Pictured: Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.), 470, US Sailing Team Sperry. Photo © Matias Capizzano/470 Class
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2016
Portsmouth, R.I. – The 470 Class World Championship (Feb. 22-27) in San Isidro, Argentina, are nearing their conclusion, and US Sailing Team Sperry athletes have enjoyed strong results so far this week. All three American boats are in the top ten in their fleets, with seven races completed for the women, and eight for the men. The Worlds forms the first half of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team Selection Series in the 470 class. Two days of racing remain in the event.
Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) have been the top U.S. performers so far in the women’s fleet, and are currently in third overall in the 39-boat fleet. Thursday (Day 3) was their strongest day yet, with top-ten finishes in all three races. “The conditions were really challenging today,” said Bolger, who with Shevitz won the 2015 U.S. 470 Nationals and 2015 North Americans. One theme of the week has been the presence of large amounts of leaves and fallen foliage in the water, the result of a nearby river entrance. “We had 15 degree oscillations in the breeze, and the course was covered with large masses of plants. Some were so big that we referred to them as islands!” Bolger said that they were happy with their consistency today. “Generally, we had really strong first beats, which positioned us well for the rest of the race.”
Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), winners of the 2015 Rio Olympic Test Event and the top-performaning American team for the past three years, are also sailing well, and stand in 6th overall, nine points behind Bolger and Shevitz. “This is a difficult place to sail, and we are focusing on accomplishing the things we have in our control, while hoping the rest will fall into place,” said Haeger, the 2015 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.
One challenge of the Olympic year is to submit a “peak” performance multiple times in twelve months, with sailors looking to sail well at the Worlds, their Rio 2016 selection events, and the Olympic Games itself, if selected. Haeger said that this was an aspect of the campaign that she and Provancha embraced. “For us, [peaking multiple times is] a good thing. We have several chances to focus on what helps us do well. This is part of the process, and hopefully if we’re at the Games we’ll know what it takes for us to perform our best.”
Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.) had their best day of the regatta on Day 3, with scores of 2,8,8 moving them into the top ten overall. The 470 North American and European champions endured a slow start to their event, and will look to continue their upward charge before Saturday’s medal race.
The second and final 470 U.S. Olympic Team selection event will be the 2016 470 European Championships (April 5-12) in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The combined scores of the Worlds and Europeans will determine who will represent the United States in Rio 2016 in these two classes.
All athletes named to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). For more information on the 2016 470 World Championships, visit the event website.
See Also: Full U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker (All Classes)
Pictured: Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.), 470, US Sailing Team Sperry. © Matias Capizzano/470 Class
About the US Sailing Team Sperry
The US Sailing Team Sperry is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team Sperry. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support. The title sponsor of the team is Sperry; other sponsors include Gold-Level partner Sunbrella and Silver-Level partners Harken, Team McLube and Groupe Beneteau. Yale Cordage is a team supplier. The US Sailing Center Miami is an Olympic training site. Oakcliff Sailing and Clearwater Community Sailing Center are US Sailing Team Sperry Training Centers. Chubb Personal Insurance and the Gowrie Group sponsors US Sailing’s National Team Tour, a nationwide presentation program for US Sailing Team Sperry athletes. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
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Press Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 (978) 697-2384.