The LA28 sailing venue is already teaching hard lessons two years before the Games, and nowhere was that clearer than in the 49er fleet’s approach to the start line. At the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta, an astonishing 90% of 49er sailors chose to start on port tack, a move usually reserved for the desperate or the supremely confident. That single stat tells you almost everything about how heavily the right-hand side is favoured outside the breakwater, a pattern that has held true since Los Angeles last hosted Olympic sailing back in 1984.
Andy Rice and Meredith Glacken break down exactly why in this analysis of the final Sailing Grand Slam event of the year, and the story is more nuanced than simple bias. Outside the breakwater, going right is close to a formality. Inside, where Olympic medals will actually be won, kelp, current and a confused sea state reward genuine all-round sailors rather than one-trick specialists.
Germany’s surprise 49er dominance at the LA28 sailing venue
Germany’s Richard Schulteis and Fabian Rieger delivered a wire-to-wire performance that few saw coming, denying past world champions and reigning Olympic gold medallists a foothold on home Olympic waters. Sweden underlined their form with wins in both the 49erFX and Nacra 17, while a mid-race gear failure forced Uruguay’s crew into an improvised repair under load, a moment that speaks to how unforgiving this venue can be. Britain’s John Gimson and Anna Burnet produced a notable late recovery in the Nacra fleet, adding another twist to a week already shaped by a stray stingray encounter on the beach.
What San Pedro tells us before LA28
With several recent world champions failing to reach the podium, San Pedro suggests venue knowledge may matter as much as raw speed heading into the Games. For readers tracking the wider Olympic build-up, our LA28 test event coverage offers useful context on how format and venue quirks are already shaping campaigns across classes.
Video courtesy of THE FOIL — watch the full video on YouTube.
