Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Champions in five classes decided on Sunday at West Marine US Open Sailing Series

by US Sailing 13 Jun 2021 18:44 PDT
2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series – San Diego © US Sailing

It was a mad dash to the finish in champagne conditions on Sunday at the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series - San Diego. Top athletes competing in the ILCA 7 (Laser), ILCA 6 (Laser Radial), ILCA 4 (Laser 4.7), Finn, and 29er events this week raced over two days this weekend at the launch for the West Coast tour of the 2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series.

Sailors raced in moderate breeze, 10 to 12 knots, under sunny skies for most of Sunday. Sailors on both courses experienced swells with choppy conditions and three to four foot waves rolling through. The wind held steady on the right side of the course for most of the day.

The young and talented ILCA 7 (Laser) fleet featuring 18 sailors included action-packed and close racing throughout the weekend. Leo Boucher (Annapolis, Md.) closed out a successful regatta on Sunday with another strong performance. After posting 1-2-2-1 results on Saturday, he remained consistent on Sunday with scores of 2-2-[5]. Boucher edged Ford McCann (Kemah, Texas) by two points. McCann won three races in the regatta including the final race of the event to pull within two points of the lead. Connor Nelson (Tampa, Fla.) took home third place honors. The win for Boucher marks his second West Marine US Open title of 2021. He also won last February in Clearwater.

"We had more pressure and breeze today which put more sailors in play at the top, so it was super competitive," added Boucher.

Thomas Kraak (Palos Verdes Estate, Calif.) won first place overall in the ILCA 6 (Radial) fleet, while Katharine Doble (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) was the top performing female sailor in the fleet and second overall. Kraak sailed fast on Sunday with a 1-3-2 scoring line to win by four points. Doble had a strong regatta this weekend after jumping out to an early lead on Saturday by winning two of the first three races of the event.

"I had some great moments this week, especially yesterday with the starts," said Doble. "We had a couple of pin favorite starts and I was pleased with how they went for me. I made a good decision on the first beat, and I think that was really important to break out from the fleet and then have all the options."

"It's great to have the series come here in California," she added. "Being able to compete against such a talented fleet in San Diego is a great way for me to train without having to travel too far."

The Finn class had a race thrown out from Saturday due to a drifting mark and made up that race on Sunday. They had ample breeze on Sunday and sailors were allowed to pump and rock the boats around the course. In the end it was Rob Coutts (La Jolla, Calif.) who just edged AJ Nosar (Long Beach, Calif.) in a tiebreaker to take home first place. Coutts won two races this weekend including the final race of the regatta to win the championship. Nosar was second in Race 6. James Buley (San Diego, Calif.) placed third overall, just one point off the lead.

Sammie Gardner and Alice Schmid (San Diego, Calif.) continued their dominance in the 29er fleet on Sunday. The duo capped off a successful regatta with another strong day on the water. They won four of the seven races this week and won the championship by two points over Anton Schmid and Peter Joslin (San Diego, Calif.) who were close behind. Kelly Holthus and Jon Seawards (La Jolla, Calif.) finished third.

"The highlight of the weekend for us was being able to go out in the ocean with waves and practice surfing, especially since we had such great wind today," said Alice Schmid. "It helps us get a better feel for racing in different conditions. We're stoked that we won. It came down to the last race and was very close."

Oscar Parzen (San Diego, Calif.) led the pack in the ILCA 4 (4.7) fleet and won by six points over Talia Hamlin. Parzen won four of seven races this weekend.

Final standings available 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 announces new scholarship fund
To support sailors' growth and development In an effort to make sailing more accessible and inclusive, US Sailing is proud to announce the launch of the US Sailing Scholarship Fund. Posted on 28 Apr
Charlie Enright appointed as CEO of US Sailing
An accomplished sailor and an advocate of the sport, known for his leadership skills US Sailing announced Charlie Enright, an accomplished leader in the sailing industry, as the Association's new CEO. Enright will take the helm of US Sailing, the sport's National Governing Body (NGB), following an extensive national executive search. Posted on 14 Apr
Three American teams qualify for Medal Races
At Trofeo Princesa Sofía, first Sailing Grand Slam After six days of racing on the Bay of Palma at the 54th Trofeo Princesa Sofía, three American teams finished the opening series in the top 10, qualifying for prestigious medal races at the largest Olympic classes regatta of the year. Posted on 8 Apr
Lead-up to LA28 begins with Princesa Sofía Regatta
29 athletes representing the US are now in Palma 29 athletes representing the US across eight Olympic classes will spar with over 50 other countries at the 54th edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca, considered to be the European season opener. Posted on 31 Mar
Jr. Pan American Games Sailing Team announced
Four athletes named, set to compete in Paraguay this August Four US athletes will take the water for the second ever Junior Pan American Games coming up August 9-23, 2025 in Asunción, Paraguay. Posted on 7 Mar
US Sailing Youth Team qualification update
Over half of the 72 sailors who will qualify have now earned their spot on the team Over half of the 72 sailors who will qualify for the Youth National Team in 2025 have now earned their spot on the team based on top finishes at class association Midwinter Championships. Posted on 7 Mar
US Sailing seek Sailor Athlete Council nominations
SAC is only vehicle for sailors to be heard as individuals rather than as members of an organization US Sailing's Sailor Athlete Council (SAC) maintains an avenue for American sailor athletes to voice their opinions, providing a forum and opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the future and direction of our sport. Posted on 2 Mar
US selection process for Youth Match Racing Worlds
Set to take place from July 21-27 in Gdynia, Poland US Sailing has released the athlete selection procedures for the 2025 World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship, set to take place from July 21-27 in Gdynia, Poland. Posted on 28 Feb
2025 Kevin Burnham Memorial Grants recipients
Three young sailors selected to receive the 2025 Kevin Burnham Memorial Grants US Sailing is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Kevin Burnham Memorial Grants, made possible by the generous support of the sailing community in honor of Kevin Burnham's remarkable legacy. Posted on 27 Feb
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastMaritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER