Great moments and lessons learned for USA at 49er, 49er FX & Nacra 17 World Championships

Snapshots from 2022 Skiff & Nacra World Championships © Sailing Energy

US Sailing Team's month in Canada has come to a close. The Team entered the World Championship event with a variety of goals across the 49er, 49er FX, and Nacra 17 classes and made headlines for showcasing expert tactics and skill on St. Margarets Bay.

Highlights:

• With a first-place finish in the 49er FX Medal Race, Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea finished 5th overall in the 49er FX Class. Along the way, they won race nine by 400 meters, impressing all with their navigation of the tricky conditions and expert light-wind sailing.
• "Newberry & Liebenberg spoil the Italian Job" (Nacra17.org headline) - Sarah Newberry Moore and David Liebenberg were the first team to interrupt Tita and Banti's (ITA) streak of race wins, and promptly proved the USA's bullet was no anomaly when they placed second in the following race.
• The USST/Squad 49er group racked up a total of 20 top-10 race finishes throughout the event.

"We are proud to walk away from this world championship in fifth place," said Maggie Shea. "We fought hard for every point, rallied mentally after a tough opening day, and learned from every race throughout the 17-race regatta."

"The US Sailing Team had an incredible support system for us in Halifax," continued Shea. "Our coach, Giulia Conti, collaborated with the team's meteorologist, Chelsea Freas, and all the other coaches to help us understand St. Margarets Bay. The physical therapy staff, Dr. Chris Ellis and Angela Popiol, helped us keep our bodies strong and working through a very long event. We're so grateful for the team behind the team that helped us get here."

Final USST Results:

• 5th - Stephanie Roble & Maggie Shea, 49er FX
• 11th - Ian Barrows & Hans Henken, 49er
• 16th - Sarah Newberry Moore & David Liebenberg, Nacra 17
• 18th - Riley Gibbs & Lara Dallman-Weiss, Nacra 17
• 22nd - Andrew Mollerus & Ian MacDiarmid, 49er
• 37th - Nevin Snow & Mac Agnese (ODP), 49er

"We came to Halifax in early August with the idea of using the World Championships as the final stage of a period of intense training," commented Paul Cayard, Executive Director of US Olympic Sailing. "Our pursuit of the podium is a long, uphill, climb. It is for the fully committed. We had several top results during the week. We will work on consistency. I would like to thank our coaching and support staff who delivered a world class support product."