Pictured: Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine), Paralympic Sonar, US Sailing Team Sperry. Photo: Jen Edney/US Sailing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2016
Hyères, France – Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine) won bronze for the US Sailing Team Sperry on Day 4 of Sailing World Cup Hyères (April 27 – May 1). It is the second career podium performance in Hyères for the three adaptive sailors, and a strong week of racing against the best Sonar teams in the world indicates that the veteran team will be medal contenders in Rio 2016.
In the Olympic classes, American sailors qualified for medal races in the Men’s 470 and Finn. Sunday’s medal races will be broadcast by World Sailing live online for U.S. audiences at WatchESPN (ESPN3). The Women’s 470 and Men’s Laser medal races will feature commentary from US Sailing Team Sperry athlete Briana Provancha.
Doerr, Kendell and Freund entered the day wearing gold leader jerseys in the Sonar, but scores of 7,8 allowed teams from Norway and Great Britain to slide just ahead in the final standings. “We didn’t quite put ourselves in position to succeed today,” said Freund. “That being said, this was still one of our stronger events of the [four-year Paralympic cycle] so far. Our middle set of races were especially consistent. Many of the teams that will likely be in Rio were here, and so we are proud to get on the podium.” Doerr, Kendell and Freund earned selection to the Rio 2016 U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team on Wednesday.
SUNDAY: Watch Medal Races LIVE online at WatchESPN (ESPN3), with commentary from Briana Provancha (USA).
US Sailing’s Rio 2016 Paralympic Athlete Selection Series in the 2.4mR class wrapped up on Saturday with Dee Smith (Annapolis, Md.) earning selection after a strong final day of racing. The America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Maxi sailor trailed longtime national team athlete Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, Conn.) heading into Hyères, but came out on top after a week that saw a wide range of weather conditions. Smith will make his first career Paralympic Games appearance in Rio.
Pictured: Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Miami, Fla.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team).
Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Miami, Fla.) finished full-fleet Men’s 470 action in strong fashion, and scores of 19,2,2 placed them in 5th overall heading into the medal race. “We had a bad start in the first race, and couldn’t come back. The die was cast early,” said Hughes. “After that, we just shook it off and got back into our normal race routine. We had tight races with Russian and Australian teams in the final two races, though we weren’t looking for battles. We were just trying to hold onto top three scores. It’s always nice to win races, but any time you can lock in a top-three, you do it.”
Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.) rebounded from a tough day 3 with an 11th in the day’s only Finn race, putting him in 9th overall. Paine has battled in the top-ten since the start if the regatta, and will look to close things out in decisive fashion on Sunday. Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) started the day in 11th overall in the Women’s 470, but after floating in and out of a top-ten position throughout the day, ended up just two points shy of qualifying for the medal race.
In the Nacra 17, Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.) ended their regatta with their strongest day yet, submitting scores of 7,6 in the final two races and moving up to 15th overall. “The top of the leaderboard [in the class] has shuffled, and we’re still making gains, that’s for sure,” said Gulari. Chafee noted that they continue to improve as a team with each passing event. “Every event and day of training is an added bonus for us,” said Chafee. “We feel like we’re making great strides in every aspect of our sailing.”
Racing at Sailing World Cup Hyères (April 27 – May 1) continues on Saturday with the final Paralympic races of the regatta. Olympic-class medal races take place on Sunday. American sailing fans will be able to watch medal race action LIVE online at WatchESPN (ESPN3).
Pictured: Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team).
Pictured: Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team).
US Results, Day 4: 2016 Sailing World Cup Hyères
Sonar (Paralympic Three-Person Keelboat): Final
- 3rd overall, Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine), U.S. Paralympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
Men’s 470 (Men’s Two-Person Dinghy):
- 5th overall, Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Miami, Fla.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
2.4mR (Paralympic One-Person Keelboat): Final
- 6th overall, Dee Smith (Annapolis, Md.), US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
- 13th overall, Daniel Evans (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
- 15th overall, Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, Conn.), US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
- 19th overall, Kevin Holmberg (Tampa, Fla.)
Finn (Men’s One-Person Heavyweight Dinghy):
- 9th overall, Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
Women’s 470 (Women’s Two-Person Dinghy): Final
- 11th overall, Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull): Final
- 15th overall, Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
Women’s RS:X (Women’s Board): Final
- 19th overall, Marion Lepert (Belmont, Calif.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
49er (Men’s Two-Person High Performance Skiff): Final
- 31st overall, Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and teammate Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
- 39th overall, Judge Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
Laser (Men’s One-Person Dinghy): Final
- 36th overall, Chris Barnard (Newport Beach, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
Men’s RS:X (Men’s Board): Final
- 38th overall, Pedro Pascual (Miami, Fla.), U.S. Olympic Team & US Sailing Team Sperry (national team)
SWC Hyères: Full Results
Note: U.S. Olympic Team members Paige Railey (Laser Radial), Charlie Buckingham (Laser) Paris Henken (49erFX) and Helena Scutt (49erFX) are not competing at the 2016 Sailing World Cup Hyères.
Quick Links:
- Sailing World Cup Hyères Homepage
- USA Image Gallery: Sailing World Cup Hyères
- US Sailing Team Sperry Social Media:
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.
