Olympic Test Event 2015 (Sailing): USA Starts Strong In Laser, Radial

Pictured: Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), Laser.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2015

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Light air greeted 339 sailors from 52 nations during the first day of racing at the Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta 2015, which is serving as the second and final test event before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. US Sailing Team Sperry athletes competed in four classes on Saturday, and got out to a strong start in the Laser and Laser Radial. The remaining six Olympic classes will begin racing tomorrow, on Sunday, August 16.

Pictured: Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), Laser Radial. Photo: Onne van der Wal.

Laser Radial athlete and 2012 Olympian Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) sits in 4th overall after a 13th in the first race, followed by a win in race two. Railey said that the extensive time she and her coach Mark Littlejohn have spent training in Rio over the past three years has them feeling confident on all six Olympic race courses. “My understanding of the wind is what really stood out today,” said the World Champion and ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year. “I have a plan for this event and I’m executing it. To be sailing with significant experience at this venue means a lot.”

On the Laser course, Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) took 3rd in the first race, and 21st in the second. Sailing on the “Ponte Course,” which is the deepest inland of all the courses, Laser competitors had to manage particularly unstable wind conditions. “It was definitely tough today, with really subtle signals but big differences [on different parts of the course],” said Buckingham. “I was really happy with how I managed the first race, but had a tougher second race from the start. I managed to get back some valuable points and survive the day. We definitely have a long way to go in this regatta though.”

Racing continues at the Aquece Rio – International Sailing Regatta 2015 (Olympic Test Event) on Sunday, August 16. The event will conclude with medal races for the top competitors in each fleet from August 20-22.

Pictured: Carson Crain (Houston, Texas), RS:X Men. Photo: Onne van der Wal.

2015 Olympic Test Event, USA Results:

Full Results

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

4th overall, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.)

Laser (Men’s One-Person Dinghy): 

10th overall, Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.)

Women’s RS:X (Women’s Board): 

18th overall, Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.)

Men’s RS:X (Men’s Board): 

22nd overall, Carson Crain (Houston, Texas)

Classes Starting Sunday August 16:

Men’s 470 (Men’s Two-Person Dinghy): 

Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.)

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

Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.)

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

Brad Funk (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.)

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

Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.)

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

Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.)

Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull):

Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and Matthew Whitehead (Panama City, Fla.)

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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 and the Gowrie Group sponsor 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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Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 (978) 697-2384.