Featured Articles, The Weekly Routine
William McBride
New Years Resolutions For A Successful 2016
New Years Resolutions For A Successful 2016

28 Athletes at 2025 49er & 49erFX US Nationals Illustrates Strength of American Skiff Movement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2025

A balmy, 15 knot wind stirred the palm trees at the US Sailing Center of Miami for day three of the 2025 49er and 49erFX National Championship. The crowd of 28 skiff racers gathered for the morning briefing was an exhibit of contrast: amongst the field of competitors the youngest are still in high school, moving up from top finishes in the 29er fleet to take the next step on the high performance pathway, while the oldest are stepping back into the 49er from recent experiences sailing the F50 in SailGP, and training with America’s Cup teams in massive foilers. Two teammates here have been racing together for over 20 years, while some have fewer than 20 days together. The fleet is equal parts young guns, dreaming of one day campaigning for the Olympics, current Olympic campaigners, and returning veterans who are coming back to help the fleet grow and develop. The latter group includes 2024 Olympic Bronze medalists in the 49er class, Ian Barrows and Hans Henken. A growing sense of momentum in the fleet is tangible.

“This event is the first formal racing opportunity following a busy winter of US Sailing Olympic Development training camps in Miami, and it was a fantastic opportunity to put the work to the test and spar with solid competition,” said US Sailing Olympic Development Director, Rosie Chapman. “The winter camps were a great space to get valuable time on the water and support athletes in new classes with new partners, and to promote knowledge sharing from seasoned veterans. The Nationals turnout this weekend illustrates a positive outcome with 19 of the 23 American athletes in attendance coming straight out of US Sailing ODP training, and we’re excited to continue this momentum as a country. The future is bright for US Skiffs!”

Though international activity in the skiff scene may appear quiet since Paris 2024, new entrants in the US fleet have been logging hours out of the spotlight. But the energy in Miami was proof of a renewed excitement in the skiff fleet that will make it the pathway to watch when it comes to talent in the United States this quad. 

In the 49erFX class, the story of the week was the steep learning curve amongst all competitors, with the bar rising each day as talented young sailors leapfrogged their skills. On day one, Kelly Cole & Ellie Glenn pushed Logan Mraz and Ronan Curnyn at the front of the fleet, each taking race wins. Day two saw more wind, and Pierce and Fynn Olsen showed the fleet the power of a bow-down VMG mode, putting together a string of bullets. By day three, B Lindsay and Bella Casaretto (29er Youth Worlds champion) showed what they had learned through the weekend to move up the leaderboard with a pair of 2nds to finish strong.

The title came down to the final race, with four teams still mathematically in reach of the National Champion title. In the end, Logan Mraz and Ronan Curnyn (USA 8) showed a great jump in boat speed to edge out the competition, taking a bullet in the final race to secure the National Championship. Close behind, Pierce and Fynn Olsen took second place, while B Lindsay and Bella Casaretto rounded out the podium. The shuffling leaderboard throughout the weekend demonstrated the rapid development of the next generation in the U.S. FX fleet, and will offer strong motivation for teams to put in the work before the next domestic event this summer in California.

The 49er class was a showcase of experience, skill, and depth, with five different teams claiming race wins throughout the event. Coach Willie McBride captured the fun, competitive energy of the fleet at the beginning of the weekend, when addressing the younger sailors in the fleet: “I hope you’ll spend time hanging out with [the veteran racers] in the boat park and learning everything you can from them, but I hope you won’t give them an inch on the start line.”

Many of the young teams in the 49er have been putting in long hours over the last several months training together in Miami, so they came into the Nationals with the advantage of time in the boat with consistent teammates. In contrast, the veterans of the last few Olympic cycles partnered with new sailors to help raise the level all around, demonstrating the importance of experience in the boat over many years. 2024 Olympic Bronze medal crew, Hans Henken returned to the 49er this weekend to push the fleet on the race course and meet up with old friends outside of racing. Hans sailed his first Olympic Trials in the 49er in 2008, so his journey to the podium has spanned a full lifetime for some of the younger competitors on the course this weekend. For Nationals he teamed back up with his 29er skipper, Judge Ryan with whom he won a Youth Worlds medal in 2008, and the duo won the last race of the event. In another boat, Hans’s Olympic skipper, and fellow 2024 Yachtsman of the Year, Ian Barrows battled a canceled flight on day 1 of the event, to fight back to 4th, sailing with ISV rep at the 2022 PanAm Games, Steven Hardee.

In the end, Nicolas Muller and Mac Agnese put on a masterclass in consistency. The pair leaned on Mac’s experience in the 49er from the last few quads with Nevin Snow and Nic’s recent pro sailing and training at the helm of the 49er. The Janov brothers, Jordan and Grant, who have been leading the charge of the next generation teams, demonstrated what the future of the class looks like by taking second with moments of excellent speed. Rounding out the podium was Mexico’s Ander and Danel Belausteguigoitia - veterans of the 2024 quad - who raised the bar for the fleet in the moderate conditions on day one and showed moments of brilliance in the breezier conditions.

During the trophy presentation, US 49er Class President, and event organizer, Willie McBride captured the essence of the event:

"Look around at the people standing next to you. You’ll see athletes who have stood on top of the podium at SailGP, America’s Cup sailors, Youth Olympic champions, several Youth Worlds medalists, College Sailors of the Year, and All-Americans from top universities. And of course our very own, recent Olympic Medalists in the 49er class. This is the coolest group of people, the most rewarding network, and in the next four years we’re going to keep the hammer down to provide the best racing possible, and build a legacy to make this a permanent paradigm for the next generation of skiff sailors."

Photo: Conaltura

Beyond the racing, the 49er Nationals offered a glimmer of what is to come in a class that is leading the charge to change the landscape of grassroots energy in American Olympic sailing. US Sailing Olympic Development Director, Rosie Chapman, and Leandro Spina of America One Racing were both on site, working side by side to mobilize resources from both organizations to supercharge the US 49er Class Association and make the event a huge success. Both leaders rolled up their sleeves, moving marks, running the media boat, and bringing along staff to support the racing, reflecting a continued investment in the next generation. The event was also a testament to the legacy of the Skiff Generation regattas, a grassroots initiative spearheaded by the weekend’s PRO, Phil Muller (and current US Sailing Youth Racing Manager) that has propelled U.S. skiff sailing forward over the past decade.

“With the 2025 Nationals in the books, the stage is set for an exciting season ahead,” reflected McBride. “The level of competition, depth of talent, and camaraderie on display at this event confirms that the U.S. skiff scene is gaining momentum!”

For information on the class vision, please click here.

To get involved with the US 49er Class effort, please reach out to class president Willie McBride at www.mcbrideracing.com.

Final Standings

49er National Championship
1st Nicolas Muller & Mac Agnese (USA 118) - 18 points
2nd Jordan & Grant Janov (USA 132) - 29 points
3rd Ander & Danel Belausteguigoitia (MEX 1) - 30 points

49erFX National Championship
 1st Logan Mraz & Ronan Curnyn (USA 8) - 20 points
2nd Pierce & Fynn Olsen (USA 42) - 22 points
3rd B Lindsay & Bella Casaretto (USA 7) - 25 points

For full results and race tracking, click here.

Class Media Partnership: Salty Brother Films

What Should I Be Doing This Summer to Improve My 49er Skills?

This is one of the most common questions I’ve heard recently, particularly from teams who plan on staying domestic through the spring and into the summer. Whether you are still in school and looking to make the most of your time in the 49er this spring and summer, or considering whether to head to Europe this summer, here are some thoughts to help you make the best plan for your training as we head into the summer.

Structuring Your Training Blocks

When you’re starting out on your 49er journey, your priority should be maximizing hours on the water to build up the foundational skills that contribute to success on the race course. Time by yourself is extremely valuable in the beginning, because it allows you to slow things down, take the time to pay attention to the details, and work on the boring skills that will pay dividends later. Injecting some time around other boats can make training more fun, and racing will allow you to benchmark your skills. Incorporating parts of all three of these approaches into your training this summer will be critical to maximizing productivity on the water. Here’s how that might look.

Time By Yourself

Successful teams build structured training blocks, breaking down their sessions into specific skill development areas:

  • Boat Handling Drills: 49ers are unforgiving. The more polished your maneuvers—tacks, gybes, and mark roundings—the more competitive you’ll be. Dedicate time to high-rep, high-pressure drills that simulate race conditions. This should be your primary focus early on, and it doesn’t require any other boats on the water.

  • Downspeed Boat Handling: Spend time by yourself learning to sit next to a mark. Work on Around The Mark Without Tacking drill, work on double tacking, work on switching from forward to backwards flow and the other way around. These skills will pay dividends near other boats.

TRain With Other Boats

Training with other boats will keep things fresh and fun. Maximize this time by working on speed, and when possible, applying pressure to your boat handling skills. If you have other boats around, find boat handling drills that force you to get your maneuvers done in a specific timeframe. Learn to lee-bow, tack to cover, duck and set under pressure. Sneak a little bit of speed work in every time you can line up with other boats.

Racing Opportunities this summer

Checking in with the fleet is not only important from a skill development standpoint, but it’s also the fun part, so I recommend that every team at any level organize their summers around a regatta schedule. Start by identifying your peak event for the summer and work backwards from there.

This summer, I think that there are probably three events that span the full spectrum of needs for teams as far as targeting peak events:

Long Beach OCR: For teams who will exclusively stay domestic, the Long Beach OCR / 49er North Americans should be the peak event of the season. This will be your opportunity to line up with international competition who will be in Long Beach to start learning the venue for 2028. I expect to see quite a bit of training before and after this event, so be sure to connect with the fleet on WhatsApp to see what is going on.

Junior Worlds: This summer the Junior Worlds will be in Copenhagen in late July/early August, and will be an ideal peak event for those who can attend. The level of competition at the top of the fleet will be quite high, but but the depth won’t be nearly as strong as most open international regattas. This provides a great environment to benchmark your skills and see where the bar is internationally.

Open Worlds: Top teams will plan on peaking this year at the 49er Worlds in Italy in October. This will be the pinnacle of racing for the year, and if you’re reading this article, chances are, you shouldn’t be planning on using this as a peak event!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think that California will be the main training hub in the United States this summer, and I expect to see this become more pronounced in the next three years. Organizing your summer around a peak event will give the summer more structure, and give you a benchmark opportunity, but regardless of your peak event, be sure to plan periods of training by yourself to maximize hours on the water, and training with other boats to focus on skills that are hard to practice by yourself.

,

Using Regattas in Year One to Benchmark Progress: A Strategic Approach

,

The first year of any Olympic campaign is a foundational phase, and its success often hinges on the clarity of the goals set for this crucial period. For sailors navigating year one, international regattas are less about perfecting racing tactics and more about using these events as critical benchmarks to measure progress in the areas they are focusing on at home—especially boat handling and fundamental skills.

Why Benchmarking Matters in Year One

The demands of international competition expose sailors to the rigors of elite-level racing. These regattas, while not the primary driver of skill development early on, provide an invaluable lens to assess the efficacy of training programs and highlight areas that require fine-tuning. At this stage, success isn’t defined by podium finishes but by how well the progress in practice translates to high-pressure racing environments.

For sailors focused on improving their boat-handling repertoire, frequent attendance at international events is not necessary. What matters most is the quality of instruction and coaching between regattas. With a robust training program led by world-class coaches, teams can minimize international appearances during year one while maximizing the value of each event they do attend.

Maximizing the Value of International Events

Because these regattas are fewer in number during the initial stages of a program, the stakes for making the most of them are higher. Each event should be approached with meticulous preparation and purpose. To ensure sailors and teams are performing at their best:

  • Training Should Peak Ahead of Regattas: Arrive ready to "fire on all cylinders," with boat handling, decision-making, and mental preparation refined in advance.

  • Data-Driven Evaluation: Events offering advanced tracking systems, such as SAP Analytics, are ideal during this stage. These tools provide a wealth of data that allows sailors to evaluate performance metrics and compare their skills with the rest of the fleet. This quantitative feedback is essential for tracking progress and identifying specific areas to address back home.

Striking the Right Balance

Overexposure to international regattas in year one can dilute the focus on fundamentals and lead to burnout. Instead, teams should prioritize a balanced schedule that allocates ample time for targeted training while integrating just enough competition to validate and refine skills. By year two, when the focus shifts more toward speed requiring more time around other boats, and more time on the race course. The foundation laid in year one will allow sailors to excel.

Key Takeaways

International regattas in year one are not about accumulating victories but about validating progress. Thoughtful preparation and strategic event selection will ensure sailors gain meaningful insights while maintaining the focus on their long-term development. Prioritize quality over quantity, use every opportunity to benchmark, and return to the training base ready to build on the lessons learned.

With this approach, sailors can make steady, deliberate strides toward excellence, ensuring they are ready to shine on the world stage when the time comes.