USA Preview: Sailing World Cup Miami & Rio 2016 Athlete Selection Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 24, 2016

Miami, Florida – With just under 200 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the series of regattas used to select the 2016 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team will start tomorrow (January 25, 2016) with Sailing World Cup Miami, Presented by Sunbrella. In eight out of ten Olympic classes and one of three Paralympic classes, the event will form the first half of US Sailing’s Rio 2016 Athlete Selection system. US Sailing Team Sperry athletes in the Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, RS:X Men, RS:X Women, 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17 and 2.4mR (Paralympic) classes will all try to earn a lead in the two-regatta selection series with strong performances in Miami. In total, the regatta will feature over 800 sailors, in 535 boats, who represent the national teams of 63 countries.

The event also serves as a nation qualifier for Rio 2016, and U.S. athletes will attempt to win a berth for their country at the Olympics in the 49er, 49erFX and Men’s RS:X classes. In all other Olympic and Paralympic classes, the United States has already secured a berth.

WATCH: ESPN3 Live Medal Race Coverage from Miami – Saturday Starting At 11:00AM EST

“This is the 27th year of this regatta, and we’re excited to have Sailing World Cup Miami be a part of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athlete selection system for the first time,” said Josh Adams, Managing Director of US Olympic Sailing. “Today’s star athletes in Olympic sailing come to Miami to get high-quality conditions for winter training and racing. US Sailing Team Sperry athletes have worked hard during the past three years, and we’re excited to see them perform on Biscayne Bay this week.”

On Saturday, January 30th, World Sailing will broadcast live video coverage of most of Olympic-class medal races. In North America, the racing will be broadcast online via ESPN3.

The racing will be available to watch in 2D and 3D via the live tracking. Live Tracking via the Sailviewer-3D Tablet App will be available for devices with 7″ or greater screens. This app comes in iOS and Android versions.

Names To Watch This Week

Here are some US Sailing Team Sperry and other American names to watch as Sailing World Cup Miami and U.S. Olympic athlete selection get underway:

Laser Class (Men’s One-Person Dinghy)

Charlie Buckingham, US Sailing Team Sperry (Newport Beach, Calif., pictured): The two-time college sailor of the year and North American Champion has posted high-level finishes in the exceptionally deep International Laser class since joining the Olympic racing circuit in late 2011. Buckingham finished 7th at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championship, and was 7th at the 2015 Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro.
Chris Barnard, US Sailing Team Sperry (Newport Beach, Calif.): Like his high school, college and US Sailing Team Sperry teammate Charlie Buckingham, Barnard is a College Sailor of the Year and Laser North American Champion. He was also the top American boat at the 2015 Laser Worlds, beating Buckingham by one place.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the Laser class. The second and final event will be the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, March 26-April 2, 2016.

Laser Radial (Women’s One-Person Dinghy)

Erika Reineke, US Sailing Team Sperry (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.): Reineke has been recognized for several years as one of America’s top young sailing talents, but she has clearly asserted herself as one of the toughest competitors in the world in the Laser Radial class during the Rio Olympic quadrennium. Reineke was the top U.S. athlete at the past two Radial Women’s World Championships, and in 2015 her Worlds finish was an impressive 10th overall.
Paige Railey, US Sailing Team Sperry (Clearwater, Fla., pictured): Railey has accomplished much in her Radial career, having earned the titles of Olympian, World Champion, ISAF Rolex World Sailor or the Year, and US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. Since London 2012 Railey has stayed sharp, winning bronze at the 2013 Worlds, and taking 4th at the 2015 Rio Olympic Test Event.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the Laser Radial class. The second and final event will be the Laser Radial Europeans, Las Palmas Grand Canaria, Spain, February 26 – March 5, 2016.

Finn (Men’s Heavyweight Dinghy)

Caleb Paine, US Sailing Team Sperry (San Diego, Calif., pictured): Though still young compared to most of his top competitors, Paine has consistently proven himself to be among the top sailors in the world in the men’s heavyweight dinghy. Paine has won the ISAF World Cup Series (2012), and took bronze at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final. He also won gold at the 2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, and was 7th at the 2014 Finn Gold Cup (World Championship).
Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.): Railey is a two-time U.S. Olympian, and a silver medalist from the Beijing 2008 Games. He has been largely inactive since London 2012, but started training intensively in late 2015. His first regatta after his hiatus was the 2015 Finn Gold Cup, where he finished 30th of 76.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the Finn class. The second and final event will be the Finn Europeans, Barcelona, Spain, March 5-12, 2016.

Men’s RS:X (Men’s Sail Board)

Pedro Pascual, US Sailing Team Sperry (West Palm Beach, Fla.): Pascual is one of the top young board sailing talents in the U.S., and made the US Sailing Team Sperry for the first time in 2016. Pascual won the youth RSOne European Championships in 2015, and made gold fleet at the Olympic-level RS:X European Championship.
Carson Crain, US Sailing Team Sperry (Houston, Texas, pictured): Crain has been the top performer on the national team for the past two years, and won the right to represent the United States at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, and the 2015 Rio Olympic Test Event.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the Men’s RS:X class. The second and final event will be the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, March 26-April 2, 2016.

Women’s RS:X (Women’s Sail Board)

Farrah Hall, US Sailing Team Sperry (Annapolis, Md., pictured): Hall is a London 2012 Olympian. She has been an active member of the US Sailing Team Sperry for three Olympic cycles, making her one of the most experienced members of the national team.
Marion Lepert, US Sailing Team Sperry (Belmont, Calif.): Lepert won bronze at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, her top international result to date. In 2013, Lepert missed the podium at the ISAF Youth World Championships by a single point.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the Women’s RS:X class. The second and final event will be the Trofeo SAR Princess Sofia, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, March 26-April 2, 2016.

49er (Men’s Two-Person High-Performance Dinghy)

Brad Funk (Clearwater, Fla.) and Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Mass., pictured) US Sailing Team Sperry: Funk and Burd have been the US Sailing Team Sperry’s top-performing boat since 2013, with their best showing coming at the 2014 Sailing World Cup Miami, where they won silver. The pair was the top American boat at the 2015 49er Worlds, and recently won the 2016 49er Midwinters, which served as a warm up event for Sailing World Cup Miami.
David Liebenburg (Livermore, Calif.) and Dan Morris (San Francisco, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry: Coming together as a team in late 2014, this west coast pair committed to a packed regatta schedule in North America, Europe and South America in 2015. Morris is an accomplished professional sailor in several classes, and Liebenburg is a U.S. national champion in both youth skiff sailing and college sailing.
Fred Strammer (Nakomis, Fla.) and Mike Kuschner (Gloucester Point, Va.), US Sailing Development Team: This team formed in late 2014, but Strammer has been active on the international 49er circuit since finishing a standout college career at Brown University in 2011. In 2013, Strammer won gold at Sailing World Cup Miami. Kuschner finished 3rd in the London 2012 49er Olympic selection series, and is a Melges 32 world champion.
Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.): Barrows and Morris were college teammates at Yale University. Barrows was a Beijing 2008 Olympian in the Laser class while still in college, and also won College Sailor of the Year. Morris is a five-time U.S. national champion in various classes.
Judge Ryan (San Diego, Calif.) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.): A new team to the scene, but one that quickly made waves by finishing as the top American boat at the 2015 49er South American championships, the warmup event for the Worlds.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the 49er class. The second and final event will be the Nacra 17, 49er and 49erFX World Championships, Clearwater, Florida, February 7 –14, 2016.

49erFX (Women’s Two-Person High-Performance Dinghy)

Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash., pictured), US Sailing Team Sperry: Henken and Scutt have been the top-performing boat on the national team for the past two years, with the highlight being a bronze medal performance at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. They were the top American team at the 2015 49erFX Worlds.
Emily Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.) and Elizabeth Barry (Riverside, Conn.), US Sailing Development Team: Dellenbaugh had an accomplished international youth sailing career, culminating in a gold medal at the 2007 ISAF Youth Worlds. Both Dellenbaugh and Barry were college All-Americans.
Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.) and Maggie Shea (Chicago, Ill.): Tulloch is a Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. Both Tulloch and Shea have won U.S. Women’s Match Racing national championships, and both campaigned for the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Eliott 6m.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the 49erFX class. The second and final event will be the Nacra 17, 49er and 49erFX World Championships, Clearwater, Florida, February 7 –14, 2016.

Nacra 17 (Mixed Multihull)

Sarah Newberry (Miami, Fla.) and Matthew Whitehead (Panama City, Fla., pictured), US Sailing Team Sperry: Newberry and Whitehead have been the top-performaning U.S. Nacra 17 team for the past two years, and represented their country at the Rio 2016 Olympic Test Event. The pair have a host of national and continental multihull titles between them, and together won the 2015 (non-Olympic) F18 Americas Championship.
Michael Easton (Bedford, Mass.) and Katie Pettibone (Port Huron, Mich.), US Sailing Team Sperry: Easton is a three-time F18 national champion, among several other mutihull titles. Pettibone is one of most accomplished female sailors of her generation, having competed with three America’s Cup syndicates and two Volvo/Whitbread Ocean Race teams.
Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.): Gulari is a US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and two-time Moth World Champion. Chafee entered Olympic-class sailing after a successful four years with the Brown University Sailing Team.
Mark and Carolina Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.): Mark Mendelblatt is a two-time Olympian in the Laser and Star classes. Carolina was an Athens 2004 Olympian for Portugal.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Olympic Team selection event for the Nacra 17 class. The second and final event will be the Nacra 17, 49er and 49erFX World Championships, Clearwater, Florida, February 7 –14, 2016.

2.4mR (One-Person Paralympic Keelboat)

Dee Smith (Annapolis, Md., pictured), US Sailing Team Sperry: Smith started his campaign for Rio 2016 in April 2015, but quickly has risen to the top of the class, with two top-ten finishes at open and disabled Worlds. He has competed with several notable America’s Cup and Maxi teams.
Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, Conn.), US Sailing Team Sperry: Rosenfield is a veteran national team member, and has been a consistent presence at nearly all major 2.4mR events since the London 2012 Games. He brings a wealth of experience to the Paralympic selection series.

Sailing World Cup Miami is a U.S. Paralympic Team selection event for the 2.4mR class. The second and final event will be Sailing World Cup Hyères, France, April 25- May 1, 2016.

Classes not using Sailing World Cup Miami for Olympic/Paralympic athlete selection, but still competing:

Men’s 470 (Men’s Two-Person Dinghy:

Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Miami, Fla.), US Sailing Team Sperry: McNay is a two-time Olympian in the 470 class. Teaming up with Hughes in 2013, the pair immediately performed a high level due to significant previous experience in the 470 with other partners. Highlight performances for the pair to date include two top-ten performances at the 470 Worlds, and gold medals at the 2015 470 Europeans, 2015 Sailing World Cup Weymouth, and 2013 Sailing World Cup Miami.

The first event for U.S. Olympic Team 470 athlete selection will be the 470 World Championships, San Isidro, Argentina, February 20-27, 2016. The second and final event will be the 470 Europeans, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, April 5-12.

Women’s 470 (Women’s High-Performance Dinghy):

Sydney Bolger (Long Beach, Calif.) and Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif., pictured), US Sailing Team Sperry: Bolger and Shevitz recently won the 2016 470 Women’s Nationals and 470 North Americans (top NA female boat). Bolger is a Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year.
(Not Competing in Miami) Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.), US Sailing Team Sperry: Haeger and Provancha are not competing in Miami, and instead are focusing on preparing for the 2016 470 Worlds in February. The pair won the Rio Olympic Test in event in 2015, along with bronze at the 2015 470 Europeans. Haeger was named US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year in 2015, and has previously won Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year. Provancha was a 2007 ISAF Youth World Champion.

Sonar (Three-Person Paralympic Keelboat)

Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine, pictured), US Sailing Team Sperry: Doerr, Kendell and Freund are returning for their second consecutive Paralympic selection series as a team, though Doerr has been active in adaptive sailing for the past 17 years and is the longest-tenured athlete on the national team. This team is currently leading the Paralympic Sonar selection series.
Andrew Fisher (Greenwich, Conn.) Daniel Evans (Miami, Fla.) and Tom Brown (Northeast Harbor, Maine), US Sailing Team Sperry: Fisher is a veteran competitor in many keelboat classes, including the J/70 and Swan 42, but this will be his first attempt at Paralympic selection. Brown is a silver (Athens 2004) and bronze (Sydney 2000) Paralympic medalist in the 2.4mR class, and a three-time Paralympian. Evans is an experienced 2.4mR athlete who recently switched to the Sonar.

The first event for U.S. Paralympic Team Sonar athlete selection was the Disabled World Championships, Melbourne, Australia, November 26-December 3, 2015. The second and final event will be ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères, France, April 25 – May 1, 2016.

Note On SKUD-18:

Note: the two-person SKUD-18 class is not featured at the 2015 Sailing World Cup Miami use to a lack of entered boats. For an update on the U.S. Paralympic Team selection series in this class, go here.

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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.