Pictured: Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), Laser
August 6, 2014
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – As Day 4 of the Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta (Olympic Test Event) concludes, US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider athletes remain focused on absorbing as much knowledge as possible about the 2016 Olympic Games venue during their time in Brazil. Good weather conditions over the past two days have aided in this effort, with quality racing unfolding at racecourses scattered both inside and outside of Rio’s iconic harbor. “We’ve had up and down performances as a team this week,” said Charlie McKee, High Performance Director. “We’re here to see what we need to work on. Overall, we’re pleased with our Rio plan.”
In terms of preparing for an Olympic Games, there is no substitute for sailing at the venue itself, explained Laser Radial athlete Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.). “The conditions here are unique, so it’s good for us to get used to it and to be comfortable,” said Railey. “When we get to the Games it will just be second nature to us.” Laser sailor Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), currently in 5th overall, agreed. “It’s been nice to spend some time and get used to the bay,” said the two-time College Sailor of the Year. “I feel like we’re starting to figure it out. Inside the harbor, you definitely need [to put in time on the water]. Lots of current, lots of shifts, and pretty tricky. Outside [the harbor] is just open ocean, with big breeze and steady waves.”
Leading the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider on the leaderboard has been the women’s 470 team of Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), who opened racing on Tuesday with two race wins and stand in second overall after five races. “We have been working on increasing our speed upwind,” said Provancha. “It is exciting to see how far we have come. Our downwind speed here has also helped us a ton.”
Pictured: Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), Women’s 470.
Results: Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta (Rio Test Event)
US Sailing Roster (Class, Athlete/Team, Hometown):
470 Men (Men’s Two-Person):
14th, Stuart McNay (Providence, R.I.) and David Hughes (Miami, Fla.)
470 Women: (Women’s Two-Person)
2nd, Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.)
11th, Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
49er (Men’s Two-Person High-Performance):
9th, Brad Funk (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass.)
16th, Fred Strammer (Nokomis, Fla.) and Zach Brown (San Francisco/San Diego, Calif.)
49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High-Performance):
13th, Kristen Lane (San Francisco, Calif.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, Ill.)
15th, Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) and Kathleen Tocke (Buffalo, N.Y./Newport R.I.)
Finn (Men’s Heavyweight One-Person):
Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.)
Laser (Men’s One-Person):
5th, Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.)
23rd, Chris Barnard (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Laser Radial (Women’s One-Person):
8th, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.)
10th, Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Nacra 17 (Mixed Multihull):
13th, Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and John Casey (Miami, Fla.)
16th, Stephanie Hudson (Winnetka, Ill.) and Ian Andrewes (Kailua, Hawaii)
RS:X Men (Men’s Board):
26th, Carson Crain (Houston, Texas)
28th, Jonathan Rudich (Clearwater, Fla.)
Coaches supporting US Athletes this week in Rio:
– Dave Ullman
– Vince Brun
– Mark Littlejohn
– Morgan Reeser
– Charlie McKee
– Luther Carpenter
– Leandro Spina
Pictured: Chris Barnard (Newport Beach, Calif.), Laser
Event website:
Photos:
Daily US Sailing Team photos are available here: http://bit.ly/1ok2Po0
For photo download password, email: willricketson@ussailing.org
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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, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 978 697 2384