Pictured: Paige Railey (Laser Radial), US Sailing Team Sperry.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2015
Portsmouth, R.I. – The US Sailing Team Sperry will be back in action starting Wednesday as the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup series continues. The event will take place at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing venue in Weymouth and Portland, located on the southern coast of the United Kingdom. While the American contingent will feature several Olympic Team veterans, including Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.), Debbie Capozzi (Blue Point, N.Y.), Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) and Mark Mendelblatt (Miami, Fla.), much of the US Sailing Team Sperry will be competing at their first major event at this venue.
While Paige Railey did not come away from London 2012 with a medal in the Laser Radial, she has enjoyed much success in Weymouth over the years, including at the 2011 Olympic Test Event, where she won bronze. “It feels great to be back, actually,” said Railey. “My first feeling was that I missed my [London 2012 Olympic] team. They were an amazing group of athletes, but I’m proud to be representing the current US Sailing Team Sperry. I’m looking forward to a great event and conquering old weaknesses.”
The Men’s 470 team of Stu McNay and David Hughes (San Diego, Calif.) has arrived in Weymouth fresh off a productive training camp in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. McNay and Hughes, like the rest of the US Sailing Team Sperry, have been using the full fleet of Olympic class boats donated by a generous team supporter to gain experience at the 2016 Olympic venue. “The 470 fleet in Rio was tight and high-caliber, with all the recent World and Olympic champions in attendance,” said Hughes. “Now, we’re back on the ISAF Sailing World Cup circuit and looking forward to the flavor of bigger fleets. However, in the end, the focus remains the same. We need to race the course, link decisions, and adapt. As anticipated, Weymouth is serving up some big breeze and cold temperatures.”
In the Women’s 470, the world-ranked #6 team of Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) have been focused on building their overall speed leading into this event. “So far it’s been pretty full-on in training,” said Provancha. “We’re confident in our equipment and our preparation. [US Sailing Team Sperry Senior Olympic Coach] Luther Carpenter has helped us find an extra gear this week in training and we’re excited to test that against the best in the World.”
Racing begins at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland on Wednesday, June 10 and Concludes on Sunday, June 14.
ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland Event Website.
US Competitors: ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland 2015
Men’s 470 (Men’s Two-Person Dinghy):
- Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
Women’s 470 (Women’s Two-Person Dinghy):
- Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff):
- Brad Funk (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- David Liebenberg (Livermore, Calif.) and Daniel Morris (San Francisco, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- Fred Strammer (Nokomis, Fla.) and Michael Kuschner (Gloucester Pt., Va.), US Sailing Development Team
49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff):
- Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- Debbie Capozzi (Blue Point, N.Y.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, Ill.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- Emily Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) and Elizabeth Barry (Riverside, Conn.), US Sailing Development Team
Finn (Men’s One-Person Heavyweight Dinghy):
- Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
Laser (Men’s One-Person Dinghy):
- Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- Chris Barnard (Newport Beach, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
Laser Radial (Women’s One-Person Dinghy):
- Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull):
- Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and Matthew Whitehead (Panama City, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- Mark Mendelblatt (Miami Fla.) and Carolina Borges-Mendelblatt (Miami, Fla.)
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To learn more about the 2014 US Sailing Team Sperry athletes and staff, visit the team’s homepage.
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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 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 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
About the ISAF Sailing World Cup
The ISAF Sailing World Cup is a world-class annual series for Olympic sailing. It is open to the sailing events chosen for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. Its centre piece is the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup will consist of five regattas for all ten Olympic events and where possible, Formula Kite Racing. Qualification places for the ISAF Sailing World Cup final are up for grabs at each event. The final will bring together the top 20 boats in each Olympic event and an Open Kiteboarding event where the World Cup Champions will be crowned.
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Press Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 (978) 697-2384.