Leaders emerge as Finals near at San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta

Wednesday in the 470 class saw another commanding performance from Great Britain’s Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris, who moved into the overall lead ahead of Germany’s Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort after three straight bullets.  Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Lindner stayed third heading into the final day of fleet racing.

In the same class, Portugal’s Carolina João produced one of the day’s most determined performances. Trimming with a broken wrist, João and skipper Diogo Costa finished third in the first race of the day. The pair missed the opening days of the regatta as a result of the injury but nonetheless made it their mission to compete, using the event to gather valuable experience at the 2028 Olympic venue.

“It’s one more opportunity to learn the place a bit better,” Costa said. “That’s the goal.”

In ILCA 6, Great Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove shot from seventh into the overall lead after posting first and second place finishes, overtaking American Charlotte Rose, who sits in second overall after a win in the second race. Ireland’s Eve McMahon rounds out the top three in third.

Line Flem Høst of Norway, Emma Plasschaert of Belgium, Agata Barwińska of Poland, and Italy’s Chiara Benini Floriani are all on the cut line and will battle it out to claim a spot in Friday’s Final. Of note, each has claimed a top three finish in at least one of the week’s individual races.

“It’s all about the course, the current, and the wind, and taking all that information in,” said Benini Floriani, who delivered a first place finish in the opening race of the day.

In the men’s fleet, the leaderboard has tightened as Cyprus’ Pavlos Kontides moved into the overall lead ahead of Australian Matt Wearn. After tough results in the first two races, Ireland’s Finn Lynch won the final race of the day to move himself back into podium position at third.

Top ILCA 7 performers Dimitri Peroni of Italy, Duko Bos of Holland, Thomas Saunders of Great Britain, and Ewan McMahon of Ireland all sit just near enough the top 10 today to make a play for a spot in the Finals.

“Everyone has the same idea,” said McMahon. “I’m just going to push myself as much as I can to get into the top 10 and give myself a chance.”

Although competitors have spent the regatta talking about the importance of the right side of the outside course, a few say that success in its final days will be far more nuanced than simply heading in that general direction.

“A lot of people expect the right to be favored and that it’s just about tacking off the start line and getting right,” said American Chapman Peterson in ILCA 7. “But over the course of the last week we’ve seen a lot of different stuff. It’s a lot trickier than people think.”

“Right is pretty safe,” added Italy’s Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini, who opened Wednesday with first and second place finishes in ILCA 7. “It’s just how to get there.”

Adding another layer of variables to the mix, ILCA fleets are expected to race inside the LA Harbor break water today, where the strategy is dramatically different.  On top of the immediate urgency of earning a spot in Friday’s Finals, the shift offers up yet another valuable opportunity for athletes to deepen their knowledge of the future Olympic racecourse.

For today, small adjustments and split-second judgment calls will be key for those racing on the inside and outside tracks. Top American Leo Boucher put it succinctly.

“In a field like this, you have to try to beat everyone.”

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 in the ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and 470 class are racing 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.

In the 470 class, sailors race together as a fleet for the first 5 days.  Finals 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 competed in the first 2 days of racing. The top 45 boats after the second day are now competing 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 Final.

Racing began Sunday 19 July and continues through Friday 24 July. 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 courtesy of San Pedro OCR. Images copyright Lexi Pline.