Hyères, France (April 23, 2014) – With the start of Gold fleet racing in several classes today at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères, the pressure has begun to intensify for the world’s best Olympic-class sailors. Consistent breeze and sunshine returned to the venue for the third consecutive day, showing why Hyères has been been a preferred venue for international high-performance sailing for decades.
In the women’s 470 class, 3rd-place Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) are locked in a tough battle for the lead primarily with teams from New Zealand and Great Britain. With only four points separating the three boats, every decision is magnified. Haeger and Provancha looked to be in trouble after a slow start in the final race of the day, and rounded the first windward mark in the mid 20’s, with New Zealand and Great Britain leading. Nevertheless, the pair fought their way steadily back to 6th, completing what their coach, Dave Ullman (Newport Beach, Calif.), called “their best race of the event.” When asked how they were able to mount a big comeback in such a tough fleet, Provancha noted that their results this week have been as much due to their process as to their boat speed. “We set goals with Dave before day 1, in terms of things we wanted to do well this week. We’ve been focused on those goals, and on listening to what our coach has to say.”
The men’s 470 racing is proving to be amongst the hardest-fought of the event, with the top 6 boats in gold fleet separated by only 7 points. Nevertheless, the 6th-place American team of Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.) was determined not to focus on the standings at this stage. “It was the classic ‘every boat counts’ sort of racing today,” said Hughes. “The only way to play is to race one decision at a time, and let the points shake out as they may.”
Today’s US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider photos: http://on.fb.me/1pnoqCI
Notable US Overall Results:
470 Men (81 boats):
– 6th overall, Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
470 Women (51 boats):
– 3rd overall, Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
49er (79 boats):
– 29th overall, Brad Funk (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
49erFX (42 boats):
– 30th overall, Kristen Lane (San Francisco, Calif.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, Ill.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
Finn (59 boats):
-2nd overall, Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
Laser Radial (79 boats):
– 14th overall, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
Laser (123 boats):
– 18th overall, Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.)
, US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
Nacra 17 (77 boats):
– 18th overall, Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and John Casey (Longwood, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
RS:X Women (58 boards)
– 26th overall, Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.), US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
Full results: http://bit.ly/QATNtI
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About the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
The US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider 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 Top-Sider. 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 Top-Sider; other sponsors include Harken and Team McLube. 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 Top-Sider training centers. Chubb Personal Insurance sponsors US Sailing’s National Team Tour, a nationwide presentation program for US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider athletes.
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 Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
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Press contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager. willricketson@ussailing.org +1 978 697 2384