Long Beach shines for West Marine US Open

West Marine US Open Sailing Series Long Beach © US Sailing

114 athletes took to the water in the LA 2028 sailing venue this past weekend for the West Marine US Open Sailing Series Long Beach. Each day, mornings of fog gave way to beautiful ocean breeze, with race committee running a total of 64 races across seven fleets.

"Long Beach is the heart, soul, and breeding ground for Olympic sailing," said US Olympic Sailing Director Paul Cayard. "With the games here in 2028, we have an incredible opportunity to move the United Stated of America back to the top of the podium. The West Marine US Open is important to building strength in the USA."

US Sailing would like to thank Title Sponsor West Marine, National Sponsors Gowrie Group, Gill Marine, and Yeti, and Local Sponsors Port of Long Beach, CISA, and the Alamitos Bay Sailing Foundation for their support. This event would not be possible without the support of the host clubs Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, and the US Sailing Center Long Beach.

ILCA 7

ODP Athletes dominated the ILCA 7 fleet. Leo Boucher, winner of last month's ILCA North Americans, took first with 18 points. His ODP teammates Marshall McCann and Chapman Peterson took second and third, respectively.

ILCA 6

Long Beach Local Tate Christopher won the largest fleet at the regatta with a total of 21 points. Cooper Smith took second with 36 points and Liam Andersen rounded out the podium with 39 points.

The top three women in the ILCA 6 fleet were eligible for prize money, as the ILCA 6 is the Olympic discipline for women. San Diego sailor Oakley Cunningham took first prize of $1,000, while Siena Nichols took second prize of $500. Nicole Sighiartau took third prize, winning $250.

iQFOiL

Florida area sailors graced the podium this year. Noah Lyons, of Clearwater Community Sailing Center, posted eight first place finishes to win overall. Second place finisher Pedro Pascual, a Miami native who was part of the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 teams, finished with 18 points. Lyons's Clearwater teammate Alexander Temko finished third.

As an Olympic discipline, the three women racing in the iQFOiL were each eligible for prize money. Dominique Stater took first prize of $1,000, Bryn Miller took second prize of $500, and B Lindsay took third prize of $250.

Formula Kites

The weekend's premier event, the Formula Kite class saw stadium racing off of Long Beach. ODP athlete Markus Edegran took first place, posting eight first place finishes throughout the event. Evan Heffernan took second, while Noah Runciman took third.

Finn

Finns began racing on the ILCA course on Saturday. Local Erik Lidecis dominated the fleet, winning all but one race. R. Phillip Ramming took second, while Chris Raab took third.

ILCA 4

In the ILCA 4 fleet, Paloma Arrigo and Landon Stahl tied for first, with Arrigo winning the tiebreaker. Chloe Pearl came in third with 25 points.

29er

A California squad dominated the 29er fleet. William Stratton and Ronan Curyan came in first place, winning every race but one. Noah Stapleton and Jack Bradley took second, while Kevin Carson and Holland Vierling took third.

About the West Marine US Open Sailing Series:
The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers a domestic racing and training pathway for Olympic hopefuls in the US. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it was essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis. The series is an important part of the training plans for young sailors participating as part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a US Sailing initiative supported by the AmericaOne Foundation.

To learn more about the West Marine US Open Sailing Series and to follow all the action in 2022, visit the series website.