He continued, "A big thing we have worked on recently is communication and teamwork. It's one thing to do that well in practice, it's another in a racing environment, and that's been going really well. That was a major goal of ours coming in."

The Cowles twins likewise enjoyed using this event as an opportunity to evaluate what they have been working on in training. Carmen is especially glad to see improvements in their ability to anticipate and prepare for different tactical situations as they unfold.

"I think something we're both proud of is being able to recognize situations developing," she said. "There were moments today where we made a mistake and were able to catch some second mistakes before losses got bigger. So we were still in the game."

Emma added, "The first mistake isn't always the one where you lose, it's the second and every one after that."

As the event will be a "Double Crown" this year, one more regatta remains in the series. Next weekend, October 2-4, the athletes will have another opportunity to put their training to the test on Oyster Bay.

US Sailing Team Results:

  • Stu McNay & Dave Hughes - 1st; 10 points
  • Carmen & Emma Cowles - 2nd; 14 points
View full results here.

Related Articles

US Sailing and Zhik announce strategic partnership
Zhik will provide cutting-edge gear designed to enhance athlete performance on the water US Sailing, the national governing body for the sport of sailing in the United States, is proud to announce a new multi-year partnership with Zhik, global leader in high-performance water wear. Posted on 13 May
US Sailing Team set for the Paris 2024 Olympics
13 American athletes in nine classes will take to the Bay of Marseille Over the course of 12 days, 13 American athletes in nine classes will take to the Bay of Marseille for competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics, following a shortened runway of three years due to the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. Posted on 27 Jul 2024
Some thoughts on U.S. Olympic sailing
If you're a fan of US Sailing you're best advised to stop reading this editorial Caveat Emptor: If you're a fan of US Sailing, and specifically how the organization runs the U.S. Olympic sailing program, you're best advised to stop reading this editorial. Posted on 13 Mar 2023
Open letter from Paul Cayard
The Executive Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing writes from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing venue I am departing Japan today after absorbing the Olympic environment, observing our team in action and getting pointers from old friends who have been running teams in this game for decades. Posted on 5 Aug 2021
Fun is the key
We can create growth in sailing by helping people have more fun playing with sailboats The lessons of the past are still relevant today! This article excerpt was originally published in the July/August 1996 edition of the American Sailor. Posted on 29 Jul 2020
Hempel Worlds: New Doublehanded Offshore event
Mixed two-person offshore keelboat event will be on the program at the Paris 2024 Olympics For the first time in Olympic history, a Mixed Two-Person Offshore Keelboat event will be on the program at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition. Posted on 7 Dec 2019
US Sailing team leadership statement
A statement from US Sailing regarding the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program US Sailing and Malcolm Page, Chief of Olympic Sailing, announced that they have agreed to part ways. Page will be leaving US Sailing and returning to his home in Australia. Posted on 20 Sep 2019
2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami preview
30th anniversary of elite-level Olympic class sailing on Biscayne Bay Racing will soon begin at the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami (HWCSM). This year marks the 30th anniversary of elite-level Olympic class sailing on Biscayne Bay. Posted on 25 Jan 2019
US Sailing competes at Tokyo 2020 Olympic venue
An important opportunity to test themselves against the best Olympic class sailors The competition this week is expected to be fierce, with eight recently crowned World Champions and over 30 OIympic medalists joining an entry list of more than 450 sailors from 45 nations. Posted on 11 Sep 2018
US Sailing team takes on Olympic Qualifier
At World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark The official start of the 2018 Hempel Sailing World Championships is Thursday, (August 2) in beautiful Aarhus, Denmark. Over the course of 11 days of racing, 10 Olympic classes and kites will coexist on the waters outside of Denmark's second largest city. Posted on 1 Aug 2018
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERNavico Asia Zeus3S FOOTERSea Sure 2025