Alongside on an incredible journey

When the Olympic Sailing Program re-imagined the Two Person Dinghy event, and the men’s and women’s events were merged into one mixed event, this completely shuffled the deck for all the existing teams. The 470 has been the boat for this event since 1976, and has proven well suited for the this new era as both men and women are skippering and crewing.

The top USA team with a female helm is Louisa Nordstrom and Trevor Bornarth (aka NB470), and as both a new team and new to the boat, they have been scratching and clawing their way to the top of the fleet. While the top USA team is arguably 4-time Olympian Stu McNay and 2020 Olympian Lara Dallman-Weiss, the combined talents of Nordstom and Bornarth like their chances to win the USA trials. Here is their latest update:

NB470 Racing checking in again from our training overseas! We are now 70 days out from the US Olympic Trials taking place in Miami on January 6-13, 2024. All gas no breaks as we accelerate towards this exciting culminating event. The athlete selection procedures outline our qualification system for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and for the mixed 470 class, our qualifying event will be this one week event, winner takes all!

Our goal for this next period of time is to arrive at the trials as the best prepared team to take the Olympic spot. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had the privilege of training in Weymouth, a location that holds a special place in the hearts of sailors worldwide as the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. The history and prestige of this venue inspire us daily as we strive to reach new heights, working with the Olympic rings in the background.

We are here in the UK to continue pushing our strengths while also working on our weaknesses. Our British training partners, Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube, have been fantastic sparring partners and a critical component to our development and ability to push forward. Also, massive shout-out to the rest of the British Sailing Team for being such hospitable hosts, especially the Heathcote family, Elliot Hanson, Mickey Beckett, and Ellie Aldridge!

We’ve managed to become honorary members of their team, participating in closed BST Training camps, sharing housing, and even coaching. Our good friends and USST teammates, Steph Roble and Maggie Shea, have been following suit in training with the Brits, so we are not alone in flying the stars and stripes proudly while here in the UK.

A mix of conditions during this past month. We’ve been fortunate enough to get to experience some classic Weymouth conditions while training here. Big breeze, waves, and cold temperatures! We’ve also had some beautiful days in the harbor for some flat water training.

Additionally, we’ve been pushing our fitness to new heights while exploring all that the UK has to offer. Cycling, trailing running, and our newest favorite hobby, wing foiling!

What’s next?
• UK Training – October
• Portugal Training – November
• Miami Training – December
• US Olympic Trials – January 6-13, 2024

A massive thank you to our supporters who believe in our team! We are pushing hard every day thanks to you. A special thank you to the Sailing Foundation of New York and St. Francis Sailing Foundation for supporting sailors like us and allowing us to follow our dreams! Stay tuned for more updates from our training adventures in Weymouth and other exciting developments.

We are grateful to have you alongside us on this incredible journey.

Exciting news on the equipment front:
We’re thrilled to announce the acquisition of a new boat for the Olympic trials! Being at the top of our game will require having the best equipment! We have earned a build slot with Ziegelmayer, the top 470 manufacturer. As the trials will be taking place in Miami, we need to ship a container from where the boat is being built in Germany to the US, which is quite a substantial cost. The total cost for our new boat with shipping to Miami is about $26,000 USD. Any contribution is extremely helpful!

If you’d like to contribute towards our new rocket for the trials, you can make a quick donation through GoFundMe, or a tax-deductible donation via our support page!

We are well on our way towards our goal of representing the USA at the upcoming Olympic Games. Thank you for being part of this journey with us! Stay tuned for more updates soon! In the meantime make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and keep up with us on social media @nb470racing!

Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 (41)
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 (41)
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 (19)
Men’s Skiff – 49er (20)
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX (20)
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class (20)
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFoil (24)
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFoil (24)
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 (19)
* Quota per event in parenthesis but does not include Universality Places (2 men, 2 women)

Venue: Marseille, France
Dates: July 26-August 11

Details: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/