The final day of U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing brought both elation and frustration as the winners were decided in the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 fleets. Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) punched her ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics in the ILCA 6 after seven days of intense racing, while Ford McCann (Houston, Texas) achieved athlete selection and will represent Team USA pending country qualification in the ILCA 7.
“It’s been a 15-year journey trying to make the Olympics,” said Reineke. “I’m 30 now and I started pursuing this path when I was 15 – it’s been a long road. I’ve been tested every Games cycle, and to finally succeed feels amazing. There’s a lot of work to be done for Paris and I’m honored to represent the USA on the Olympic stage.”
The regatta came down to the wire in the ILCA 6 fleet. Charlotte Rose, the leader throughout most of the event, was over early in the first race of the day, which put a UFD on her score card and took her out of contention for the Olympic spot. It then came down to Reineke and Christina Sakellaris, who moved up to second thanks to a win in race 13.
After a delay waiting for the northerly breeze to settle, Reineke and Sakellaris faced off in the final race. Reineke stayed on top of Sakellaris throughout the start and held her out to the unfavored side of the course, assuring that Reineke finished ahead.
In the end, Reineke finished five points ahead of Sakellaris, with 28 points to Sakellaris’ 33. Rose rounded out the podium in third with 42 points.
In the ILCA 7 fleet, Ford McCann maintained the lead he captured day one, winning athlete selection six points ahead of second place Leo Boucher. The US men still require country qualification to confirm participation at the Paris 2024 Games, with the final qualification opportunity coming up April 20-27, in Hyères, France at the “Last Chance Regatta.”
“It was a fantastic regatta, and the challenge of the Trials was certainly what we expected,” said McCann. “Going into the event, we knew there were a lot of really strong players and honestly the week felt like we were rushing for higher ground before the dam broke.”
“This was only step one of getting to Paris and luckily the same team I’ve had around me trying to make this collective dream come true will be with me for the next step,” continued McCann. “Marshall [McCann, Ford’s twin brother], Leo [Boucher] and I will all fight for the States to get an ILCA 7 spot in Paris.”
Chapman Petersen ended his event with a race win and claimed third overall, with 42 points to Ford’s 30 and Leo’s 36.
This event gathered competitors from across the country and spanned a wide age range – from 14 at the youngest (Daniella Cheng-Sun and Marina Wardlaw, ILCA 6) to 73 (Don Hahl, ILCA 7) at the oldest. Competitors qualified for the Trials at one of the US Open Sailing Series events or via resume selection.
US Sailing would like to thank the following hosts, race officials, volunteers, and staff for their hard work hosting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing:
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- Miami Yacht Club, host club of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing, led by Commodore Mark Ingraham
- Lead Race Officials Tom Duggan (Principal Race Officer), Bruce Cook (Jury Chief), Shannon Bush (Deputy Race Officer), and Kevin Reeds (Assistance Race Officer)
- Coconut Grove Sailing Club’s Race Committee Team, led by Andi Hoffman
- Florencia Barletta, Miami Yacht Club’s Youth Sailing Foundation Director
- Mike van Dyke, Commodore of Long Beach Yacht Club
- Chris and Carolyn Groobey, recipients of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing Volunteer Appreciation Award
- US Sailing’s Olympic Department staff members
- Henry Brauer, US Sailing Vice President
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Finally, this event could not have happened without the hard work and dedication of Pam Healy, Event Chair of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing.
Top 5 in each class overall:
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- ILCA 6 – Erika Reineke (28), Christina Sakellaris (33), Charlotte Rose (42), Lilly Myers (54), Audrey Foley (61)
- ILCA 7 – Ford McCann (30), Leo Boucher (36), Chapman Petersen (42), Marshall McCann (50), Daniel Escudero (50)
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