Palma de Mallorca, Spain – US Sailing Team Sperry athletes responded to welcome sunshine and stable conditions in Palma, and moved upward in the standings on Day Two of racing at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía. American athletes are now in the top ten in five classes.
Pictured: Annie Haeger and Briana Provancha, Women’s 470.
In the Laser Radial, 2012 Olympian and ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) won two races and jumped from 11th to 2nd overall. In light to moderate breeze, Railey demonstrated her skill in finding the puffs. “Honestly, patience was the key to success today,” said Railey. “We had a long day, with long races and very inconsistent wind. It was all about keeping yourself focused.”
Women’s 470 sailors Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) added another race win to the team’s tally, with scores of 1,6 on the day. “Briana saved the second race, she really worked us up the course and put us in a great position,” said Haeger, a 2014 US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year finalist. “We were just happy the conditions weren’t really unpredictable, like yesterday,” added Provancha.
In the 49erFX, Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.) were midfleet in the first race and 3rd in the second, to remain in 7th overall. “We made some bad calls early, but are learning from our mistakes,” said Henken, who also noted that due to academic commitments the pair have only recently begun to campaign full time for Rio 2016. “When we were in school, the most we ever trained directly before an event was a few days in advance. Now we are doing this full time, and are preparing for months. It’s making a big difference.”
Pictured: Stu McNay and Dave Hughes, Men’s 470.
In the Men’s 470, Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (San Diego, Calif.) moved up from 17th to 8th overall, despite several abandoned races and tricky breeze in the middle of the bay. The experienced pair now have three single-digit finishes in four races.
Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.) went from 14th to 9th overall after scoring a 2nd in the final race of the day. “We had the most consistent breeze we’ve seen yet,” said Paine. “I’m still making some mistakes here and there, but I feel like I’m making smart decisions overall.”
Notable US Results, Overall: Day 2
Full Results: http://bit.ly/1absKiX
Laser Radial Women (108 boats)
- Paige Railey, 2nd overall
470 Women (62 boats):
- Annie Haeger and Briana Provancha, 4th overall
49erFX Women (40 boats)
- Paris Henken and Helena Scutt, 7th overall
470 Men (75 boats):
- Stu McNay and Dave Hughes, 8th overall
Finn Heavyweight Men (74 boats):
- Caleb Paine, 9th overall
Laser Men (150 boats):
- Charlie Buckingham, 14th overall
Media Guide:
Event Website: http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org
US Sailing Team Live Updates: www.Twitter.com/USSailingTeam
US Sailing Team Daily Reports: www.ussailing.org/olympics
Social Media (Facebook): www.Facebook.com.USSailingTeam
Social Media (Instagram): www.Instagram.com.USSailingTeam
Photos (Daily): www.usst.photoshelter.com
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