Within Reach at Worlds

Hello everyone! Just two weeks ago, I wrapped up the primary portion of the 2026 racing season. This first year back competing this quad working towards 2028 has been one of immense learning and progress, and for that I am incredibly proud and grateful for the support around me that has made it possible. But let’s go back to August 22nd, when I got on the flight to London to begin my on-site training in Weymouth, the host of the 2012 Olympics for sailing, for the 2026 iQFOiL World Championships.

After landing in London, we drove to Weymouth and the nearby Isle of Portland, where we would be staying. It was a small, quintessential English town that, over our two weeks of training, brought incredibly consistent breeze. During those two weeks, I focused on putting the final touches on my preparation for Worlds, including testing the final pieces of equipment to find what would be fastest and competing in practice races to learn as much as possible before the event.

The lead-up to the regatta truly could not have gone better. I found myself winning races and honing a consistent racing style that highlighted my strengths. I also felt my confidence and excitement for the event growing.

Worlds is the most important event of the season. For people in the US Sailing world, not only is it an opportunity to fight for a world title, but it is also one of two times a year that you can move up a tier within the US Sailing ranks. US Sailing has a performance-based tiering system that provides athletes with different levels of support. Going into Worlds, I was a Tier 4 athlete after missing Tier 3 by just four places at Palma, the only other opportunity to qualify throughout the year. To move up to Tier 3, I needed to finish within the top 40, while a top-20 finish would earn me Tier 2 and a spot on the official US Sailing Team. As the prep for the regatta was going so well, I began to set my sights on that top-20 goal. I knew it would be ambitious, as my best result at a big international event was 35th at the Europeans. However, the pieces were falling into place, and I knew I had what it takes.

The weekend before racing started, the forecast was looking amazing for the week, my best conditions. But beneath my building confidence, nerves were inevitably starting to creep in. Unfortunately, they showed up the first race of the regatta where I made a risky decision at the start that did not pay off. I pulled myself together and tried to focus on the next race, where I put down more consistent performances, although not quite at the level I was hoping for. I finished the first day in 35th, exactly where I finished Europeans. I knew I needed to sail better in the following days to achieve my goals.

On Day 2, the forecast was perfect for me: big breeze and pretty flat water. I was ready to climb the ranks. Despite struggling off the starting line, I managed to string together quality races and climbed all the way to 18th by the end of the day. I was sitting in qualifying position for Tier 2 and the US Sailing Team. However, the forecast for the last three days of the event had gotten more precarious, which certainly put me on edge.

Day 3 brought lighter wind and downwind slalom racing. This is a format that I have recently improved in, but the fact that it is not my strong suit was certainly still lurking beneath the surface. In the first race, I had a good start, let my speed work for me, and made it to the bottom mark within the top five. Unfortunately, I stumbled on the last gybe of the race. A part of my foil came out of the water, I stopped flying, and it was light enough that I couldn’t get back up immediately. I watched as nearly the whole fleet passed me. Once again, the name of the game was putting the mistake behind me and trying to continue to execute. Races 2 and 3 were more consistent, and I put together decent races. Then, unfortunately, I ended the day with a race where I couldn’t foil before the start and did not make the race starting time limit. There is no worse feeling than knowing the time is ticking away, looking upwind, and not seeing enough breeze to foil. Even with all my time working on light wind, this showed me I am not there yet. I dropped six places and ended Day 3 in 24th place.

Day 4 brought more big breeze, and I knew another opportunity for myself to climb up the leaderboard. I had better starts and had three top-15 finishes in the first three races. However, in the last race of the day, I tried to cross a board that had right-of-way and got too close. I knew I had to do a penalty turn, and that split-second decision cost me the race. At the end of the day, I was in 23rd, but just two overall points out of the top 20 and making the US Sailing Team. I was stoked to race the next day because everything was still easily up for grabs.

Unfortunately, Day 5 brought light, unstable breeze, and the men were prioritized to race. By the time the women were on the water, there was hardly any wind left. After three attempted starts, we were sent in for the day. I was gutted. Not only had I not achieved my goal, but to be so close and not have the opportunity to race on the last day was heartbreaking. In the moment, and sometimes even now, all I could see were my mistakes. That risky first start. Falling off the foil on the gybe. Not foiling at the start. The penalty turn. Each one individually kept me from the top 20. Just two points.

Beating one more board in just two of the sixteen races in a fleet of seventy. Having one better start, one better maneuver, one better decision. The moments in which the outcome of the event could have been changed are endless, and it is impossible to not dwell on each and every one of them.

But now, with two weeks of hindsight, I am able to see the event as not just missing out on the top 20, my goal, and making the US Sailing Team. I am able to see all of the moments of improvement from previous events. I am able to see the progress I made this season, going from 44th to 35th to 23rd over a span of just five months. I am able to see that I qualified for Tier 3 and the associated support. I am able to see that I am now 23rd in the world in iQFOiL. Most importantly, I am able to see that each mistake is an opportunity to improve, and I have the chance to do exactly that over the next four months before the next Worlds in January of 2027.

This season was my first year back competing internationally after taking time away from the fleet. I came into it knowing there would be a lot to learn, and I leave it knowing just how much progress is possible in a short amount of time.

In just four months, I have the opportunity to make the US Sailing Team again. And now, after the disappointment of being within arm’s reach of my goal and falling short, I am more determined than ever to do everything in my power to achieve it come January.

Thank you, as always, for following along and supporting this campaign. I’m excited to get back to work.