Location: Long Beach, California
Dates: July 12-15, 2025
After a couple of weeks at home, I returned to Long Beach for the Olympic Classes Regatta, part of the new Grand Slam series. This was the first time the venue hosted a truly high-calibre international fleet in the lead up to LA, raising the stakes considerably and giving the event the feel of a true proving ground.
In the lead-up, I trained closely with several international teams, especially the Irish, and those sessions pushed me to a new level. We focused on speed in different conditions and waves on offer. By the time racing began, I felt both well-prepared and eager to measure myself against a small but stacked fleet.
The regatta itself delivered a mix of conditions. Most races were sailed in Long Beach’s trademark moderate seabreeze but we also had races on either end of the wind range just the same as the North American Championships.
One of my standout moments came in Race 7, sailing in lighter winds where positioning and boat handling were critical. I committed early to the correct side of the course using my strong boat speed I managed to round the first mark in 2nd place. It was a thrill to glance back and see so many top sailors behind me. Although I slid back to 6th by the finish, losing ground on both downwinds, I came away stoked with the performance. It showed I can get to the front of this kind of fleet, and also reminded me where I need to sharpen up next.
Across four days of racing, I put together my best international result to date, finishing 14th overall. My individual race finishes showed steady progress against some of the best in the world. More than just a result on paper, this regatta was an important confirmation that the process I’ve committed to is working. The training, the choices, the mindset — it’s all starting to click, and I’m excited to carry that momentum forward into the rest of the quadrennial.
RESULTS
Road to LA 2028: Next Stop, ILCA 7 Canadian Championships
I head out to Buffalo Canoe and Sailing Club to chase the title of Canadian Champion again.