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Olympic class sailors gathered at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro for the pre-Olympic San Pedro OCR, testing the waters ahead of the 2028 Summer Games. According to results from San Pedro OCR, top international competitors navigated variable winds and a new two-race Final Series format during the six-day event ending July 24, 2024.
Matt Wearn Dominates ILCA 7 Fleet in San Pedro
Australian sailor Matt Wearn, the reigning Olympic champion, secured the overall victory in the ILCA 7 fleet after a week of leading the competition, according to event coverage. Cyprus sailor Pavlos Kontides captured the silver medal, while British competitor Micky Beckett finished third with a decisive win in the final stages.
According to Beckett, competing in the Los Angeles harbor provided an essential chance to study the subtle conditions athletes will face when they return for the 2028 Olympics. “The goal is always to return home with a good idea of what needs to be trained,” Beckett stated.
For Italy, Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini of the Fiamme Oro finished fifth just behind the podium, winning one of the Final Series races after previously winning the ILCA 7 North American Championship on the same course. Fellow Italian competitor Dimitri Peroni of the Fiamme Gialle placed thirteenth, securing a race win in the Gold fleet.
Hannah Snellgrove Claims ILCA 6 Victory
In the ILCA 6 class, British Olympian Hannah Snellgrove took the gold medal, marking an emotional victory following the death of her father weeks prior. “It’s special winning in the Olympic waters two years out from the Games, but this victory is particularly emotional for me because it’s the first time I’m back racing since my father passed away a few weeks ago,” Snellgrove said.
American sailor Charlotte Rose earned the silver medal in her home country’s Olympic venue, while Ireland’s Eve McMahon climbed into third place during the sprint Medal Race to secure the bronze. Chiara Benini Floriani of the Fiamme Gialle finished eleventh for Italy, narrowly missing the Top-10 Final Series cut, and Ginevra Caracciolo di Brienza of the Fiamme Oro placed eighteenth.
British Success in 470 Mixed Fleet
European champions Martin Wrigley and Bettine Harris won the 470 Mixed class gold medal for Great Britain amidst a fleet of 19 boats featuring several experimental pairings and absences. German sailors Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort took silver, while Sweden’s Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Lindner claimed bronze.
“It wasn’t quite as straightforward in all the races,” Wrigley noted regarding the pressure differences across the courses. Harris added that while competitors understood the general strategy of heading right, the real challenge involved executing it effectively against an international fleet.
Looking Ahead to August Olympic Classes
The San Pedro OCR functions as one of only two major Olympic-class sailing events held in the United States, drawing over 400 sailors from 47 countries across 12 days of racing. The competition continues from August 3 to August 8, 2024, when the second phase of the pre-Olympic event brings the 49er, 49er FX, and Nacra 17 classes to the Los Angeles harbor waters.
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