Pictured: European Champions Stu McNay and Dave Hughes (Men’s 470), US Sailing Team Sperry.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4, 2015
Portsmouth, R.I. – US Sailing Team Sperry athletes Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (San Diego, Calif.) have secured their second straight major international victory at the 2015 470 Class European Championships in Aarhus, Denmark. Following on the heels of their gold medal at ISAF Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland (UK) in June, the European title cements the veteran pair’s status as one of the top teams in the Men’s 470, the Olympic two-person dinghy. In the Women’s 470, Annie Haeger (East. Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) won yet another medal race against the top boats in the world, and secured a bronze medal. For both the US men’s and women’s teams, this was a standout result.
“This is definitely the biggest win of my 470 career,” said McNay, a two-time US Olympian (2008, 2012). ” The European Championships are on par with the World Championships in terms of difficulty and importance for all teams involved. We are honored to have won this regatta against such a strong field competitors. Consistency is always hard in sailing, but we had it this week. We were able to correctly identify the priorities for each day, and pounce on opportunities as they came our way. Our coach, Morgan Reeser (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) deserves a lot of credit for keeping us on track over this six-day event.”
Morgan Reeser won an Olympic silver medal in this same class at the Barcelona 1992 games, and has been coaching McNay and Hughes since 2013. “The Europeans was a very challenging event,” said Reeser. “We had six days of racing, and only one of those days had stable wind. Stu and Dave were in either first or second overall from the first day, so they were always wearing a leader jersey, and they tried hard to defend their position. A disqualification in race four allowed them no room for error until the final race was completed. ”
Pictured: Stu McNay (right) and Dave Hughes (left), US Sailing Team Sperry.
In a similar fashion to their performance in Weymouth, the team relied on their strong abilities on the starting line to get ahead early. Reeser also expressed satisfaction in their general speed around the course.
McNay and Hughes have achieved a rapid rise through the international ranks of the Men’s 470 since joining forces after London 2012. “Although they have only been sailing together for three years, both are veteran 470 sailors, and have previously been part of the U.S. Olympic Team (McNay competed in 2008 and 2012, and Hughes was a team coach in 2012). They have worked hard to refine their sailing technique and decision making, always aspiring to reach the level of the Gold Medalist Australians.”
Making the win all the more inspiring was the apparent loss of teammate Trevor Moore (Miami, Fla.) right before the event began. Moore disappeared on a motorboat off Miami on June 25. “Trevor was one of Dave’s best friends and an athlete that he coached at the 2012 Olympics. We learned of Trevor’s disappearance when we arrived in Denmark. Stu and Dave struggled with stressful, sleepless nights thinking of Trevor during pre-event training. Once the championship began, they resolved to win the event in Trevor’s memory, as that would make Trevor truly proud.”
Pictured: Annie Haeger (East. Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), 3rd and 4th right right (in red), Women’s 470.
In the Women’s 470, Haeger and Provancha started the event slowly before making an impressive charge up the standings over the course of the week. “We just kept looking forward, and took things one day at a time,” said Provancha. “We are over the moon right now with this result. It’s a personal best for our team, and we’ve been working really hard with our coach, (three-time 470 World Champion) Dave Ullman (Newport Beach, Calif.). It’s always great to see that pay of, especially in medal races.”
Racing began at the 470 European Championships on June 27 and concluded on July 4, 2015. US Sailing Team Sperry 470 athletes will next be in action at the 2015 Rio Olympic Test Event (August 15-22) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Pictured: Annie Haeger (East. Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), Women’s 470.
US Standings: 470 European Championships 2015
Men’s 470 (Men’s Two-Person Dinghy):
- 1st overall, Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry
Women’s 470 (Women’s Two-Person Dinghy):
- 3rd overall, Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
- 13th overall, Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry
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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.