US Takes Bronze at US Match Race Worlds

Brief report by Dave Perry, Team Leader and Coach

The U.S. Youth Match Racing Team represented the U.S. and US Sailing admirably in the inaugural ISAF Youth Match Racing World Championship, held July 23-27, in Helsinki, Finland. The Team won the Bronze Medal in a field of 15 countries, including several top ranked skippers on the ISAF Match Racing ranking list.

The Team was skippered by Nevin Snow (San Diego, CA), with crew Jake LaDow (San Diego, CA), Graham Landy (Norfolk, VA), Katia DaSilva (Newport, RI) and John Wallace (St. Petersburg, FL). Snow is the current Intercollegiate Match Racing National Champion, and winner of the 2014 World University Games sailed on Lake Garda in Italy.

After the round robin of 14 races, the US team ended in a 4-way tie for third place. Racing the 16th ranked skipper in the world, Chris Steele from New Zealand, in the quarterfinals, the US team won 3-1, putting them against the 19th ranked skipper, Sam Gilmour from Australia. Gilmour was a notch better around the track and defeated the US team 3-0. Racing for the Bronze Medal against the French team, both races came down to the wire with the boats crossing the finishing line overlapped in both races. Fortunately, the US team won both those to clinch the medal.

The regatta was held in the Helsinki harbor in J/80’s in light to medium winds. The host club (NJK Blekholmen) did a great job hosting this inaugural event. Next year’s event will be in Poland at the end of the summer.