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“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

Chatting with Hans Henkens a few days before the first race with partner Ian Barrows in the 49erFX at the Paris Olympics, Henkens commented, “In a lot of ways, the work has been done. There isn’t any cramming that needs to be done, or to turn over that last stone, or try to look for some magic formula. We have exactly what we need to compete, we have exactly what we need to succeed. We’re focused on keeping fresh in the boat, staying fresh mentally and just going through all our routines and sticking to it, not being too dramatic or trying to change anything. We will sail every day like I know we can, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to be winning races or doing incredibly well in every race every day. If we can do that every day of the regatta, I think we may find ourselves in contention for a medal towards the end.”

PARIS 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition. © Sailing Energy 30 July, 2024

Prophetic as those words were, it was the pair’s methodical, consistent approach that led them to a podium finish and a bronze medal.

“I think the first emotion was utter disbelief, we knew we could do it, we have worked incredibly hard for the past four years, we had made the goal of winning an Olympic medal, so when we crossed that finish line and Ian said, “We just won bronze, it was an unbelievable feeling and I don’t think I could ever possibly put into words how incredible it made both of us feel, it was pretty surreal,” Henkens smiled. “It still feels unreal, it still feels like a dream. I feel like I’ve been living someone else’s life for the past week. I feel amazing, I feel really lucky, and really accomplished and that’s a great feeling to have.”

Barrows concurred, “We were ecstatic, we were really proud and happy to represent our country, we felt incredible.”

Going into the competition the pair racked up a couple of high scores and the pundits were curious as to how they would recover. Barrows noted that their starts weren’t great at the beginning of the regatta although they were sailing the boat really well. Day three was pivotal.

“We had some really good comebacks, we finally got a top five and from then on we had really good starts, we felt really confident although the conditions were mostly light, shifty and puffy, you had to have your head really out of the boat and be ready for anything,” Barrows commented.

PARIS 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition. © Sailing Energy 02 August, 2024

“We always had huge faith in our team, and I guess a pivotal moment was day three when we took a lot more risk and executed well to get some good scores on the board,” Henkens said. “We agreed that day we weren’t even close to peaking yet, we were still building. We made that our new mantra for the last two days – we’re still building, we’re not going to peak until the very end, we’re going to peak in the medal race and give ourselves a chance at that medal. That’s exactly what we did. Another thing that described our belief system throughout this entire event was that we kept telling ourselves that we had to manifest it, we had to think the medal into existence; think it, say it once, then go do it. I think that played a really big role in our success.”

Exhilaration to indescribable disappointment were the overarching themes in the first ever Men’s and Women’s Kite Medal Series at an Olympic Games, Markus Edegran finished in 9th overall, and Daniela Moroz took 4^th. Edegran is relatively new to the discipline and cited his biggest asset going into the Games as his diverse sailing background across many classes. He opened his semifinal race with a port tack start along with Great Britain’s Connor Bainbridge. Edegran made a beeline out to the right side of the course and was leading the fleet until a crash took him off his board and dropped him back to 4th for the remainder of the race and a 9th overall result.

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing in Marseille, France on 8 August, 2024. (Photo by World Sailing / Lloyd Images)

“It was tough,” said Edegran. “We didn’t get much racing in but I got a couple of top three finishes including a second so I can be super proud to know that I have the skill set to compete at the top of the Olympic fleet. I met my first goal of making the medal series, but I know I have it in me to be on the podium. I’m proud of my climb in the months leading here and proud of a solid performance at my first Olympics, but I’m hungry for more. I’m super grateful to the US Sailing Team for the support here on the ground and to my community back home who’s backed my efforts to be here. Representing Team USA this week has been an honor.”

As six-time world champion and four-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, Moroz is no stranger to the highest level of competition in Formula Kite Foil. In an event where just six of sixteen races scheduled in the opening series were actually raced due to light conditions, Moroz clocked up the fastest speed during the Olympic racing and won two races, including the semifinal where she needed one win to advance to the finals. Moroz beat Switzerland’s Elena Lengwiler in the semis; the Swiss kiter fouled Moroz and received a scoring penalty. Lengwiler was thrown out, and it was a ticket to Women’s Kite Finals for Team USA, joining France’s Lauriene Nolot, Great Britain’s Eleanor Aldridge, and Annelous Lammerts from The Netherlands.

The finals got underway as the breeze faltered. Aldridge won the first race which stalled Nolot from taking the gold medal and kept the game on with another race for women’s finals. In order to medal, Moroz needed to finish ahead of Dutch sailor Annelous Lammerts in the second race but came in just behind her in 4th overall and after a port starboard penalty on Nolot was handed to Moroz at the first top mark.

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing in Marseille, France on 8 August, 2024. (Photo by World Sailing / Sander van der Borch)

Unfortunately, the umpires failed to see Moroz protest Lammerts in the final race for a port starboard foul when Moroz was on starboard (as can be seen in video replay on NBC/Peacock). The final result: Great Britain’s Eleanor Aldridge in first, France’s Lauriane Nolot in second, and Lammerts in third.

“It’s been a really difficult few days and I’m heartbroken and disappointed, it hurts a lot, and it will for a while,” Moroz said. “This sport is both beautiful and ruthless, and as athletes we chase the highs but risk the lows that are part of the journey. I’ve said plenty of times before that I practice conscious gratitude for those highs and lows, and this is now my ultimate challenge. I respect the process of this competition and want to extend my sincere congratulations to Ellie, Lauriene, and Annelous who have shown me friendship on and off the water in this epic lead up to get here together.”

Aldridge posted about Moroz, “You’ve been an amazing competitor and friend all the way through these years. The strength and depth of the women’s kite foil fleet wouldn’t be where it is now without you, the OG legend! I hope you can be proud of the journey; you are amazing.”

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing in Marseille, France on 4 August, 2024. (Photo by World Sailing / Lloyd Images)

Moroz, 23, concluded with her characteristic grace and positive attitude, “I know I had the best team out there with me, on shore, and my family and friends at home. This result does not take away from how proud I am of the program we put together to represent the Stars and Stripes on the water. Go Team USA, forever and always. This is only the beginning, and there is a lot ahead #LA2028!”

The largest contribution to the St Francis Sailing 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.

Redwood High School (RHS) sailors Mark Xu, Akira Bratti, Rhett Krawitt, Henry Vare, and Morgan Headington finished sixth in a fleet of eighteen national high school teams competing in the recent 7th Annual Phebe Corckran King National Memorial Championship invitational regatta. Hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club and the Severn Sailing Association, the Stony Brook Bears representing The Stony Brook School (NY) took first place.

After a short postponement on Saturday, June 1^st, the A Division sailed in FJs, followed by the B Division in C420s. Winds in the morning were light and variable, ranging from 2.5 knots to 4 knots when racing started. Later in the afternoon, winds increased from 6 to 12 knots, and plenty of daylight allowed for twelve races for each division on Saturday. Short races made the starts crucial to stay competitive.

Sunday’s races were on C420s and started early in the morning with Southwest winds of 6-10 knots. Weather was cooler in the low 70s, cloudy with high humidity. After the first set of races the wind took a 90 degree turn to the south bringing a steady breeze of 12 to 15 knots. The sailors finally got a chance to hike and sail fast, having a great time on the Chesapeake Bay. The conditions/venue were tough to stay in a good rhythm.

RHS Sailing Team Coach Dan Brandt traveled with the team to Annapolis and coached from the shore for two days of racing in front of the US Naval Academy. “There were a lot of unknowns and new variables we had to manage, and the team did well with that,” he said. “We had more great moments than not great moments.”

While in Annapolis, the team met with local sailors originally from the Bay Area and also got the chance to tour the Maryland State House and the US Naval Academy. With blue skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, graduating Senior and Team Captain Morgan Headington competed in his final High School Regatta. His teammates will return next year to defend their place in the Nor Cal Championships and hopefully earn another chance for a podium spot at Nationals.

The regatta marked the first time that RHS had competed at the Phebe Corckran King event after winning a spot to compete when they took the NorCal Divisional Championship earlier in the spring. RHS also become the first name on the new Northern League Championship Trophy that was presented at this year’s NorCal Divisional Championship.

Headington’s mom Kerry, is an avid supporter of the Redwood High School sailing team, and junior sailing. She said, “As an educator, I think a key take home from this event is how important it is for the Bay Area high schools and yacht clubs to support high school sailing — both for the kids and for the Bay Area sailing reputation. I am a big supporter of High School Sailing because it builds camaraderie and school spirit for kids, and it is one of the ways to increase diversity in our sport.”

Thanks to Kimball Livingston, St. Francis Sailing Foundation, the Belvedere Cove Foundation, Encinal Sailing Foundation, Richmond Yacht Club Foundation, and the Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation for their support. – Source: Kerry Headington/Carl Krawitt

Having a custom board built by good friends and hand-delivered by her dad to her in Marseille is just the most recent display of commitment and support by the community that has been behind Moroz for as long as she has been on her journey to the 2024 Olympic Games. With the start gun for the first-ever Olympic race in Women’s Formula Kite Foil less than eight weeks away, there wasn’t a moment to lose when last month Moroz knew she needed to switch out the boards she was using in favor of a design that promoted a more stable board. She asked her dad to reach out to Kenny Adgate, a Bay Area family friend whose wing foil boards are renowned among the worlds’ best wing foilers, to make her a board. The project became a family affair with Kenny’s wife Judie stepping in to color the board.

Loving her new board, Moroz has her sights set on the 2024 Olympic podium.

“I thought it would be a cool thing to do and we’ve come up with a significantly more stable board for Daniela,” Adgate said. “ A more stable board will offer her a less turbulent feeling and hopefully improved mental confidence as far as going faster – she’ll be feeling less vibration, it’s less input to your body which is sometimes better in certain situations.”

Kenny started making boards after his friend Mike Zajicek, owner of Mike’s Lab and another well-respected designer and manufacturer of foil systems who also resides in the Bay Area began making foils for kite foiling. Back then Zajicek’s foil systems utilized tuttle boxes which few board companies were using so Kenny decided to make a few boards that could use Mike’s foils, referring to them as pocket boards – very small boards – for kiting. When winging developed (Adgate, Johnny Heineken and Zajicek were among other San Francisco Bay kiters and wingers who lead the charge globally on the nascent wingfoil sport some six years ago), Adgate started building wing boards.

“We were using three-fin race boards when we all started winging and decided to make wing boards to go with Mike’s foils – it became more of an addictive hobby more than anything,” Adgate laughed. The time was during Covid, so Adgate had plenty of hours to experiment.

It takes about twenty hours to build a board from beginning to end although technically it is longer because there are a lot of different drying times with epoxy; it takes about twelve hours for the epoxy to cure. But, more than that, in the instance of Moroz’ board, the process was nerve-wracking, Adgate admits with a smile; after all, it will be the board that she races on in her first Olympic Games.

Adgate and Moroz have ridden a lot together, so he had an idea of what she wanted, and Moroz was able to give Adgate a board to base off in terms of what she liked.

The Phoenix underway in the Adgate’s garage.

“We’ve made enough race boards in the past so we have a really good idea of what they should ride like and be shaped like. It did help to have something that she preferred so I could take some measurements off that and make sure that the length and width were really similar so it would feel natural to her when she hopped on it for the first time, and it sounds like it was! Nonetheless, it was more about just not failing for her,” Adgate acknowledged. “I was really stressed out about making her a board which she would really like. There were a lot of WhatsApp messages back and forth trying to get everyone on the same page!”

Adgate got Heineken involved to help with the decking and foil box locations.

“Johnny has so much knowledge with that kind of thing which really helped make sure measurements were correct; the right height of the board is really important for racing,” he said. “There are certain styles of racers who like their front foot higher than the back, or level, so there are all different kinds of angles that each rider prefers so getting that measurement out of her team was important. Thinking through the stability improvement was a challenge as the technique I wanted to use was one that has not been done before but it ended up working out really well.”

Dad heads to Marseille to deliver Phoenix 1 to his champion daughter

Vlad Moroz, Daniela’s dad, has been best friends with Zajicek since they found each other windsurfing at Berkeley Marina after immigrating from the Czech Republic in the mid-80s. Zajicek switched to foil production ten years ago and Moroz has won many of her six World Championship titles using Zajicek’s foils.

“Being involved in this has been especially important to me because she is the daughter of my best friend,” Zajicek said. “I’ve known her since she was a baby, I watched her learn to windsurf – which she had no interest in – but by the time she was ten, kiteboarding did interest her. This board is special because she was able to get exactly what she wanted from Kenny, and yes, we were messaging many times a day while he was building it!”

Adgate added, “It’s awesome to have Mike to call on as far as the construction side goes, like what to reinforce for example, to make sure he thinks it is going to work.”

Mock layout before paint application.

Judie did the color for the board; she suggested a patriotic design incorporating the stars and stripes and colluded with Moroz on design.

“We went back and forth on different design ideas then I got to work on the coloring to get it to as close as I could to what Daniela wanted – thankfully I hit the nail on the head!” Judie smiled. “I used primary colors and sometimes it is challenging using ombre (the art of blending one color hue into another). Daniela wanted to go from a very light blue to a very dark blue on the board. It’s all hand-painted – I mix the colors and when it’s time to apply the epoxy we put the epoxy into the actual paint. It’s very time consuming and you have to be quick – you have about 15 minutes to put it on the board otherwise it turns to gel, and you can’t ombre it – if only you could have heard Kenny and I anxiously trying to get it right!” Judie laughed.

Moroz was thrilled when Kenny agreed to make a board for her, trusting that he would do an amazing job, so it felt like the right decision to try one of his boards, which she has branded the “Phoenix.”

“My gut feeling was really pushing me to try something new with the design that had never been done before and Kenny, taking all of my preferences into account, executed it flawlessly! And then riding it for the first time and seeing it actually worked – it was incredible.”

To have the opportunity to build boards for Daniela at this point in her campaign is pretty special, Adgate acknowledges.

“It’s an honor for sure, it’s so cool, to have her on something that she wanted to ride, and I was able to build it in my backyard! A lot of really talented people ride my boards and it’s an honor every time I see someone on one of my boards.”

And, just this week there is a second Adgate board on its way to Daniela in Marseille (she had to return the boards she was riding to her former board sponsor in June). The second board is designed with different specs to accommodate a different foil set – it’s a completely different board shape in terms of the rocker side of it, Adgate noted. He got all the necessary specs from Moroz, Heineken got involved again on calculations, and board two was delivered to her training partner Evan Heffernan in Santa Barbara just days ago who will fly with it this week when he travels to join Moroz in Marseille.

Moroz’ board crew celebrate the completion of Phoenix 1. Center with board Kenny Adgate, to his left Mike Zajicek, seated in red is Judie Adgate.

“It must have been a difficult and huge decision for her to switch out boards at this stage of the game as the sponsor provides up to three boards a year for free, but in her mind, it was the right decision,” Adgate said. He continued, laughing, “I want to say she’s probably going to call me again to get another one – I’m on board production standby! But anything to help her out, her family and the supporting crew around her. It’s an awesome place to be around here when so many people want to help her so that she has the best opportunity to do her best.”

“My team (Chris and Tucker) also worked with Kenny, Johnny, and Mike on these boards,” Moroz said, adding, “They’re the best in the world with this stuff and to have a board that was designed and made at home in the Bay Area feels really special. It just means the world to me to have all of their support behind me going into the Olympics and I’m really proud to be able to represent the Bay Area in this way.

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Daniela Moroz Receives Team DeAtley Grant at St Francis Sailing Foundation Annual Auction.

Fundraising was not something Markus Edegran felt comfortable with going into his 2024 Olympic campaign. Edegran, who will represent the US at the Paris Olympics in men’s Formula Kite Foil, had some experience in fundraising through corporate sponsorships but felt uncomfortable raising funds from personal contacts.

Edegran will represent the US in the Men’s Formula Kite Foil.

Ensuring he had the funds to see him through was a constant challenge over and above the general rigor of an Olympic campaign. It was not only a surprise but a welcome gift when he became the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the Team DeAtley fund awarded to StFYC member athletes competing at the Olympics.

“It’s been amazing to have the support from the St. Francis Sailing Foundation from the start of the campaign,” Edegran said. “The DeAtley grant will help me pay off some of the expenses I have accumulated this year as I fought to qualify the country this spring and will also help towards ensuring I am as competitive as possible at the Games.”

A StFYC member and St Francis Sailing Foundation committee member, Beth DeAtley initiated the Team DeAtley fund in honor of her late husband Dick  DeAtley, who was active in the yacht club and was planning to  donate funds to the sailing community before his untimely death in November 2017. The first round of funds was given in 2020 for the Tokyo Games to StFYC member athletes Riley Gibbs, Anna Weis, Luke Muller, Paige Railey and Nikki Barnes who each received $25,000 as StFYC members competing in the Games. More recently, recipients have included Daniela Moroz, Hans Henken and Edegran who have also each received $25,000 for the 2024 Games.

“I wanted to support our Olympics sailors so that they can be free to train without the hindrance of constant fundraising,” DeAtley commented. “It is a lot of fun and I love corresponding with the members of the team, following them as they move along. I have learned a lot through our discussions and have great admiration for the talent, training, and overall determination it takes to be an Olympic sailor. I’m very proud of them.”

Edegran added, “It means a lot to have this level of support coming from a member of the club where I started this journey. I’m super proud to represent StFYC and everyone I have shared the water with off of Crissy Field.”

Moroz with Beth DeAtley at StFSF Annual Auction Fundraiser.

Moroz; 6x Formula Kite Champion, 4x Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, who will represent the USA in the women’s Formula Kite Foil at the 2024 Olympics received her Team DeAtley grant at the Foundation’s annual auction fundraiser event last fall. Moroz echoed her gratitude for DeAtley’s generosity as she shared with event guests the challenge of balancing high-level training with fundraising and running their own operations.

“Beth’s support of the Foundation has made the road to Paris smoother for me and other sailors representing the US at the Games,” Moroz said. “We are so very grateful for her generosity and I am proud to be part of Team DeAtley.”

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Ian Barrows and Hans Henken have qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in the 49er after campaigning together for 1300+ days including some 500 training days on the water. For the pair, it’s both exciting and overwhelming, a life-long dream come true while also a reality that in the Olympic Games, the work is never done.

“I don’t think anyone who is about to participate at the Olympics is where they want to be – everyone is still climbing and trying to get better,” Henkens (31) commented. “It’s not enough just to say, “We’re going to the Games and just settle for what we have. It would be easy to do that and it would be the wrong approach. Everyone is trying to get better and better up until the last second.”

2024 Lanzarote 49er and FX Worlds
© Sailing Energy / Lanzarote Sailing Center
06 March, 2024

Securing their place at the 33^rd edition of the Olympics with a win at the recent Olympic Trials held in Miami in January,  while that event was their most stressful to date, a do or die proposition, Barrows (29) acknowledged that dealing with that level of pressure was an important lesson.

“I was super excited to win the Trials, it’s been a life-long goal of mine to go to the Olympics,” Barrows said. “It was a little weird to have done something that you were always trying to do for so long, but it was a huge sense of relief to get through it. I was exhausted because it was so long (twenty-one races), but for the most part excited and I am looking forward to continue to improve to put on a good performance in Marseille in August.”

Maintaining that edge and carrying it through to the actual Games is a skill that all Olympic athletes have to develop, as Barrows concurred.

“You either win and move forward, or you don’t and nothing else happens, so learning about coping mechanisms under huge stress and pressure was a good take away. In the Trials we had one stretch with two or three bad races in a row which was concerning – we thought if we didn’t put up a few good results that the others would slip away from us. With so many races so it was easy to think, “there are ten more races,” but you can’t get too ahead of yourself.”

The pair are on a diligent training schedule of three weeks on and a week off. They plan on five blocks of training between now and the Olympics: in April they will race French Olympic Week in Hyeres, in May the 2024 Europeans in La Grande Motte, France. In June and July, they’ll take on three more camps in Marseille leading up to the Games.

“It’s been good to take our recent break to get healthy and fit,” Barrows noted. “Hans is still recovering from some injuries so slowing down and reassessing is important.”

With a view to training, Henken and Barrows are uber focused on improving boat speed.

2024 Lanzarote 49er and FX Worlds
© Sailing Energy / Lanzarote Sailing Center
08 March, 2024

“We’re always trying to get faster, upwind specifically,” Barrows noted. “That is just something you can’t be good enough at, perfecting the technique between the two people, being in sync as much as possible, we’re always working on that. We’re working on our starts, having a higher percentage of good starts, and being able to be in a good enough lane to sail our best VMG.”

Hans added, “We are also focused on building really concrete strategies around tactics on the racecourse, improving our vocabulary and communication, and being more disciplined about our decision-making so that there is less to be thinking about while we are racing. Then we can focus more on technique and making the boat go as fast as possible. Our competitors are incredibly good, and while we’ve had a lot of good podium finishes in the past three years the consistency has not been there – we’re working on building that.”

Barrows and Henken have been sailing together since the summer of 2020 while many of their competitors have been campaigning together for 8-10 years. Nonetheless, they have developed a tight chemistry in that relatively short time.

“Our team chemistry has never been better, we were on cloud 9 from winning the Trials and now that’s worn off a bit we’re back to being super-focused and attending to details to try to improve,” Henkens said. “We’re quite different – I tend to be very calculated and very planned while Ian is very open and easy-going; he is really good at not allowing bad decisions or problems affect him too much so he’s really good at the gray area and indecisiveness that comes with campaigning sometimes – he lets that roll off his back. “I’m the planner and schemer,” Henkens added, laughing.

Paying attention to nutrition and diet, and keeping fit, is tantamount to a top performance, both guys agree.

“I like to play other sports a lot – tennis, squash, basketball and I surf – luckily they all keep you in shape and they are meditative and relaxing,” Barrows smiled, adding, “And every now and again we eat a pizza and have a beer! You don’t want to torture yourself otherwise you’ll be in a negative mental state but you also can’t indulge all  the time.”

As the workhorse on the boat, Henkens especially needs to keep up his cardio fitness so he’s in the gym five to six days a week on a non-sailing week, three days a week when he’s sailing. He does a combination of strength training to maintain a very specific body weight, and he’s catching cardio by road biking, erging and running.

The pair agree that maximizing their potential in the time that they have left to put themselves in podium contention come August is the ultimate goal.

“Specifically, for me, I’ve quit the SailGP work and I’ve made this my entire focus for the next five months,” Henkens said. “Representing the USA at the Olympic Games and try to win a podium for the US has been my childhood dream by far, and my life for the last fifteen years figuring out how to get there. To say that I am going to be an Olympian and participate at the Games is awesome (big smile) and amazing!”

Images: Courtesy Sailing Energy

Erika Reineke’s successful battle at the recent Olympic Trials for the one spot to represent the US in the ICLA Radial at the Paris Olympics is well documented; for the 30-year-old from Fort Lauderdale,15 years of hard work is now a real thing and Reineke is on top of the job. She shares some of her plans for the next months leading up to the big show.

How are you processing the concept of “Game(s) NOW On”?
It’s a relief now that the Trials are over but there’s definitely more work to be done. We recently put together a really good training plan and I’m pretty confident in the strategy that we have in the lead up to the Games. I’m trying to up my strength and conditioning working toward the 2024 Princesa Sofia Regatta (April 29-May 6, Mallorca, Spain). That event will get me back with the international fleet – it’s been since the Worlds last August since I sailed internationally against the top girls so it will be good to check back in with them. That is the last significant regatta before the Games; we’ll be doing some small coaching regattas in Marseille, and I also lined up some training with Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN, 2020 Olympic gold medalist and current world champion) so we’re going to train together in the lead-up to the Games. I’m excited about this plan because not only do I have a really fast training partner but there’s also going to be room to work on the strength and conditioning side.

How did you manage to schedule Rindom, she must be in huge demand?
I’m never afraid to ask – if there is something I need that will help me, I just ask. We actually did some training together last year and it worked well.

How do you maintain that emotional/mental edge that you needed to get through the Trials through to the Olympics and not let your guard down?
That’s a really good question – I was really put to the test at the Trials. Going into the event I knew it was going to be really challenging and difficult and that points were going to be close. It was going to hard to score points between boats especially with the top girls being at more of an international level. Knowing and accepting that going in, I battled for every point that I could. I took each day at face value; some days were better than others. I just had to keep waiting and waiting and be very patient so that when a moment presented itself to be on the attacking foot, that’s when I had to perform and execute. I know how that feels now.

You just mentioned that the top of the US fleet is now at more of an international level – comment how the women’s ICLA Radial class is developing in the US.
There are a handful of girls who have been competing internationally for a while now, through multiple quads, and they were all present at the Trials. Currently there is also a really strong youth background, girls in college and some in high school still who are building their talent and willingness compete internationally. Even though we only had under thirty boats for the Trials, I would say six or seven are at an international level, girls who are coming up through the rankings. I do believe that the domestic trials have had a lot of value in bringing up the talent and also in making the top girls perform against each other, being able to put points between each other, so it was really challenging.

When will you start being based full-time in Europe leading up the Games?
We’ll make the move over in May. It’s more convenient for flying and eliminates getting sick. The plan is to be based in Barcelona and then fly in and out of Marseille – if there is a really great forecast in Marseille outside of training dates that we already blocked, we’ll fly there to tap into a condition that we want to work on then fly back. I think it’s a best-case scenario.

You’ll be working on the AC Women’s Team at that point, but your heart really must be with your Olympic campaign right now? Can you balance that?
I can and it’s working pretty beautifully right now which I’m really thankful for – being able to be based in Barcelona is great, first of all it’s pretty inexpensive compared to the US right now (laughs). In between training sessions in the Radial in Marseille, the AC base is open for us girls to use the simulator and learn from each other. Both complement each other – in Barcelona I have the option to further my learning in a different boat class in a different environment with great sailors.

How are you managing your diet and hydration?
On the hydration front I’m a really big fan of electrolytes – I always pack electrolyte mixes and specifically the two things that get me through are Liquid I.V. packs and Gatorade Zero (laughs), I love Gatorade! Those are huge for hydration. As for the diet, I’m still on a weight gaining program so I’m targeting the strength and conditioning in the gym to help with the weight gain but also eating to fuel the training which is mostly a high protein high carb diet.

What are you doing for relaxation and chill-time?
I keep myself busy with games and running, I recently have taken up ping-pong – my coach Erik Bowers and I joined a ping-pong club in Fort Lauderdale, and we’ve been getting better. The skills are transferable to sailing (laughs), like being patient and waiting for your opponent to make a mistake or a serve that is dealt to you that you know you can return. But relaxing doesn’t come that easy – if I have free time, I always feel like I want to go cycling or play ping pong or walk my dog!

Who are your mentors & the people getting you through this right now?
Erik worked with me on the water during the Trials, and coach Greg Wilkinson who mentors both me and Erik. Greg helps more with the execution side – Erik and I develop the plan and Greg helps us fine-tune it so we can go out and execute. Erik is the on-water coach and overseer. I’m with Erik every day so he is able to tune into how I am feeling, my fatigue levels and all the on-water stuff – strategy, how we’re going to attack the racecourse etc.

How does your family support you?
My family loves me so much, they are so supportive, and I honestly love this about them: they don’t sail (laughs)! Whenever I come to them with sailing stuff or a related problem, it’s actually refreshing to get an outside perspective, they approach it like real people would rather than sailors who wrapped around this small world (laughs). There are actually a lot of things that are super beneficial about having non sailing parents – I learned to sail because they joined a yacht club for the social activities and were like, “You’re going to go sail while we do this!” They just want me to run wild with my dreams and I owe them everything.

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Photos Courtesy US Sailing & Erika Reineke

US Sailing recently honored ACSC with The Outstanding Community Sailing Program Award, given annually to a program that has made notable contributions to promote public access sailing. The St Francis Sailing Foundation could not be prouder of grantee ACSC for bringing home this important award. Program director Emily Zugnoni explains the magic behind what they are doing so well.

What aspect of ACSC are you particularly proud of, what do you think you do exceptionally well?
EZ: In 2023, ACSC had 30 instructional staff members, ranging in age from 14 to their mid-20’s, most of whom came through ACSC courses! We have a great staff development program, which begins with volunteer Counselors-In-Training, progressing to US Sailing Powerboat-certified Assistant Instructors, and finally to certified Sailing Instructors. ACSC pays well too! It’s important that we show staff appreciation through competitive wages and incentives for advancement.

During Summer Camp, ACSC puts upwards of 60 children per day on the water. We keep it safe (and fun and educational) by strictly upholding US Sailing safety standards for powerboat to sailboat ratios. Our excellent track record is a testament to our awesome, well-trained, and reliable staff members.

Importantly, what ACSC does best is make sailing FUN! Beginner sailors launch off of a beach in a shallow protected lagoon, which is perfect for confidence building. Then, outside the breakwater is some of the best dinghy sailing in the Bay Area. Multiple world champions come to sail out of ACSC!

What’s new in ACSC’s wheelhouse this year?
EZ: We have some exciting plans on the horizon…ACSC purchased two C420 sailboats, thanks to grant funding from the CA Division of Boating and Waterways, and we look forward to providing new intermediate and advanced classes with them. They’ll also be used to expand our weekend Learn-to-Sail courses for families and adults.

ACSC specializes in fun, non-competitive sailing. This year, we’re excited to expand our “Adventure Sails” from just a camp activity to a larger weekend program. Think about the excitement and community-building of a regatta, just without the racing. We will provide support boats and a course or destination to sail to. All interested sailors are invited to join in, and anyone interested in volunteering is also welcome. Helping with an Adventure Sail is similar to being on a race committee. Destinations could be as close as Crown Beach, or as far as McCovey Cove or Treasure Island.

How do know that ASCS is making a difference in the community it serves?
EZ: In general, we know we’re on the right track when parents of participants from all walks of life let us know how ACSC has helped their children develop confidence, and how that’s reflected throughout all aspects of their lives.

ACSC partners with several organizations who support underserved children and families. My favorite quote from an East Oakland mother is, “Before, her only career goal was the WNBA. Now, my daughter is also thinking about marine biology because she found a new home on the water.”

Through our Scholarship Program, ACSC breaks down the financial barrier to sailing. Annually, we raise and distribute about $50,000 in scholarships. This serves approximately 60 children from low-income households, and from populations traditionally underrepresented in sailing. A fun fact is that one-third of ACSC staff members were previous scholarship recipients.

Most ACSC participants come from non-sailing backgrounds. Without prior access to boats and the water, many never envisioned themselves becoming sailors. ACSC is honored to be able to introduce them to sailing, and in one of the greatest sailing locations in the whole world, San Francisco Bay! Creating accessible and affordable sailing opportunities is key to growing the sport. The St. Francis Sailing Foundation is a generous supporter of the Scholarship Program. Each year, there’s an increase in the number of scholarship requests, so it’s our ongoing task to secure additional funds to meet the ever-growing need in the community.

How are you keeping your older kids in the game & maintaining an interest in sailing?
EZ: Creating lifelong sailors is definitely the goal. To do this, we first work to ensure those initial sailing experiences are positive. If sailors don’t gain the technical skills right away, that’s okay. It’s more important that they develop a connection to sailing and a desire to come back and learn more. If they enjoyed the experience and internalized a “sailor” identity, even if several years go by, they can always return to sailing.

To create positive experiences– ones that aren’t just fun, but also push kids out of their comfort zones, and instill a sense of accomplishment, we focus on the social-emotional aspects of learning. ACSC instructors must be patient, empathetic, and endlessly encouraging. They need to create environments that inspire exploration, bravery, and confidence-building.

Once they’re hooked, ACSC provides sailors with accessible and affordable ways to stay connected to the sport. That can be done through joining the staff, or through low-cost, zero-commitment sailing opportunities like Open Sail. With Open Sail, you don’t need to own (or bear the financial burden of storing) a boat. Sailors of all ages can come to ACSC and go sailing, and even take a friend.

For middle-school sailors who have outgrown prams, but are not ready for FJs, we’re big fans of the RS Fevas, which we received thanks to US Sailing’s Siebel Sailors Program. And for high schoolers who crave something more, we hope the new C420s add a bit more speed and spice. Lastly, we have a strong Laser racing program, Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, mostly made up of mature sailors and empty nesters wanting to get back to sailing.

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The St Francis Sailing Foundation is very proud of it’s community of athletes who took home important trophies for 2023 awarded by the St Francis Yacht Club this week. Mike Martin, StFSF board member and his crew Adam Lowry shared the Jerome B. White Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. Grantee Hans Henken won the ROBERT C. EVANS MEMORIAL TROPHY, and grantee Daniela Moroz won the St. Francis Yacht Club Yachtswoman of the Year Trophy. Way to go!

The ROBERT C. EVANS MEMORIAL TROPHY recognizes the most outstanding achievement of a skipper racing under the StFYC burgee in a national or international small boat championship regatta during the preceding year. Hans Henken has spent the majority of his career competing on the US Sailing Team in the 49er class with a goal of making it into the Olympics – for which he qualified last weekend! Hans Henken will be representing the US in France this year. He was a gold medal-winner at the 2023 Pan Am Games, but he’s not limited to small skiff racing. In SailGP’s F50 catamarans, he served as Flight Controller on Team USA during the 2023 season. A proud Member of StFYC, he never fails to enter regattas under our burgee.

The ST. FRANCIS YACHT CLUB YACHTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR TROPHY consists of the Presto Cup won by W.F. Stone at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, with a base donated by Karl and Lois Limbach. It is awarded to the woman Member or partner of a Member for her contribution to the sport of yachting in the broadest sense of the definition. Not only did Daniela Moroz qualify the United States for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the Women’s Kite category, but she was also the first American sailor to do so this year, and the first American kitefoiler ever. Additional accomplishments this year include winning Gold at the Pan Am Games, and first in the Women’s Kite class at the Miami and Clearwater stops of the US Open Sailing Series. At the World Sailing Championships, she was fifth overall. Year after year, this accomplished sailor continues to impress us with her victories, determination, and talent.

JEROME B. WHITE YACHTSMAN OF THE YEAR TROPHY is awarded to the Member who has made the greatest contribution during the preceding calendar year to the sport of yachting in the broadest sense of the definition. Mike Martin and Adam Lowry will share the Jerome B. White Yachtsman of the Year Trophy in 2023. This duo of longtime StFYC Members and sailing partners had another amazing season on the water. They won the 505 World Championship, held here at StFYC. It was a tough challenge right up to the final race. They also won the Pre-Worlds. They topped the podium at the Elvstrom-Zellerbach Regatta and the Columbia Gorge Regatta. At our Fall Dinghy Regatta, they were third in class. Though we know them well as podium-topping 5O5 sailors, they are also accomplished kitefoilers. At the US Open Sailing Series at StFYC, Mike was first in the Open Kite, just ahead of Adam, who was second – so they both got to share the podium in that sport, too!

Content: courtesy St Francis Yacht Club
Photo: courtesy StFYC, L to R: Adam Lowry, Mike Martin, Linda Moroz for Daniela Moroz, Hans Henken