San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta gets underway at site of LA 2028 Olympic Games

“A top 10 would be really great.  It’s what I’m aiming for,” says five-time Olympian Ha Jeemin, of Korea.  Ha joins 34 other Olympians racing in the ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and 470 fleets during this week’s regatta.

In all three fleets, the margins are miniscule. One missed wind shift or poorly-timed turn can cost a sailor 10 or more places. Racers often cross the finish line within a fraction of a second of one another, leading to intense rivalries out on the water, especially among those who train and race together regularly on the European circuit.

In the American fleet, Leo Boucher and Daniel Escudero have swapped positions multiple times at Olympic class events in Europe and the U.S. this year.  Nevertheless, Boucher says he’s got his sights on everyone in the fleet this week.

“In a class like this, you have to try to beat everyone,” he says.

That mindset is shared throughout the fleet, where personal rivalries often take a back seat to the bigger challenge of outperforming an entire world-class field.

“You can’t just focus on beating one person,” says Italy’s Dimitri Peroni. “At least not until the last day. In the Medal Races, it’s different.”

In the 470 class, sailors will race together as a fleet for the first five days. Medal Races take place on the 6th and final day, when only the top 10 will compete in a two-race sail-off for the podium.

In the ILCA 6 and 7 fleets, the entire field will compete in the first two days of racing.  The top 45 boats after the second day will compete in a three-day elimination round for the top 10 positions. The top 10 boats then compete for the podium on the final day during Friday’s finals.

“When you’re in the top 10, the strategy becomes easier,” says world ranked #3 ILCA 7 sailor and Paris Olympian Jonatan Vadnai of Hungary. “You attack or defend, but either way, you go for the win.”

San Pedro OCR is one of only two major Olympic Class events that take place in the United States. Nearly 200 sailors from 34 countries will race at San Pedro OCR during the six-day event. in the LA Harbor.  Among the contenders are 35 Olympians, including six winners of a collective eight Olympic medals – two gold, two silver, and four bronze.

Event details, entry lists, results, and schedules can be found at register.sanpedroocr.org and you can follow the regatta on instagram at @SanPedroOCR. 

Text corutesy of Sailing Grand Slam, images copyright Sailing Energy.