Enoshima: U.S. Sailing Team finishes disappointing summer in Japan with no podium finishes in two ma
ENOSHIMA, Japan (#1198) – There’s no way to whitewash it: The U.S. Sailing Team had a disappointing summer in Japan just a year out from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Americans had no podium finishes in two major events at the venue for the Summer Games. As the Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima wrapped up Sunday, the best the U.S. team could muster were three top-10 finishes.
That’s not a good sign coming off the Ready Steady Tokyo Test Event that also provided three top-10 finishes but no podiums, although Stu McNay (Providence, RI) and Dave Hughes (Miami, FL) finished fourth in the men’s 470. However, they were 14th in the World Cup.
The American sailors clearly have some work to do if they want to reverse their recent underwhelming Olympic performances. There were no American medalists at London in 2012, and it took a gutsy comeback by Caleb Paine (San Diego) for a bronze in the Finn at Rio in 2016 to save the Americans from what would otherwise have been an embarrassing zero-medal tally for a second straight Olympics.
Another disappointment at Enoshima was the weather. Thanks to light winds, only two of the five medal races scheduled for the last day of the World Cup were completed. The men’s and women’s 470 classes sailed medal races while the Finn, Laser, and Laser Radial podiums were decided based on the cumulative standings of the first 10 races.
U.S. sailors Atlantic and Nora Brugman (Winthrop, MA) did compete in one of the two medal races Sunday, finishing fifth in the women’s 470 to land in 10th overall.
“We are pretty happy to finish fifth. It was exciting to get some practice doing some medal racing and it’s nice to end our time in Japan on a good note,” Atlantic Brugman said. “The excitement of the medal race is always super motivating. Our next major regatta will be (2020 Hempel World Cup Series) Miami, so we're already excited to go work really hard these next couple months to keep improving as much as possible.”
The Brugmans are among several U.S. Sailing Team athletes who have been in Japan since the Laser, Laser Radial, and 470 World Championships that took place in mid-July and early August. The conclusion of this event marks the end of the long training and competition block in Japan. Many of the sailors will be moving on to prepare for their respective World Championships at other venues and Oakcliff Triple Crown Series.
The next class World Championship will begin in late November for 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 sailors. Racing at the Oakcliff Triple Crown Series will begin Sept. 14.
Hempel World Cup Series Enoshima – Final U.S. Results
49er – Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, NY) and Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, FL), 8th
Finn – Luke Muller (Fort Pierce, FL), 10th
Women’s 470 – Atlantic Brugman (Winthrop, MA) and Nora Brugman (Winthrop, MA), 10th
Finn – Caleb Paine (San Diego), 11th
Men’s 470 – Stu McNay (Providence, RI) and Dave Hughes (Miami), 14th
Women’s 470 – Carmen Cowles (Larchmont, NY) and Emma Cowles (Larchmont, NY), 14th
Women’s 470 – Nikole Barnes (Miami) and Lara Dallman-Weiss (Shoreview, MN), 15th
Nacra 17 – Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, CA) and Anna Weis (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 16th
49er – Judge Ryan (San Diego) and Hans Henken (Coronado, CA), 16th
Men’s RS:X – Pedro Pascual (West Palm Beach, FL), 18th
Laser – Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, CA), 18th
49erFX – Paris Henken (Coronado, CA) and Anna Tunnicliffe-Tobias (Pittsburgh, PA), 20th
Women’s 470 – Rachel Bryer (Jamestown, RI) & Laura Slovensky (Brookhaven, NY), 20th
Laser Radial – Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 20th
49erFX – Stephanie Roble (East Troy, WI) and Maggie Shea (Wilmette, IL), 26th
Nacra 17 – Sarah Newberry (Miami) and David Liebenberg (Livermore, CA), 28th
Nacra 17 – Ravi Parent (Sarasota, FL.) and Charlotte Mack (Miami), 30th
Men’s 470 – Trevor Davis (Annapolis, MD) and Trevor Bornarth (Martin County, FL), 31st
Laser – Chris Barnard (Newport Beach, CA), 45th
Atlantic Brugman celebrates fifth place in the women's 470 medal race at World Cup. US Sailing photo.