The second week of San Pedro OCR racing pushed Olympic hopefuls in the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 fleets to their limits as lighter, less predictable winds transformed the future LA 2028 racecourse off the Southern California coast. Day 2 delivered a markedly different challenge from the previous session, forcing sailors to rapidly adjust tactics and mindset as the battle for leaderboard positions intensified.
After six races, France’s Tim Mourniac and Aloïse Retornaz continue to lead the Nacra 17 fleet, while Germany’s Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger remain atop the 49er standings. In the 49erFX, Canada’s Georgia and Antonia Lewin-LaFrance held onto the overall lead.
Nacra 17 racing produced another tightly contested day, with three different race winners across the afternoon. Mourniac and Retornaz retained the overall lead, while Australia’s Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown climbed into second overall after finishing second, third, and second. Sweden’s Emil Järudd and Hanna Jonsson stayed in third.
Competitors noted that the day’s weather conditions produced an appreciably different racecourse than what they had experienced just 24 hours earlier. British Nacra 17 crew Anna Burnet, racing with helm John Gimson, called the day really interesting. She described it as a different day from what they had encountered since arriving, welcoming the chance to race in lighter, more unpredictable conditions.
Gimson added that the breeze had been going right every other day before a big left shift arrived. The pair said they are learning a bit more every day about the venue’s quirks.
Changing conditions throughout the day and week have surfaced racers’ aptitude for recovery and quick adaptation, a defining characteristic of Olympic sailing. After an OCS over-early start in the opening race threatened to derail their afternoon, the Olympic silver medalist pair regrouped and finished with a win in the final race.
Gimson reflected on the experience, saying that sailing is all about those highs and lows throughout the week. He emphasized the importance of moving on to the next race and having the mental toughness to turn things around.
In the 49erFX fleet, Day 2 also yielded that style of resilient response for Americans Helena Scutt and Paris Porter. After struggling with starts on opening day, the pair rebounded with a bullet in Race 1 and a second-place finish in Race 2, climbing six places in the overall standings.
Scutt acknowledged that the previous day had been really challenging, with three bad starts leaving them fighting from the back the whole way through. But rather than falling further behind, they kept picking off boats. On Day 2, they channeled all their energy into the starts, and it paid off.
Porter added that despite multiple postponements, lighter conditions, and a later-than-typical build in breeze, the team remained committed to their strategy of keeping it simple. She described sticking to their guns rather than going into full rip mode, focusing instead on anticipating the lulls. The team had great technique on the boat, and the VMG high felt really nice.
The FX fleet concluded the day with Canada’s Lewin-LaFrance sisters still holding the lead. Sweden’s Vilma Bobek and Ebba Berntsson moved into second, unseating Britain’s Freya Black and Saskia Tidey who dropped to third.
The 49er fleet remained equally competitive. Germany’s Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger kept their overall lead, but Australia’s Harry Price and Max Paul moved into second overall after another consistent day. France’s Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin sit just behind them in third.
Price and Paul said the start line dynamics in San Pedro continue to shape the week’s racing. Price explained that the whole fleet is learning the starting strategy with everyone on port, trying to get out of the blocks safely with a nice lane to the right.
Paul noted it is probably the first time he has been sailing in the 49er where it is not just a portion of the fleet on port but 90% at every start. Managing the traffic and the chaos becomes paramount, and executing that part of the race well sets a team up for success.
For the Australian team, the venue carries an added layer of significance. Price’s sister, also a sailor, has been to two Olympic Games, and Paul’s mother represented Australia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the last time the city hosted the Summer Olympics.
With two days complete, sailors have now experienced two very different versions of the future Olympic racecourse. One was defined by the LA Harbor’s trademark afternoon sea breeze, while the other demanded patience and adaptability.
Racing continues through Saturday, August 8. Event details, entry lists, results, and schedules can be found at the official San Pedro OCR website. Generous support for the regatta is provided by Capstan, BP Home, American Marine, and the Pacific Environmental Corporation. Race committee and volunteer support is made possible with the help of World Sailing, Los Angeles Yacht Club, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Balboa Yacht Club, California Yacht Club, Long Beach Yacht Club, and Newport Harbor Yacht Club.
San Pedro OCR is one of only two major Olympic Class events that take place in the United States.
