USA wraps Skiff / Nacra Worlds with best 49er results in decades

by US Sailing Team 22 Nov 2021 08:28 UTC November 16-21, 2021

Ian Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI) and Hans Henken (Coronado, Calif.) rounding the leeward gate - 2021 49er, 49erFx and Nacra17 World Championships © Sailing Energy / Pedro Martinez

The final fleet and medal race delivered what sailing fans live for; strategy, execution, and nail-biting finishes. Ian Barrows and Hans Henken tied for third place, barely missing the bronze medal by a tiebreaker and ultimately finishing 4th in the world. Andrew Mollerus and Ian MacDiarmid claimed sixth in the world.

Andrew Mollerus (Larchmont, NY) and Ian MacDiarmid (Delray Beach, Fla.) - 2021 49er, 49erFx and Nacra17 World Championships - photo © Sailing Energy / Pedro Martinez

"This was our first Worlds as a team, so our goal was to finish tenth in the fleet races and get a shot at the medal race," said Hans Henken. "Heading into the medal race with at least a top-10 finish locked in gave us a sense of freedom to sail and lay it all out on the water. We executed, we had fun, and we walked away with a 4th place finish. We're proud of what we accomplished as a team and are just really stoked."

From strong results in the 49ers to Olympian Riley Gibbs coaching the Nacra fleet, the USA's performance in Oman was characterized by unity and team. "We came together in Oman and worked hard as a team. As a result, our 49ers finished the highest they have at this regatta in decades," said Paul Cayard, Executive Director of US Olympic Sailing. "This is our approach across all of our fleets. It's great to see the hard work pay off and we build on this from here."

Final Results:

49er