Moving day at Pan Am Games

Paracas, Peru (August 6, 2019) – The wind conditions on day four at the Pan Am Games remain delivered again as a southwesterly breeze filled at about 1200 local time and built throughout the day, allowing each of the eleven classes to complete all scheduled races.

Climbing the results today was Luke Ramsay (CAN), moving up from fourth to first after posting a 2-1-3. “It’s all about being focused on the next move” he explains, “the start, the first shift, the next wave. I’m focused on the details and forget about the big picture.”

While being at games isn’t something new, Luke says being on the water makes him feel like a kid again, “I’m just enjoying the fight on the water every day.”

Also blazing today were US Team members Riley Gibbs and Anna Weis who jumped into the gold medal position in the Mixed Nacra 17 after winning all four races. “We’re improving every day as a team,” notes Weis. “Our speed and communication felt really good today. I think little improvements like that are what has made the difference in helping us do well.”

Their performance is even more impressive when considering that just eight weeks ago, it was possible that the pair would be unable to compete due to injuries. “Recently, I had a bi-lateral fasciotomy, which is, at a super basic level, surgery on both of my arms,” said Weis. “Despite my expected recovery time being somewhat up in the air, I thankfully rebounded pretty quickly and was lucky enough to be able to sail this event.”

Team USA Women’s Laser Radial athlete Charlotte Rose also made some significant progress up the leaderboard today. After two first-place finishes today, Rose jumped up to a medal position from eighth place overall. Tomorrow, she will begin the day in second place overall.

Rose is one of the first athletes who spent much of her career in the Laser Radial training with US Sailing’s Olympic Development Program (ODP). “I’ve been on the ODP track more or less since the program started,” said Rose, who attributes some of her success at this event and the recent Laser Radial World Championships to her time training with the ODP.

“I think that it has played a really big role in helping me grow as a sailor. Not only was I able to be a part of the Gulf Coast Youth Sailing Association in Houston, but I was also sailing with the ODP. That meant that I got to train with a bunch of other amazing athletes and coaches across the country. Now I have the opportunity to train with people like [US Sailing Team Athletes] Erika Reineke and Paige Railey. So I’m really grateful to have that experience.”

Racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow at 1100 local time with the remaining event schedule as follows:

August 3-8 – Opening Series
August 9 – Medal Races for RS:X (M), RS:X (F), 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17, Laser Standard, and Laser Radial
August 9 – Reserve day for opening series races for Sunfish, Snipe, Lightning and Formula Kite
August 10 – Medal Races for Open Formula Kite, Mixed Snipe, Mixed Lightning, and Open Sunfish.

Details – Results – Tracking – Facebook

Top North Americans:
Men’s RS:X (8 races): 2nd David Mier Y Teran (MEX)
Women’s RS:X (7 races): 4th Demita Vega (MEX)
Men’s Laser (5 races): 2nd Charlie Buckingham (USA)
Women’s Laser Radial (5 races): 2nd Charlotte Rose (USA)
Open Sunfish (5 races): 1st Luke Ramsay (CAN)
Mixed Snipe (6 races): 1st Ernesto Rodriguez/ Hallie Schiffman (USA)
Men’s 49er (7 races): 3rd Alexander Heinzemann/ Justin Barnes (CAN)
Women’s 49erFX (7 races): 2nd Stephanie Roble/ Maggie Shea (USA)
Mixed Lightning (6 races): 4th Jody Swanson/ Ian Jones/ Skip Dieball (USA)
Mixed Nacra 17 (8 races): 1st Riley Gibbs/ Anna Weis (USA)
Open Formula Kite (10 races): 3rd Will Cyr (USA)

Team rosters: Canada – USA

Sailing is among the 51 sports to be contested at the 2019 Pan Am Games, with the 11 medal events to be held from August 3 to 10 in Paracas, Peru. A total of 168 athletes will be competing in Men’s and Women’s RS:X, Men’s Laser, Women’s Laser Radial, Open Sunfish, Mixed Snipe, Men’s 49er, Women’s 49erFX, Mixed Lightning, Mixed Nacra 17, and Open Formula Kite. Held every four years, the Pan Am Games attracts athletes from nations of the Americas in the year before the Summer Olympic Games.

Source: US Sailing Team, Scuttlebutt