Pictured: 49er sailors Brad Funk (Clearwater, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.), US Sailing Team Sperry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2016
Clearwater, Fla. – High winds and unforgiving waves challenged competitors on Day One of the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida. One race was completed for the Men’s 49er and Mixed Nacra 17, while the Women’s 49erFX fleets were held onshore. For the US Sailing Team Sperry, the highlight performance of the day was a 7th place finish by 49er athletes and Olympic hopefuls Brad Funk (Clearwater, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.), with finished 7th in the 49er Yellow division.
SEE ALSO: Team Tracker – Current Standings of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Sailing Teams Selection Series
The Clearwater Worlds is the first Olympic-classes World Championship event to be held in the United States in over five years, and many of the best sailors competing today are on Florida’s Gulf Coast this week. The event also serves as the final U.S. Olympic Team selection event for American athletes in these three classes.
49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff)
Funk and Burd have been the top U.S. performers in the 49er since 2014, and delivered another strong showing today despite the near-survival conditions off Clearwater Beach. While the high-performance two-person skiff can be capably raced in high winds, large waves present a tough change to all those who sail these notably unstable and athletic boats.
US Sailing Team Sperry sailors Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.) entered the event with confidence after finishing as the top American team at January’s Sailing World Cup Miami (a U.S. Olympic Team selection event), but today faced significant adversity. “We had some bad luck, as we started well but tacked early, which put us in a bad spot on the course,” said Morris, who also said they felt that their speed was strong. “A lot of people flipped, but we were able to stay up. This was probably not a keeper score for us, but we’ll move on. Not breaking a rig or getting injured today was key.”
See Also: 49er Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker
Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull)
See Also: Nacra 17 Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker
49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff)
No Racing On Day 1: The 49erFX fleet was scheduled to race in the afternoon after the 49er divisions were done racing, but the men’s teams returned to shore after completed their one wild race, and the FX racing was cancelled for the day.
See Also: 49erFX Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker
Racing will continue on Day Two 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
49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff): 54 boats
One race completed.
- 13th (tied) overall, Brad Funk (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- 41st (tied) overall, Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- 41st (tied) overall, Andrew and Matthew Mollerus (Rye, N.Y.)
- 43rd (tied) overall, David Liebenberg (Livermore, Calif.) and Dan Morris (San Francisco, Calif.)
- 45th (tied) overall, Fred Strammer (Nakomis, Fla.) and Mike Kuschner (Gloucester Point, Va.)
- 45th (tied) overall, Judge Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.)
- 47th (tied) overall, Jonny Goldsberry & Chad Freitas
- 54th (tied) overall, Wade Waddell and Ian MacDiarmid
- 54th (tied) overall, Michael Sabourin and Andrew Person
- 54th (tied) overall, Matthew Graham and Alexander Hume
- 54th (tied) overall, David Ames & P.J. Buhler
- 54th (tied) overall, Even Sjostedt and Garret Brown
See Also: 49er Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker
49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff): 43 boats
No races Completed.
See Also: 49erFX Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker
Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull): 33 boats
One race completed.
- 18th overall, Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and Matthew Whitehead (Panama City, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- 19th overall, Mark Mendelblatt and Carolina Mendelblatt (Miami, Fla.)
- 20th overall, Michael Easton (Bedford, Mass.) and Katie Pettibone (Port Huron, Mich.)
- 30th overall, Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- 33rd (tied) overall, Jeremy Wilmot and Mayumi Roller
- 33rd (tied) overall, Steph Hudson (Winnetka, Ill.) and Dalton Tebo (Sarasota, Fla.)
- 33rd (tied) overall, Sandra Tartaglino and Charles MacBain
See Also: Nacra 17 Class U.S. Olympic Team Selection Tracker
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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.