When the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program decided to hold a qualifying series in the United States for the 2024 Paris Olympics, it would return to the system last held at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
While the plan was to determine the best delegates, the underlying effort was to increase interest in Olympic sailing. The weakness of the US program is depth, and this report by 17-year-old Arabella Duer proves that the program achieved that goal.
arabella duer
In February of this year, I competed in the Women's Single-handed Dinghy (ILCA 6) for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The Olympic Trials was the longest and most competitive regatta I have ever participated in. To ensure the highest level of challengers at the Olympic Trials, candidates either qualified at designated events or applied by resume. The trials were the final part of Olympic qualification.
Previously, the United States had qualified to represent the Olympics through ILCA 6, fulfilling the country's qualification requirements. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials is an athlete selection event in which the winner of the trials will represent the United States at the Olympics.
I qualified for the Olympic Trials by participating in the Olympic Class Regatta at Richmond Yacht Club. The event was held in San Francisco, California in mid-August. Conditions for the qualifying event were typical of San Francisco, with winds exceeding 15 knots throughout the day, making it one of the windiest regattas I have ever sailed. It was a challenging event, but next he was able to finish the regatta in one. High ranking required to qualify.
To prepare for the Olympic Trials, I trained at a yacht club called South Carolina Yacht Club in Hilton Head to improve specific areas of my sailing that I knew I needed to develop in time for the Olympic Trials. We used a combination of specific events selected for the event.
As part of my training plan, I attended the Orange Bowl Regatta, the largest youth regatta in the United States, in Miami in December. The Orange Bowl Regatta provided the large fleet start and energetic competitors I was looking for to practice starting from the line and maintaining a clean lane from the start.
The next big event I chose to help prepare for was the ILCA 6 Youth Worlds in Mar del Plata, Argentina in January. We chose this event because of the high level of competition and the good venue. The event has been broadcast again. The ILCA 6 Youth World provided me with an ocean sailing experience that made all previous sailing conditions seem calmer than expected, with stronger winds and waves.
These events were great experiences in themselves and helped prepare me for the conditions and competition I expected to encounter at the Olympic Trials in Miami, Florida.
At the trials, I was able to compete with top American sailors. As a 17-year-old, this experience allowed me to compare myself to my idols and understand what skills I needed to work on to reach their level. Additionally, participating in this event allowed me to gain Olympic Trials experience leading to the next 2028 Los Angeles Olympic cycle.
My goals leading up to this regatta included improving my ability to maintain my lane from the start line and gaining more experience in open water. The race ran for eight days, with the middle day taken as a reserve day. The conditions for this event were varied and my sailing skills were pushed to their limits.
Most days there was a sea breeze in the afternoon. I am one of his smallest sailors in his ILCA 6 and can't keep the boat as flat as the other competitors, so some days were like survival due to high winds and big waves. . One day, when a front passed him in a puff of over 40 knots, he was proud to be able to complete the race and return to his club at Miami Yachts at record-breaking speed.
By the end of the regatta, I was able to hold my lane longer each day, especially on days when the air was light. I don't have the opportunity to sail in such big waves back home. Therefore, I was grateful to have another opportunity to hone my technique in such a situation.
After the event, I realized that I needed to spend more time sailing in the ocean to learn the nuances of navigating big swells. You will also need to spend more time in the gym to develop the endurance and strength needed to perform well in strong winds. This event was an amazing experience. I can't wait to see what the future holds as we continue to sail at such a high level.
Since the Olympic Trials, I have had the opportunity to put into practice the skills I have learned. At the ILCA Gulf Coast Championships, there were strong winds every day, but I was able to apply the knowledge I gained from the open ocean races at the Olympic Trials. At the ILCA Midwinter's West, which also served as a Youth World Championship qualifier, I was the top U.S. youth female entering the third day, showing that all of that training had paid off.
Overall, the Olympic trials taught me a lot about my sailing and what I have to do in the future.
I would like to thank all the people and sponsors who have guided and supported me to get to where I am today. In particular, his South Carolina Yacht Club, the Paul Miller Foundation and its donors, his coach Mark Newman who trained and supported him, and his coach Pedro who coached him at the Olympic Trials and beyond, his Mascarenhas. I would like to thank you. And of course I would like to thank my parents for their constant support in all my sailing activities.
Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s 1-seater dinghy – ILCA 7 (41)
Women’s single seat dinghy – ILCA 6 (41)
Mixed two-seater dinghy – 470 (19)
Men’s Skiff – 49er (20)
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX (20)
Men’s Kiteboarding – Formula Kite Class (20)
Women’s Kiteboarding – Formula Kite Class (20)
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL (24)
Mixed multihull – Nacra 17 (19)
* The quotation in parentheses indicates the quota for each event, but does not include Universal Place (2 men, 2 women).
Venue: Marseille, France
Date: July 28th – August 9th
detail:
• Paris website: https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-olympic-games-paris-2024/
• World Sailing Microsite: https://paris2024.sailing.org/
