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Racing on San Francisco Bay home waters this week in the Casa Vela Cup, the first stop of the six-event series of the 2025 Women’s World Match Racing Tour (WWMRT), 4-time US Women’s Match Racing Champion Nicole Breault and her talented crew will be among the top teams to watch. The Tour returns to the US after taking a break in 2024 when the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup and other key events drew the attention of top ranked women sailors.

The Women’s World Match Racing Tour (WWMRT) was launched in 2022 to continue the legacy of the Women’s International Match Racing Series that built upon the success of women’s match racing in the London 2012 Olympic Games. Breault has always felt excited to race in these top tier events, as they are always a great opportunity to see where she and her teammates stack up against top women match racers around the world.

“I really respect the level of competition they bring while keeping such a positive vibe,” Breault said. “I’ve made some good friends over the years racing these events, and this week we are excited for the return of the Casa Vela Cup to San Francisco.”

McKenzie crewing for Molly Carapiet in 2025 NYYC Women’s 2v2

On the challenge of putting her team together for the Casa Vela Cup, Breault explained, “I have a big network and pretty much love all the people with whom I have ever raced. For this team I cast a net out to sailors with the right skills and size, but also the ability to do as much of the racing this year as possible; I wanted to build a team for the Tour with good chemistry and consistency.”

Breault’s team for Casa Vela Cup includes Molly O’Bryan Vandemoer, McKenzie Wilson, and Hailey Thompson.

“Molly’s an Olympian in match racing, and I love having her steady, solid tactical calls in my ear,” Breault smiled. “McKenzie was a college kid at Stanford when we first sailed together on our J/105. We match raced in Russia 10 years ago at the Nations Cup – she’s really good energy and athletic.”

Thompson was in high school when Breault identified her raw talent and drive.

Hailey on helm, Nicole & Molly crewing, 2023 USWMR Championship

“After Hailey crewed for me a couple of times, we decided she would helm the 2023 season, and she won bronze at the USWMRC in Annapolis! She’s fantastic and will be a pillar of the team.”

Four contenders racing this week include skippers Pauline Courtois (France), Anna Östling (Sweden), Julia Aartsen (Netherlands) and Kenza Coutard (France), all ranked in the top six among women. Breault will also face 4-time US Women’s Match Racing Champion (and current title holder) Allie Blecher (Los Angeles, Calif.)

“Allie just sailed the Congressional Cup with me as my tactician – she’s a super good friend and match racing rival here in the US,” Breault said. “We love racing together and against each other. Her team is strong with lots of ambition.”

Blecher is sailing with Beka Schiff, Alana Marks, and Martha Parker.

“Beka and I have sailed together for ten years now; Alana and I have sailed together on and off over the last five and ten years – the three of us went to the College of Charleston together at varying times so we have a past,”Blecher explained. “Martha has also sailed with us so I think as a team we will stack up okay. I’m not setting any expectations by any means. We’re out there to use it as a practice with our sights on the Worlds later in the year.”

In recent years Blecher’s racing focus has been offshore racing, notably TransPac, in addition to match racing and big, yacht club style challenge races. While her practice time will be limited to Tuesday prior to the event, that’s how it plays out with her team scattered around the country.

“Our practice days tend to be the day before the regatta unfortunately, but we make it work,” Blecher smiled. “I have sailed against a bunch of the main players who will be competing and it’s nice to see some new players come in, fueling the next generation.”

Nicole & Molly 2023 Casa Vela Cup mark rounding

Match racing events are hosted by venues that provide equally matched boats. The size of a Club fleet is one of the limiting factors on how many teams can attend. The St Francis Yacht Club can host a high-profile international event like the Casa Vela Cup with 10 teams because of its 13-strong fleet of J/22s. The St Francis Sailing Foundation helped to establish this fleet expressly for match and team racing and to bolster the Club’s participation in hosting marquis regattas in these disciplines of the sport. Later this summer, the StFYC will host the 2025 US Women’s Match Racing Championship.

To fund a WWMRT event is costly compared to an internationally ranked fleet race regatta when fifty to a hundred or more boats may show up. While both require the host club to fly international umpires and race officers to the venue, in match racing there are only ten entry fees to amortize the costs. The St Francis Sailing Foundation has extended a grant to assist this year’s Casa Vela Cup.

“We were able to lower the entry fee per skipper with the Foundation grant which helps us bring in the best skippers from all over the world – we’re on a tight budget – as are the competitors – so everyone appreciates that assistance,” Bruce Stone, Regatta Chair, noted. “We’re expecting some exciting competition among tough sailors who do a lot of racing. The high-wind venue, of course, is the perfect place to showcase all their boat-handling and match racing talents.”

This year, Breault plans to do the three US events in the 2025 Tour: San Francisco (Casa Vela Cup), Annapolis (Santa Maria Cup), and Chicago (World Sailing Women’s Match Racing Championship), and possibly the Bermuda Gold Cup. Two European events will be held, one in France and another in Sweden.

“It’s really fun to be part of the whole process and especially to advocate for the newer sailors to get into the game,” Breault commented. “I’ve always worn two hats, one helping other sailors who are reaching toward their goals – maybe coaching a little or crewing for them – meanwhile I wear the hat of a competitor too. There’s a switch that flips in me when I’m racing and you’ll see the competitive part of me just come out.”

The Casa Vela Cup runs May 28-31, and will be sailed off the St Francis Yacht Club in J/22s, with great spectator viewing from Crissy Field and the race deck at the St Francis Yacht Club. https://womenswmrt.com/events/casa-vela-cup-2025/

Feature Image: Nicole & Molly Casa Vela Cup 2023
Images: Courtesy Nicole Breault & US Sailing

Long-time St Francis Sailing Foundation grantee Alameda Community Sailing Center (ACSC) has preparations for a busy 2025 in the works. The addition of a fleet of six 420s opens up new opportunities for the center, especially for teen sailors eager to build their skills, notes Emily Zugnoni, ACSC program director.

“This is the first year that we are starting off with a fleet of 420s, so we are hoping to do a bit more advanced team sailing, getting the spinnakers out, using the trapeze more regularly for our teen sailors,” Zugnoni said. “Last year we weren’t able to do a whole lot of that because we didn’t have many instructors with US Sailing Level 2 instructor certification but this year we are putting a whole group of our instructors through Level 2 training who will be qualified to teach more advanced sailing.”

In 2024, ACSC put some 600 people through its various programs, kids and adults, and this year is hoping to get 600 juniors alone through its mix of summer camps and after-school sailing programs in spring and fall.

“We’re focused on doing more of what we have been doing and doing it well,” Zugnoni said. “We’re aiming to get our weekend learn-to-sail classes which we have done for years running every weekend or multiple classes on one weekend whereas in the past maybe we managed one a month or every other weekend.”

Single day adventure sails set the scene for sailors to prepare for destination sailing, whether it be on a Sail Cube or FJ, and ACSC sailors can look forward to more of those this season planned for summer camps and after-school programs as well as on weekends. Each adventure sail will be organized accordingly for a different age group; a nearby sail for the 7–12-year-old sailors, maybe over Treasure Island for the 11-14 years Feva sailors, and something further afield for the teens and adults sailing FJs.

“We always have a few adventure days sprinkled in where we sail from ASCS to lunch at some other destination – sail there and sail home – we’ll start doing them on weekends and may call them Sunday Fundays,” Zugnoni smiled.

A full community-based organization, each ACSC program has a different tuition rate, for example, a two-week summer camp comprising ten full days costs $1155, a standard camp cost for aquatic / sailing camps although Zugnoni notes that ACSC programs offer more time than others. After-school sailing ranges from $300-$600 for a six-week program depending on how many days are attended.

ACSC continues to grow with more staff, more boats, more participants, with people learning about its awesome waterfront venue in Alameda and its programming word of mouth as well as through camp fairs and the Alameda Parks & Recs catalog. Outreach to specific groups who ACSC feels will benefit from sailing experiences often results in scholarship offerings to these groups with good retention. One challenge that the organization currently faces is growing its Board of Directors, Zugnoni acknowledges.

“We had a lot of solid volunteers who had been with us since the get-go and it’s time to bring in some new faces so we’re looking for people who want to volunteer a lot of time and who may want to join the board.”

Zugnoni has been in her current ACSC role for six years starting as an instructor with ACSC 11 years ago. She grew up sailing with her grandpa who taught her that sailing doesn’t have to be complicated, and she’s proud that this attitude is one that ACSC has nurtured over the years as part of its culture.

“Grandpa was always a less-polished kind of sailor who always taught me that sailing doesn’t have to be so formal, anybody can do it, you don’t have to wear a specific outfit or act a certain way, sailing is for everyone, so seeing that we have been able to maintain that approach at ACSC and grow that makes me happy – it makes the sport more inviting!”

Interested in volunteering or a board role at Alameda Community Sailing Center? Reach out to Zugnoni at emilyzugnoni@gmail.com.

With our annual Auction fundraising event just weeks away, we’re excited to announce that we have an exciting early auction item up for bid NOW!

Bidding closes at noon on March 13th; due to the timing of this auction item bidding has been opened early – don’t miss this special opportunity!

SailGP Sailing Base Tour

Win an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the SailGP base for six (6) guests at 10:30AM, Saturday, March 22nd, the first morning of the upcoming SailGP event in San Francisco.

Welcome to the heart of the action at SailGP in San Francisco! This exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the SailGP technical site offers a rare opportunity to witness firsthand how the world’s fastest sailing teams prepare for race day. As you explore the base, you’ll get an up-close look at the cutting-edge F50 catamarans – hydrofoiling race boats capable of reaching speeds of nearly 100 km/h.

Winners of this special Auction item will have the chance to see the shore teams in action as they fine-tune these high-performance machines, ensuring they are race-ready for the thrilling competition ahead on San Francisco Bay. Your guide will provide insights into the advanced technology, team strategies, and logistics that go into making SailGP one of the most exciting racing leagues in the world. Winners of this item will also get to see the team tents, the operations hub, and other key areas that make up the SailGP technical site.

Click here to learn more and start to bid.

Discover many more incredible items for bid at the 19th Annual St. Francis Sailing Foundation on March 25, 2025!

A long-time St Francis Sailing Foundation grantee, Sausalito-based Call of the Sea had an epic 2024, in fact, it’s been its strongest year yet according to Elizabeth Hunt, Director of Advancement. “We served more children than ever before – over 5,000, we also offered 2000 scholarships, many more than previously, with 54% of the schools we work with served through scholarships, something we’re very proud of,” Hunt commented.  “75% of the people who received scholarships were people of color and many of them were first nation and immigrant families with English as a second language. This year our goal is 2500 scholarships and we’re working hard toward that end.”

Hunt added, “One of the coolest things about this past year was the ability to serve more kids from farther away – we’re trying to do that more with help from foundations who have been supporting bus transportation subsidies, for example. We have great partnerships with groups like Oakland Goes Outdoors, relationships that really help us to serve those kids who are high need.”

COTS serves people from the entire Bay area including schools in Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Marin County, San Francisco, San Mateo, Napa, Sonoma County, the Sierra foothills, Yuba River, Sacramento and even Utah where dedicated teachers want to bring their students to experience the Bay, Hunt noted. COTS caters mostly to 4^th-5^th graders through its traditional school program but covers the spectrum of ages from middle, high school, and university students and, increasingly, more adult sessions through specialized workshops including its Aloft Seamanship sailing program which is like an advanced ropes course program.

This year all COTS workshops will be conducted as overnighters, an experience also suitable for families and people who have aged out of COTS summer camps: scholarship and non-scholarship slots are available. The Sea Scouts participated in valuable three-day sessions last summer, including a group from Utah who visit every other year – they’re hosted on the submarine USS Pampanito and at COTS participate in an advanced seamanship and navigation program where they work on voyage planning, learning about the currents and the tides and all the things that go into planning a successful sailing trip.

The pride of COTS is its two ships – the Seaward, an 82’ classic staysail schooner built in 1988, and the brigantine Matthew Turner, a 132’ traditional wooden tall ship built in 2017 to serve as an experiential learning platform for Bay Area youth. In 2024, COTS also operated its ships more than ever before with 240+ sails throughout the year, sometimes heading out on the Bay twice a day. The Seaward has made the trip to Mexico fourteen years in a row partnering with Camp Sea Lab (Santa Barbara) who hire the ship, sign up their campers and provide the naturalists while COTS provides the vessel and seamanship aspect. A voyage is scheduled in late August to Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay on the Matthew Turner, in addition to its busy San Francisco Bay schedule.

“The Matthew Turner has been super busy this past year and we are working on upgrades for next year because we want to make it more suitable for voyaging,” Hunt said. “We are seeking support for items like a water maker, and her sails have now been under the sun for many days since they were first built in 2017 so they need to be upgraded. We’ve had a lot of work to do on the electrical propulsion system, re-wiring as we figure out loads etc., as our power system must be good enough to be offshore for more than a few days.”

In 2024, COTS gained a new executive director – Carla Thorson – the organization’s first ever female executive director who came from the World Affairs Council, and the Commonwealth Club after 20 years of leading programs there. Hunt joined the COTS team last June also coming from a not-for-profit background most recently working with TechSoup. She’s from a local sailing family; her husband owns Modern Sailing based in Sausalito and she’s thrilled to share her passion for education, the environment and sailing in her new role at COTS.

“We are increasingly trying to get more dedicated support in conservation projects because of our strong emphasis on advancing the next generation of ocean conservationists through our programming,” Hunt said.

Another COTS objective, notes Hunt, is to launch a dedicated workforce development apprenticeship program to support folks interested in the maritime industry to benefit COTS crew for their long-term careers but also to support interns from Cal Maritime who want sea time. She’s hopeful that long-time supporters PASHA and Matson Shipping, who supported the build of the Matthew Turner, will partner in this goal.

COTS would not operate without its dedicated volunteers. Typically, volunteers join the team by helping out on sailing trips where they can develop the required skills or by taking COTS’ once-a-month Aloft program that includes dockside training and a two-hour sail. A long-standing crew of volunteers have been with the organization since the Matthew Turner was built and many still continue to assist with ship maintenance.

As with most not for profits, the fund-raising drive is continually on the go. 50% of COTS funding comes from donations with approximately 90% of that derived from individual contributions. The organization is fortunate to have a major angel donor who has supported COTS extremely well over the years and who they are working with to diversify and support to find additional donors at that level.

“The level of individual contributions is fantastic as is the volunteer commitment – so many are donors and volunteers,” Hunt said. “In the last year we had 200 days donated of sailing volunteer time which really helps us to achieve our goal of serving 6,000 kids this year. Demand is higher than ever!”

ABOUT CALL OF THE SEA
Call of the Sea (COTS) was founded in 1985 by Alan Olson and a group of local sailors to provide Bay Area youth an opportunity to sail traditionally rigged vessels and to learn about the marine environment as well as maritime history — while inspiring them to be stewards of the sea and earth. In 2004 COTS was re-founded with Ken Neal along with a new group of committed sailors who came together to purchase the schooner Seaward. Subsequently over the past ten years, Seaward has served over 50,000 students and now sails with an average of 5,000+ students per year. In January 2015 COTS merged with Educational Tall Ship Inc. (ETS), the organization constructing the 132′ wooden hybrid, propulsion system tall ship Matthew Turner in Sausalito. Matthew Turner was launched in 2017, US Coast Guard certified in 2020 and now serves, along with Seaward,  as a floating classroom for students and the community, serving Northern California and beyond. https://callofthesea.org/

US Sailing recently announced the winners of the prestigious 2024 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards. Ian Barrows and Hans Henken were named the Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year, while Cole Brauer has been named the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. The winners were honored earlier today at an awards ceremony during the US Sailing Awards Ceremony at the 2025 US Sailing Leadership Forum in Coronado, California. The selection process involved a vote by past Rolex Award winners and prominent members of the sailing media.

StFYC member Hans Henken and his skipper Ian Barrows secured a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the Men’s Two-Person Skiff – the 49er, breaking an eight-year Olympic medal drought for the United States. Despite weather delays that added stress to their final medal race, the duo executed a remarkable performance, clinching the bronze medal on the final leg of the race.

“The St. Francis Sailing Foundation’s unwavering support during this past quad was pivotal in my Olympic journey,” Henkens stated. “Their quarterly grants made it possible to campaign effectively, focusing my time and energy to training on the water, which ultimately led to winning a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I am deeply grateful for their belief and investment in my dreams and in the future of sailing in the United States for many generations to come.”

Following their Olympic success, Henken has returned to the roster of the USA SailGP Team, serving as a flight controller and grinder. Barrows joined the coaching staff at the College of Charleston, where he continues to inspire and develop future sailing talent. Their resilience and skill on the international stage have earned them recognition as the best in American sailing for 2024.

Congratulations Hans and Ian from all of us at the St Francis Sailing Foundation!

The St. Francis Sailing Foundation is proud of its grantees, past and present, and all that they accomplish, paving a way for other sailors. Former StFSF grantee, committee member and Olympian Helena Scutt is just home from what she describes as a “time-of-my-life year.” Here, Scutt reflects on the challenges and the joys she experienced sailing with the first-ever US Women’s America’s Cup Team and as a Mechatronics Engineer for the US AC team, American Magic.

Just before the US America’s Cup women’s team geared up to sail the AC40 on their own, after months of simulator training at American Magic’s Barcelona base, a crew shuffle occurred. Their designated on-water training slot, from mid-June to mid-August, didn’t work for Steph Roble’s Olympic campaign or Anna Weis’s SailGP commitments, so Louisa Nordstrom joined the team and the work began. Training in Badalona, 30 minutes away from the American Magic base, there was plenty to do to get up to speed, literally, on the AC40.

“Initially time was spent learning things like safety training,” Scutt explained. “We had a bunch of sessions in the pool learning how to use the spare air, how to crane the boat in and out of the water, how to step the mast on the boat, even before we got to go sailing.”

Olympian Helena Scutt with American Magic team-mate with fellow Olympian Erika Reineke. Credit: Courtesy HScutt

With just nine weeks of training available, the main constraint on their sailing time—and common across all the teams—turned out to be battery life. So many of the vessel’s systems are automated and heavy use—such as anytime the sail or traveler were adjusted significantly or the autopilot trimmed the foil flaps—left the batteries drained in an hour and a half. And when conditions were rough, more energy was consumed.

“We felt very time-constrained because not only were our sailing days limited and shared with the youth team, but on any given sailing day we had two sets of batteries so only about three hours of sailing to split between the two teams,” Scutt said.

During the Women’s America’s Cup regatta, Scutt was an alternate trimmer and made keen observations from the coach boat. Wanting to avoid wasting valuable battery life plus the uncertainty of when officials would start a race, there was sometimes as few as five minutes to warm up before a race sequence began, she noted.

“You needed a carefully planned strategy not just for your approach to the start line, but the overall choreography required getting there so that you could minimize your maneuvers and time the approach to the start correctly. It was a massive learning experience on all fronts.”

Scutt notes that the AC40 is challenging to sail if you’re good, but really challenging to race and sail well.

“The AC40 is challenging to sail if you’re good, but really challenging to race and sail well.” Quote & credit: HScutt

“The boat can be relatively stable in a straight line, but then add all of the settings to manage, the maneuvers, the boundary racing, and the speed at which things happen with other boats on the course—it’s hard to appreciate the complexity of the boat until you have sailed it,” she said. “Each of the four people on board directly affects performance. They have to be so in sync with each other.”

Scutt added, “I was super impressed with all of the women’s teams, especially with the two finalists. It was also incredible what the invited teams accomplished with so little time in the boat. That was a huge task—they were allotted just four days before the event, I believe, two of which were either too light or too windy.”

About the two finalists, the highly polished Italian and British teams, Scutt commented that it was notable both were comprised of skiff sailors, and had the benefit of skilled leadership.

“The racing is a lot like skiff racing; both teams had clear leaders with Hannah Mills (GBR) and Giulia Conti (ITA) who have done at least three or four Olympics each,” Scutt noted. “It showed, together with their solid team culture, they were truly racing the boats and picking up on the shifts before other teams. I think these elements were a huge part of their success and will only become more important.”

Scutt has not had much personal time on the water this past year so she's embracing her next adventure: the Moth Worlds in New Zealand in January.

“I am really excited to go Moth sailing where I still have so much to learn in that class,” Scutt enthused. “Sailing the AC40 really makes you appreciate the whole team that’s involved, from the boat builders to the electronics experts and more, and it makes me appreciate sailing my Moth and being independent. Sailing is very cool because of both those experiences—there is nothing like sailing an AC40 over 40 knots with three other people, but there is also nothing like having the mainsheet and tiller in your hand and doing your own thing. I like both sides of it.”

Donations to the sailing athletes and community programs that the Foundation supports are possible through funds raised at StFSF’s Annual Auction, scheduled for March 25, 2025, with Paul Cayard as Honorary Auction Chair. The largest contribution to the Foundation came from the estate of member and Staff Commodore Tom Allen in his trust. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the St. Francis Sailing Foundation in your will or trust. If you or your attorney needs information, call Treasurer Greg Meagher at 510-541-2543.

Pam Healy  won a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, in the 470 class together with JJ Fetter. She learned to sail growing up in the Bay Area in her yellow El Toro named “Woodstock” alongside the likes of sailing legend John Kostecki at the Richmond Yacht Club where she met her husband, Craig Healy. She joined the St. Francis Yacht Club as a Junior Member in 1983 and In 1983, she joined St. Francis Yacht Club as a Junior Member and she has been nominated for the role of Rear Commodore in 2025.

Healy is a member of US Sailing’s Board of Directors and took on the role of Organizing Authority for the domestic Trials in Miami which occurred this past January and February. Her responsibility was to report to US Sailing and the USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee) to ensure the Trial events were held at USOPC standards. She also organized the 68 volunteers for the January Trials and 45 volunteers in February, crucial to the Trials’ success. With the Paris Olympics done and dusted, as well as the past few years of upheaval at US Sailing, Healy reflects on the recent Olympic quad with a view to LA2028.

JJ Fetter & Pam Healy: Bronze Medalists & great friends

“Working as the Organizing Authority for the domestic Trials was a 2-1/2-year project for me and I didn’t realize how much work it was until it was over, I was buried!” laughs Healy. “We brought in people from all over the country  and involved as many women as we could; I was really proud of how many women we had on the water running races. It was great to learn who can really handle this kind of regatta pressure and who is ready for LA2028, because we’ll be needing them; we really have a talented group of people in this country who can do this work.”

Healy commented on the success of running domestic Trials for the first time in many years.

“There is an argument for domestic Trials and having everyone meet the pressure of just that one competition,” notes Healy. “I saw how high the pressure was; the fleets were small and the competition really unforgiving. It was beneficial for the athletes because they had never sailed like that before. It’s a little exclusive to have the Trials abroad because you won’t grow the depth in a class – you’ll end up with just a handful of decent sailors. For example, in the 470 class there are a lot of kids who are young and who don’t have the funding right now, but they were at the Trials earlier this year giving everyone a go-around at the marks, they weren’t far off the pace, but they would never have been able to go to abroad to race an Olympic qualifying series.”

These past Games have been the first time since her own campaign, other than helping her husband with his 2000 Olympic effort in the Soling, that Healy has been involved in Olympic sailing although she has been instrumental in assisting with the Olympic Development Program over the past years. Healy’s good-humored observations of how different the experience was back in her day highlights how much easier it should be for athletes competing at the elite level today.

“Sailing competitors today may think a campaign is so much work and so much time; looking back, we did not have half of the amenities and resources they have available to them now like cell phones, cash machines, or even Google!” smiles Healy. “We would arrive in Europe and our boats wouldn’t be there; we wouldn’t know when the container was arriving. Competitors today just have so much more communication available to them. Fundraising has been facilitated by social media which athletes can take advantage of and can appeal to people who know little about sailing to donate to their campaigns. It was also more difficult for women when I was campaigning; women expect to be treated differently today as they should be, and there is a difference in the way that their male counterparts treat them, it is much more respectful, and you never hear any undertones of inclusiveness.”

As a spectator this year and with no official duties, Healy got to enjoy the Games alongside many friends in Marseille supporting Team USA, as well observe the positives that will serve future US sailing athletes rolling into LA 2028.

“It was heart-warming to see so many St Francis Yacht club members in Marseille supporting our sailors,” says Healy. “While the racing wasn’t too exciting to watch because there wasn’t much wind, there were many USA fans and family members rallying and supporting their athletes. I was impressed to see in action that the athlete voice is top of mind and that’s how the USOPC wants it, as it is in all sports. US Sailing is coming out of the dark ages on its approach to elite sailing competition and acting in the best interests of the whole athlete. I wish our sailors had done better this year, but I feel good about how the program worked, how the support systems worked and the communication. They were united and had an amazing collective experience, great team cohesiveness.”

Nonetheless, it is no secret that there is room for improvement in order for US sailing athletes to do well in 2028, and Healy places an emphasis on working together and training as a quad as key components for success.

“Leading up to the Trials I saw how the 49er class was excellent at working together as was the iQ Foil class; sailing together, sharing information, sharing settings, and talking to each other,” says Healy. “You have to rely on your teammates, and you have to make each other faster. It was impressive during the Trials watching Charlie Mckee (coach to bronze medalists in the 49er Ian Barrows and Hans Henken) gather all the 49er sailors around a picnic table – they wouldn’t talk about who tacked on who or who won the start, they talked about what each other’s’ settings were, how they were approaching the race etc. I also see it in the ILCA 6 class where there is a nice women’s quad developing. Naturally, in the last couple of months you are allowed to be selfish and on your own program but we’re not going to get the best result as a country if we don’t all work together. Everyone needs to be of that frame of mind, you have to buy into the whole program and be part of the US Sailing Team. We have good potential in some classes, but success can’t be achieved in a vacuum.”

On Healy’s wish-list for LA2028 is to see the positive energy generated this year in Olympic sailing continue to gather momentum and focus on a full team effort because as she well understands, thinking you can win at the Games all by yourself is unrealistic.

“Seeing everyone work together, get behind our representatives on the team and ensuring that we get some top finishes in the classes where we are strongest, that would be so great for our program,” comments Healy. “I think we can do it in several of the classes with everyone working together. There is a ground swell happening within the ODP under ODP Manager Rosie Chapman’s direction and everyone involved feels like they are part of a movement, part of a culture. If you get second in the Trials and the representative gets a medal, you know you are a piece of that medal; let’s bring back that national team spirit!”

Pam Healy is a board member of the St Francis Sailing Foundation (StFSF), and her Olympic sailing partner JJ Fetter sits on the Foundation committee. StFSF was proud to assist recent Olympians including club members Hans Henken, Daniela Moroz and Markus Edegran with fundraising in this past quad. Donations by the Foundation are possible through funds raised at STFSF’s annual Auction which is scheduled for March 4, 2025.

The largest contribution to the Foundation came from the estate of member and Staff Commodore Tom Allen in his trust. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the St. Francis Sailing Foundation in your will or trust. If you or your attorney needs information, call Treasurer Greg Meagher at 510-541-2543.

2024 has been a busy year for 24-year-old Charlotte Rose campaigning the ILCA 6. While she missed out on an Olympic berth (it went to Erika Reineke), Rose took all she could from the experience and is folding that into her game plan for LA2028. Recapping her recent successes, Rose took silver in the 2024 World Championship, bronze in the 2024 US Olympic trials, and gold at the 2024 French Olympic Week, impressive results which position her well for her next moves.

Reflecting on her observations of the summer Olympic Games, Rose was mostly interested in what was going on behind the scenes and the mental approach sailors needed to get through the racing in Marseille.

“There wasn’t much watching but a lot of waiting because there wasn’t a lot of  wind and it was interesting to home in on not so much the sailing part but the athletes’ mentality and behind the scenes,” says Rose. “The Olympics seem like a massive show put on by NBC every four years and it highlighted for me a lot of things that we will not usually experience at a regular regatta like the race course and format of racing being changed to suit the broadcasting; the Lasers would usually do outers or inners yet they were sailing windward leewards twice around which is not a usual track for the class. There seemed to be a lot of distractions that were hard to control; helicopters above, cameras on the boats, and sailors whose events were after the start of racing couldn’t get out onto the course to continue to practice. What I took away from all of that and what I really want to work on is paying attention to myself and if there is noise, knowing I can deal with it so it just becomes a small annoyance over time; minimize the noise and do everything in my power to manage that which I can control.”

Rose is taking some much-needed time out partly because there are not a lot of high level regattas post Games and also just to take a break. She is putting energy into planning things she would like to do differently as she moves into her second Olympic quad; working on budgets and raising money are on that list. She notes that she didn’t have the kind of preparation going into Paris 2024 that she better understands now is crucial.

“Four years seems like a long way but I’m excited to make sure that all the pieces I wasn’t able to set in stone during the last quad are in place,” says Rose. “I came from college onto the circuit – I had just two years, and it was like, go, go, go all the way to the end. I didn’t really have any preparation beforehand; most of it was knowing I didn’t have any money to do it, I didn’t know how to campaign or do sponsorships or go fundraising. I’m building that foundation, making sure I have everything that I need and want to get out of this quad. Obviously, things won’t go super-smooth, there will be bumps, but most of it I will feel good about, and while nothing is for sure, I’ll be able to fall back on plans I am making now.”

Asked whether it was a positive or negative to have missed out on Paris 2024, Rose thought for a few moments.

“That’s a good question, I guess yes and no,” smiles Rose. “So much was compromised for the sailors and all athletes, the media was crazy, there were issues with food for the athletes, some countries including the US brought their own air conditioning units because the organizers didn’t provide A/C in the athletes’ accommodations but at the same time, it was interesting to learn from Marit Bouwmeester and how she uses data on the racecourse, which I have not really been doing.”

Bouwmeester, the most decorated female Olympic sailor with four medals across her career, has been an important influence on Rose’s sailing career. Rose sailed with Bouwmeester the past three summers and was impressed how the Dutch sailor separated herself from the noise during the Games.

“Sailing is such a dynamic sport that you don’t really know what is going to happen, but Marit blocked out the noise and stuck with the routine during the racing,” says Rose. “Marseille was a left-hand racecourse if you look at the trackers. Maybe some right would come in and those were the lucky people. So, it was 80% the left would work and 20% the right would work; Marit was going with the higher percentage move even if she rounded 14 or 15 because that is still a great score to have. She had all that data and the confidence to go with it. It worked for her, and I don’t think she got worse than a 15^th which is an amazing score to have at the Games. I haven’t been keeping track of data or numbers, I kind of know what is likely to happen but one of things that I really want to change in the next quad is keeping track. I was in Long Beach for ten days this summer and kept tracked of all the days – the wind direction, wind strength, the trends etc., so that I can build a toolbox; during the Games, I will have all the data re what is most likely to happen and I’ll be able to play off the higher percentages.”

Rose has enjoyed working with coach Alex Saldanha whom she’s had great results with; going forward, she’s all for building a team to help her achieve her goals.

“I don’t think a one coach approach is one I will stick with for four years, it will be a team effort – the more people I have in my circle the better,” says Rose. “There is not necessarily one person out there who is super technical, super good on speed, really good on race coaching, and you never know, I may need a match race coach if we have domestic trials again. This time around it will be a big team effort which I am really excited about and I’m already excited about the support that is coming through behind the scenes.”

Meanwhile, on her time out, Rose is spending her spare time with family which she doesn’t get too much during a campaign, and becoming excited about Long Beach and LA2028.

“I got burned out over the summer trying to continue sailing and pushing so hard so it’s nice to be taking it easy for now,” says Rose. “My day to day focus is on fitness, I started with a trainer here in Houston which I really enjoy. I hope to start spending more time in Long Beach from now on, especially over the summers. Long Beach, Calif., as a venue is beautiful, it will be so much nicer (than Marseille). I’m excited about the next four years. Really excited!”

Charlotte Rose is a grantee of the St Francis Sailing Foundation: https://www.charlotterosesailing24.com/

Images: Courtesy Lexi Pline/US Sailing

The largest contribution to the Foundation came from the estate of member and Staff Commodore Tom Allen in his trust. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the St. Francis Sailing Foundation in your will or trust. If you or your attorney needs information, call Treasurer Greg Meagher at 510-541-2543.

“I think the most meaningful thing about the NAs was that it was the biggest regatta that we have won together, and it came down to the last race, it actually came down to the final run of the last race. Whenever you are having a competition that is that intense, it’s exciting, it’s exhilarating, it makes crossing the finish line that much more of a big deal. To share that with Danny was very meaningful.” – Paul Cayard

Star Olympian (2004), Paul Cayard has been successfully racing the two-person dinghy since his late teens, and since 2015, he’s been occasionally racing the boat with son Danny as crew. They recently conquered the Star North Americans, hosted by the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, with a dramatic end going into the 8th and final race where just two points separated the top three teams: Cayard/Cayard, George Szabo/Guy Avellon, John Dane/Dave Martin.  After a tight battle for most of the race, it was only in the final leg that the Cayard duo moved ahead and clinched the win.

“The race itself required me to use a lot of my experience, we were a little slower than George but we had a better start so we match-raced him a bit to keep him behind us and that pushed both of us down in the fleet a bit,” Paul says. “We had to be in the top seven to have a chance at winning because George’s worst race was a seventh. We got back in there at about 12^th, we were fast downwind so we were able to stay with them and even stretch a little then start working through the fleet. Combining all of that and to have Danny sail with me in that situation where we had to use our experience and then to win it on the final run was all just super special and something we’ll never forget.”

Growing up in the Cayard household among sailing champions (grandfather Pelle Pettersson was also Star world champion and two-time Olympian in the Star), Danny felt the pressure but as he’s developed his own competency in sailing and a healthy respect for the accomplishments his forebears have brought to the sport, the younger Cayard is making his own way in sailing and enjoying every minute of it. He didn’t race competitively as a kid until high school – he went to Marin Catholic (Greenbrae, Calif.) where there was a sailing team, and got asked if he wanted to join. A lacrosse player in grade school he had free time until spring and found he really enjoyed being on the sailing team. He and his dad started sailing Stars together in 2015 which was the first summer Danny crewed for Paul, racing in the summer series in southern California. Since then, their regular gig has become the Star Vintage Gold Cup sailed in early fall in Michigan which they sail on their classic wooden Star boat Gem IX, winner of the gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

“It’s fun to race against each other, obviously dad is who is and very successful, I can’t compare myself to him ever and I don’t ever try to!” Danny laughs. I’ve grown up with the expectations and for my mental wellbeing, I just have to separate it a little bit but it’s all good! The Star class is amazing, I love the technical aspects of the boat and the ability for almost anyone of any age to be able to be competitive. It’s always been a family, and everybody is super helpful and welcoming, and they just know that I am me and not my dad!”

The Cayard father-son sailing dynamic was not a given thing as Paul recalls.

“We came from a place where the dynamic was much more difficult when Danny was in high school doing high school racing,” Paul recalls. “It was hard for him to have me coach him or give any suggestions but he’s 35 now and there is a good healthy respect there so I think he looks at it more like an opportunity to get some good results, have fun and sail with his father at the same time. We really get along really well on the boat, there are no difficult moments. I was impressed, he does a great job with crew work. In the NAs we had a couple of very tight roundings where we had to get the pole down and get the mast back, get all the sails in and get around the mark. Danny did it better than the other crews around us so it was just clicking.”

The recent North Americans was the perfect training platform for the Cayards leading into the Star Worlds hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club September 4-13.

“The whole NA week was great, we had tempered expectations because our weight was light together – about 40lbs underweight,” Danny notes. “But we sailed smart and pretty quick in whatever conditions were around, adjusted the rig and sails best we could to try to be dynamic on the boat to make up for it. It’s always a great time to sail together, we have a lot of fun, we’re competitive, and we did well!”

For the Worlds, Danny has partnered with Will Stout, and Paul will race with Frithjof Kleen. It will be the first time Danny has crewed for somebody else in the Star where he will be racing against his dad.

“Will and I have had a couple of days together getting used to each other and setting up the boat the way we both like it,” Danny says. “Will has done a lot of work in the last couple of years to get the boat the way he likes it so he’s done a lot of the legwork for straight line speed. We’re very competitive on the weight front so that’s helpful when you get up into the no wind range to be able to keep the power and move the boat forward. We definitely have a good set up – he’s a heavier skipper and I’m a little lighter so that helps and will be an advantage in lighter air.”

San Diego is the venue that has hosted more world championships than anywhere else, and commenting on the line up for the Worlds, Paul notes that the anticipated light air will favor some competitors for sure.

“Piet Eckert from Switzerland will very good and will be difficult to beat, he is sailing with Frederico Melo from Portugal who is also good, Tom Lofstedt from Sweden is good, and he could be good in light air.  Ante Razmilovci from Great Britain won the Etchell Worlds a few years ago – he’s pretty fast and can be dangerous, and Jørgen Schönherr from Denmark is good for sure. From the US, Eric Doyle is going to be good, as will Brian Ledbetter and Will Stout. George Zsabo is racing from his home club and he’s very good in that light air. John Dane III is amazing; he is 73 and almost won the North Americans, he’s very fast. It’s a good group plus you have people around the event who are lifers like Dennis Conner who is hosting various events during the Worlds, Malin Burnham is having the mid-week party on the Midway, both long time Star sailors.”

Paul concludes, “In a series like this you want to be consistent and you need to have speed; in a 65-boat fleet, you have to be able to hold your lane, you’ve got to come off the line and be fast or else you’re just going to get flushed and you’re going to be 30^th at the first mark. Starts are very important and you have to have speed, you have to be consistent, no black flags, and no major screw ups.”

Paul Cayard is a member of the advisory board for the St Francis Sailing Foundation.

The largest contribution to the Foundation came from the estate of member and Staff Commodore Tom Allen in his trust. Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the St. Francis Sailing Foundation in your will or trust. If you or your attorney needs information, call Treasurer Greg Meagher at 510-541-2543.

Images: Courtesy Star Class