Clearwater Worlds: USA 49erFX & 49ers Make Gold Fleet, Henken & Scutt Earn Team USA Selection

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Pictured: Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.), 49erFX, US Sailing Team Sperry dueling with world championship-winning teams from New Zealand and Brazil, Day Four.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2016

Clearwater, Fla. – Day Four of the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida saw Team USA gain its first two Rio 2016 Olympic sailors while multiple American teams battled their way into Gold Fleet. US Sailing Team Sperry athletes will have a chance to earn their way into Sunday’s medal races based on their performances tomorrow.

SATURDAY: LIVE Video Coverage from Clearwater

49er and 49erFX racing will be brought to a worldwide sailing audience on Saturday, February 13 (Day 5) at the Worlds in Clearwater. Coverage will include onboard cameras, aerial footage, 3D graphics and expert commentary as the best skiff sailors in the world battle off Clearwater Beach. The broadcast will begin at 12:00 noon EST.

SEE ALSO: Team Tracker – Current Standings of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Sailing Teams Selection Series

49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff)

Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.) clinched victory in the U.S. Olympic Team Selection Series in the 49erFX after posting a second consecutive day of excellent scores (2,4,9). While the Americans are pleased with their Olympic selection, they remain firmly focused on qualifying for Sunday’s medal race, and challenging for a podium spot. They are currently in 9th overall.

See Also: Henken & Scutt Earn U.S. Olympic Team Selection in the 49erFX

Tracker: 49erFX Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker

Watch Henken and Scutt battle at the top of the fleet in Clearwater with the full video replay of Day Four 49erFX action, featuring onboard cameras, aerial footage, 3D graphics and expert commentary:

49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff)

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Pictured: Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.), 49er, US Sailing Team Sperry
In the 49er, two American boats have qualified for Saturday’s Gold Fleet racing, and will have a chance at Rio 2016 selection. Judge Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.) fell slightly to 16th overall with finishes of 27, 3, 20, 14. Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.) stand in 22nd, after scores of 25, 7, 5, 16. The top 25 boats earned a place in Gold Fleet.
Barrows and Morris only trail Ryan and Henken by ten points at this event, and both teams are locked in a close battle for U.S. Olympic Team selection. Depending on which teams qualify for Sunday’s medal race, the Team USA Rio 2016 selection series for the 49er could be settled tomorrow. To earn selection, Ryan and Henken must beat Barrows and Morris by seven or more places overall.

Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull)

Michael Easton (Bedford, Mass.) and Katie Pettibone (Port Huron, Mich.) lead all American Nacra 17 teams in 19th overall. With no Americans in a strong position to qualify for medal races, Saturday could be the final day of racing for US Sailing Team Sperry athletes in the mixed multihull class. Olympic Team selection is also on the line, and the battle is close.

Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.) came into this event as the leaders in the selection series after a strong showing at Sailing World Cup Miami. To win selection, Easton and Pettibone must finish fifteen places ahead of Gulari and Chafee, while Mark and Carolina Mendelblatt (Miami, Fla.) must finish seven spots ahead. With the three boats sitting in 19th, 29th and 24th, respectively, the selection series could come down to a dramatic final series of races.

See Also: Nacra 17 Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker

Racing will continue on Day Four of the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida, with medal races being held on Sunday, February 14, 2016.

USA Results: 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championship

Full Results

49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff): 43 boats

  • 9th overall, Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.), US Sailing Team Sperry
  • 37th overall, Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, Ill.)
  • 41st overall, Emily Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) and Elizabeth Barry (Riverside, Conn.), US Sailing Team Sperry

See Also: 49erFX Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker

49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff):
 54 boats

  • 16th overall, Judge Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.)
  • 29th overall, Brad Funk (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.), US Sailing Team Sperry
  • 22nd overall, Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.), US Sailing Team Sperry
  • 38th overall, Fred Strammer (Nakomis, Fla.) and Mike Kuschner (Gloucester Point, Va.)
  • 39th overall, David Liebenberg (Livermore, Calif.) and Dan Morris (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • 49th overall, Andrew and Matthew Mollerus (Rye, N.Y.)
  • 56th overall, Jonny Goldsberry & Chad Freitas
  • 62nd overall, Wade Waddell and Ian MacDiarmid
  • 63rd overall, David Ames & P.J. Buhler

See Also: 49er Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker

Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull): 33 boats

  • 19th overall, Michael Easton (Bedford, Mass.) and Katie Pettibone (Port Huron, Mich.)
  • 24th overall, Mark Mendelblatt and Carolina Mendelblatt (Miami, Fla.)
  • 29th overall, Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.), US Sailing Team Sperry
  • 30th (tied) overall, Steph Hudson (Winnetka, Ill.) and Dalton Tebo (Sarasota, Fla.)
  • 32nd overall, Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and Matthew Whitehead (Panama City, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
  • 39th (tied) overall, Jeremy Wilmot and Mayumi Roller
  • 40th (tied) overall, Sandra Tartaglino and Charles MacBain

See Also: Nacra 17 Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker

Previous Event Reports:

Event Information:

Follow the Team USA Selection Series

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.