Miami: US Sailing Team Takes 2.4mR Bronze, Qualifies for Four Medal Races, Earns Rio 2016 Berth In All Classes

In the Paralympic 2.4mR, Rosenfield expressed satisfaction at not only making it onto the podium, but taking the lead in what is sure to be a closely fought Rio 2016 athlete selection series for U.S. sailors. “I’m happy with the week, and thought I sailed well. I was just trying to keep [closest U.S. rival] Dee Smith from putting too many boats in between us.” Rosenfield started sailing the 2.4mR in 2007, and relied on his extensive knowledge to perform well in the light and tricky conditions served up in Miami this week. ” I could have done a bit better, and there are some races I could have won, but it turned out OK. My experience definitely helped, and the lighter conditions are much better for me.”

Pictured: Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine), US Sailing Team Sperry, Sonar.

In the Paralympic Sonar class, US Sailing Team Sperry athletes Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine) were the top American boat, finishing 5th. “Team USA 1,” as they are known based on their sail number, are the current leaders in the Rio 2016 athlete selection series in their class, but Miami does not form part of the series for Sonar athletes. “Our main goal was to work on our starts here in Miami, and we did good work in that area,” said Freund, the bowman. “We started well. Coming out of [the first selection event at Para Sailing Worlds in] Melbourne, that was where we identified our biggest potential gain.”

READ: Key USA Names and Facts To Know For The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Team Selection Series

The US Sailing Team Sperry qualified for medal races in four classes: Men’s 470, Women’s 470, Finn, and Laser Radial. In the latter two classes, Miami is a Rio 2016 athlete selection event for the U.S., and so tomorrow’s medal races will have significant implications in the battle to join Team USA at the Olympic Games.

In the Finn, the men’s heavyweight dinghy, the competition between top contenders Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.) and Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) has been very close all week. Paine, the leading American performer in this class since 2012, has at multiple stages led the fleet overall during the course of the week, but Beijing 2008 silver medalist Railey has kept firmly in touch with the top group. “The standings are close, and tomorrow’s medal race counts for double points,” said Paine. “Medal races in general are challenging, but I hope to win it and the regatta.”

Paine spent time prior to London 2012 as Railey’s training partner, and he complimented the two-time Olympian. “Zach is a great sailor. We’ve sailed quite a bit together, and he’s taught me a lot,” said Paine. For his part, Railey was pleased to regain his form after a few years away from the boat. “It almost didn’t happen today, but I climbed back,” said the Florida native. “We had crazy wind shifts today of about 40 degrees. On the last race, I was probably in the mid-30’s overall at the first mark, but I recovered to 12th. I’m very happy to be in the medal race. It’s going to be fun.”

Pictured:  Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry, Laser Radial.

In the Laser Radial, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) saved her best moment for the last full-fleet race of the regatta. With a spot in the medal race on the line, Railey finished 4th in Race 9 and cruised into 10th place overall, clinching her spot in the medal race. “My coach, Mark Littlejohn, told me about the points situation and just told me to go for it,” said Railey, a London 2012 Olympian and World Champion. Erika Reineke, another top contender for Olympic Team selection, finished 17th, and did not qualify for the medal race. Railey will have a chance to further her lead in the Rio 2016 selection series on Saturday.

Men’s 470 sailors Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.) are just one point away from gold medal position, and will have a chance to win Sailing World Cup Miami for the second time in four years on Saturday. “It’s all there to play for tomorrow,” said two-time Olympian McNay. Hughes added that they felt good about their chances, and that the plan was simply to “Go out and sail a complete race, as we know we can.”

Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) will enter the medal race in 5th, with a shot at the podium. “Generally, we were pretty happy with the week and how we performed,” said Bolger, a Quantum female College Sailor of the Year. “We definitely see areas for improvement, and this event was key to our preparation for 470 Worlds next month (a U.S. Olympic Team selection event). “We’re excited to be in the medal race, with an opportunity to take the bronze medal.”

The Men’s 49er regatta was characterized by ever-changing fortunes among several U.S. teams vying for Olympic selection, but in the end the top American boat was Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.). Barrows and Morris will carry a 5-point lead over Brad Funk (Clearwater, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.) into the second qualifying event, the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships in Clearwater, Fla. (Feb. 7-14). “Today was a hard day, and we ended up in 13th. We’re happy with our results, and glad to be leading the trials,” said Barrows. “We also qualified the country for the Olympics in our class, which was a main goal. Overall, we feel liked we checked our boxes for this event.”

In the Nacra 17, the second trials event will also be the Clearwater Worlds. The leading American boat heading into that event will be two-time Moth World Champion Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.), who finished 12th, eight spots ahead of two-time Olympian Mark Mendelblatt and his wife, fellow Olympian Carolina Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.). “I’d say we are happy with our regatta,” said Chafee. “We did not have much time training together prior to this event, but we are definitely gelling quickly. We still have a few things to learn about each other and the boat, but are feeling really solid.”

Pictured: Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry, Laser.

In four other Olympic classes, the U.S. Olympic selection series is closely contested as Miami, the first of two selection events per class, concludes. In the 49erFX, Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.) are in a dead heat with Emily Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) and Elizabeth Barry (Riverside, Conn.). Henken and Scutt will have a one-point lead over Dellenbaugh and Barry going into February’s Clearwater Worlds. The American boats also successfully qualified the United States for Rio 2016 in Miami.

In the Men’s Laser, and Men’s and Women’s RS:X classes, the second selection event will be the Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma de Mallorca this March. Laser North American Champion Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) will carry and eight-point lead over Erik Bowers (Excelsior, Minn.) into Palma. Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.), leads Carson Crain (Houston, Texas) by eight points in the Men’s RS:X, and also qualified the country in the class. In the Women’s RS:X, London 2012 Olympian Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) is ahead of Pan Am Games bronze medalist Marion Lepert (Belmont, Calif.) by a two points after Miami.

Racing at Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella, continues on Saturday, January 30th, featuring medal races and the closing ceremony.

Pictured: Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.), US Sailing Team Sperry, Women’s RS:X.

Sailing World Cup Miami: USA Results

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Team Selection event for the following classes: 2.4mR, 49er, 49erFX, Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Nacra 17, RS:X Men, RS:X Women.

Full Results

Paralympic Results (Final)

2.4mR (Open One-Person Paralympic Keelboat): 10 boats, FINAL

• 3rd overall, Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, Conn.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 6th overall, Dee Smith (Annapolis, Md., pictured), US Sailing Team Sperry

Sonar (Open Three-Person Paralympic Keelboat): 9 boats, FINAL

• 5th overall, Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 7th overall, Andrew Fisher (Greenwich, Conn.) Daniel Evans (Miami, Fla.) and Tom Brown (Northeast Harbor, Maine), US Sailing Team Sperry

USA Olympic-Class Sailors In Medal Races

Men’s 470 (Men’s Two-Person Dinghy):
 21 boats

• 1st overall, 35 pts, Onan Barreiros and Juan Curbelo Cabrera (Spain)
• 2nd overall, 36 pts, Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 3rd overall, 37 pts, Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (Greece)

Finn (Men’s One-Person Heavyweight Dinghy):
 46 boats

• 1st overall, 34 pts, Jorge Zarif (Brazil)
• 2nd overall, 36 pts, Jonas Hogh-Christensen (Denmark)
• 3rd overall, 40 pts, Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 4th overall, 43 pts, Jake Lilley (Australia)
• 5th overall, 44 pts, Arkadiy Kistanov (Russia)
• 6th overall, 45 pts, Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.)

Women’s 470 (Women’s Two-Person Dinghy):
 17 boats

• 1st overall, 24 pts, Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (Austria)
• 2nd overall, 28 pts, Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan (Brazil)
• 3rd overall, 29 pts, Shasha Chen and Haiyan Gao (China)
• 4th overall, 37 pts, Marina Gallego and Fatima Reyes (Spain)
• 5th overall, 46 ts, Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry

Laser Radial (Women’s One-Person Dinghy):
 60 boats

• 1st overall, 17 pts, Marit Bouwmeester (The Netherlands)
• 2nd overall, 23 pts, Evi Van Acker ( Belgium)
• 3rd overall, 45 pts, Sarah Gunni Toftedal (Denmark)
• 4th overall, 53 pts, Tuula Tenkanen (Finland)
• 5th overall, 56 pts, Alison Young (Great Britain)
• 6th overall, 62 pts, Emma Plasschaert (Belgium)
• 7th overall, 67 pts, Anne-Marie Rindom (Denmark)
• 8th overall, 72 pts, Mathilde de Kerangat (France)
• 9th overall, 72 pts, Tatiana Drozdovskaya (Belarus)
• 10th overall, 75 pts, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• (Not in medal race) 17th overall, Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry

Non-Medal Race Classes (Final)

Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull): 47 boats, FINAL

• 12th overall, Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.), US Sailing Development Team
• 20th overall, Mark Mendelblatt and Carolina Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff):
 61 boats, FINAL

• 13th overall, Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.)
• 21st overall, Judge Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.)
• 18th overall, Brad Funk (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.)
• 31st (Canada*), David Mori and Justin Barnes
• 28th (British V.I.*) Alec Anderson and Chris Brockbank

* USA has won the final North American qualifying berth for Rio 2016 in the 49er, beating CAN and IVB.

Laser (Men’s One-Person Dinghy):
 98 boats, FINAL

• 16th overall, Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 24th overall, Erik Bowers (Excelsior, Minn.), US Sailing Development Team

Women’s RS:X (Women’s Board):
 37 boards, FINAL

• 17th overall, Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 19th overall, Marion Lepert (Belmont, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry

49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff): 34 boats, FINAL

• 17th overall, Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.)
• 18th overall, Emily Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) and Elizabeth Barry (Riverside, Conn.), US Sailing Development Team
• 25th overall (U.S.V.I*) Mayumi Roller, Agustina Barbuto
• 31st overall, Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, Ill.)
• 33rd overall (Aruba*) Odile van Aanholt and Philipine van Aanholt

* USA has won the final North American qualifying berth for Rio 2016 in the 49erFX, beating ISV and ARU.

Men’s RS:X (Men’s Board):

 48 boards, FINAL

• 20th (Canada*), Zachary Plavisc
• 24th overall, Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 32nd overall, Carson Crain (Houston, Texas), US Sailing Team Sperry
• 33rd (Aruba*) Mack van den Eerenbeemt

* USA and CAN have won the final North American qualifying berths for Rio 2016 in Men’s RS:X, beating ARU.

For more information about the US Sailing Olympic and Paralympic athlete selection system, and the main players, click here.

Previous Reports

• Day 4: Rains Dampen Miami Racing, But U.S. Olympic Selection Series Intensifies
• Day 3: US Sailors Raise Their Game In Finn & Nacra 17, Americans Top Five in Six Classes
• Day 2: USA Jumps Up Across the Board In Miami On Day Two
• Day 1: Light Air, Nerves On First Day of Sailing World Cup Miami
• Event Preview: Key US Sailing Team Sperry Names and Facts Heading Into Miami

Event Information

• Homepage: Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella
• Results

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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.