470 Worlds: Career-Best Performances for U.S. Athletes At Olympic Selection Regatta

Pictured:  Competitors line up just prior to the start of the 470 Worlds medal race, with the US Sailing Team Sperry’s Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) in the foreground. Photo © Matias Capizzano/470 Class

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 27, 2016

Portsmouth, R.I. –  The 470 Class World Championship (Feb. 22-27) in San Isidro, Argentina, which serves as the first part of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team Selection Series in the 470 class, has come to a close. In the women’s fleet, both US Sailing Team Sperry boats rose to the occasion and submitted career-best Worlds performances. US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and teammate Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) took 2nd place in the medal race, lifting them to 6th overall.  Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.), who had been the top American team for much of the week, finished just behind in 8th overall.

Heading into the medal race, Haeger and Provancha trailed their U.S. national team teammates Bolger and Shevitz by five points, but leaned on their extensive medal race experience to earn a strong result. “Briana had a great idea of where the line was, and we were able to execute our game plan off the start,” said Haeger. The pair, who won the Rio Olympic Test Event last August, accomplished their twin goals of submitting their best finish yet at a 470 Worlds, as well as emerging as the leaders in the two-regatta U.S. Olympic Selection Series.

Pictured:  Provancha (left) and Haeger (right) prep their boat before the medal race in San Isidro. Photo © Matias Capizzano/470 Class

Nevertheless, the five weeks that remain until the 470 Class European Championship in Palma de Mallorca (April 5-12), the second selection event, will be busy. “Right now, our plan is to get back to work,” said Haeger. “We have a lot to do to get ready for not only the 470 Europeans, but also for the whole season coming up. We learned a lot of lessons at this regatta, and are excited to apply them in training”

For 470 North American and U.S. National Champions Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.), this 2016 Worlds is a breakthrough moment. While the southern California team had demonstrated their speed and skill on multiple occasions since forming as a team three years ago, they had yet to perform at an elite level at a World Championship until this week, when it mattered most. “This result absolutely validates the hard work we’ve been putting in,” said Bolger, a Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. “We know without a couple of costly errors this week, we could have been fighting for a medal today. We have worked really hard, and it’s starting to show in the results, which of course we’re happy about!”

Bolger and Shevitz also plan to put in some hard training days before the 470 Europeans in April. “We’ve put the pedal down, and we have no intention of letting up anytime soon,” said Bolger.