US Sailing Team at the 2023 Sailing World Championships - Day 1
by US Sailing Team 11 Aug 2023 17:33 PDT
August 10-20, 2023
USA 84 heads right (Ian Barrows with Hans Henken, while USA 43 head left (Andrew Mollerus and Ian Macdiarmid heading to a 4, and 3 finish respectively © Sailing Energy / World Sailing
Ten knots of breeze opened the first of ten days of racing for the 1,200+ competitors from 85 nations for the 2023 Sailing World Championships.
The North Sea brought waves that built throughout the day, paired with powerful current that layered an extra factor for athletes to consider on the Olympic class courses.
- Racing today: 49er, 49er FX, 470, Nacra 17, M/W Hansa 303, 2.4m, and RS Venture
- Starting August 13: ILCA 6, ILCA 7
- Starting August 14: M/W iQFOiL, M/W Formula Kite
The 470s kicked off the regatta with a start time of 1105 local time and logged two races each in two fleets. US Sailing Team's Stu McNay and Lara Dallman-Weiss sit in 8th place as the top American team going into day two with tight points at the top of the scoreboard with and plenty of racing ahead in a marathon event.
USA pocketed a handful of race wins in the 49er and 49er FX fleets: USST's Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea scored a bullet opening their World Championships, the same way they began the Paris 2024 Test Event just a month ago. Nevin Snow and Mac Agnese won races two and three in 49er yellow fleet and have shown they have what it takes in a competitive fleet with only five points separating the top ten after day one.
Over on Braassemermeer Lake for the Para Sailing events, USA's Betsy Alison won both races in the Women's Hansa 303 and sits in first overall heading into day two. Her closest competition is Poland's Olga Gornas-Grudzien, three points behind.