2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta - Day 3
by Long Beach Yacht Club 15 Jul 18:22 BST
12-20 July 2025
2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta - Day 3 © Simone Staff
Mother Nature teased the competitors today and made them wait a bit, but she did not disappoint; the sun came out and a big westerly built to 18-20 knots!
On the ILCA 7 course, PRO Mark Townsend noted that with the wonderful breeze, the sailors were even more aggressive, inches away from the line at Go! GBR's Sam Whaley caught up in the chase for glory in Race 8, shifted his weight forward and straight into an OCS.
"Tomorrow I'm gunning for a good race which will set me right!" Meanwhile his GBR teammate Elliott Hanson sitting in 2nd decided on the strategy of "playing it safe all day long, starting in the middle inches from the line with good starts for all three races." Hanson will again start in the Silver bib. But GBR's Michael Beckett, starting in third today, bet on a lefty and the racetrack opened up. "I guessed correctly, I went left, and the tactics paid off. Putting me in a quite good position," he noted. Beckett will wear the Gold bib tomorrow.
In the ILCA 6 Women division, GBR's Hannah Snellgrove will keep her Gold bib and Ireland's Eve McMahon keeps her silver. However, Poland's Agatha Barwiniska takes the Bronze from SUI Maud Jayet who now sits in 4th.
An epic tacking duel broke out on the 470 course today between Nikole Barnes & Ryan Squires and Justin Callahan & Lara Dallman-Weiss. These two combos battled it out on the racecourse with Justin & Lara edging out Nikki & Ryan for the top spot going into the Final day.
Course Officer Wendy Corzine said "it was one of the closest finishes of the week. Bibs will be exchanged. The O flag went up when the breeze hit 10 knots. Impressive display of boat handling!" Justin Callahan & Lara Dallman-Weiss will wear the Gold Bib with 10 points and Nikole Barnes & Ryan Squires the Silver with 14 points. With only 3 more races to go, expect a good battle.
In the Women's Formula Kite division, Silver Medalist Lauriane Nolot from France says, "I had an average day but building from Day One, and my goal tomorrow is to continue to climb." Laurine started kiteboarding in 2017 with her father and brother, then began racing in 2019. Her first time in Long Beach, she is sitting in 5th and will need to keep climbing to reach the podium.
Jessie Kampman/NED98 will again wear the Gold bib, Si Wang/CHN 71, the Silver and Wan LI/CHN68 will wear Bronze. In the Men's Formula Kite division, Toni Vodisek/SLO55 will again wear the Gold saying, "I'm loving Long Beach!" Kameron Maramenidis/GRE37 on the other hand, had a tough day going from 2 to 6 after a DNC and a collision made for a tough day. Tomorrow's plan, "no mercy, going for the win!" GBR's Connor Bainbridge will wear the Silver Bib and CZE's Vojitech Koska will wear the bronze bib.
Final day of racing for the ILCA 6 & 7, Men's & Women's Formula Kite and 470 classes is Tuesday, 15 July. The 49er, FX, iQFOiL and Nacra 17 classes begin Thursday, 17 July through Sunday, 20 July.