Makani Andrews Mid-Season Update

After two months racing in Europe and making my senior fleet debut, I came back to Hawai‘i feeling motivated. At Princess Sofia, my first major senior event, I was hoping just to make gold fleet and finish somewhere in the top half of a 105+ boat fleet. I ended up 40th, which felt like a big step forward and gave me a real boost heading into the next training block.
Back home, I locked in for two training camps on Kaneohe Bay with the A1R Wing Racing team. We had a coach on the water every day for these camps, breaking things down, running video, keeping the structure tight. The conditions at home were perfect — steady breeze, flat water, perfect for what we were trying to do. It was all about execution. I trained hard while also finishing high school and used the time to reset and work on the weak points we identified in Europe.

After that, I flew out to Aarhus, Denmark for a full month at the World Championships venue. This was a totally different kind of block: all in, no distractions, eat-train-sleep-repeat. I was there with Noah and the rest of the Project Podium Windsurfing squad, training with some of the best teams in the world — Spain, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands crew. We were racing almost every day in coaches’ regattas, basically mini-pre-worlds events.

Earlier in the season, we were mainly focused on building speed — gear tuning, fitness, maneuvers, all that work paid off. Now we’ve shifted fully into racing — starts, fleet reads, positioning. Senior fleet racing is a whole different level. In youth racing, reacting fast can still get you out of trouble. But here, it’s all about predicting what’s going to happen before it does. That’s been the biggest challenge for me lately — and the biggest area of growth.

Even with how serious the block was, the vibe with the squad was perfect like always. Off the water, we’d reset with ping pong, Fortnite, go-karting — the usual stuff to keep things fun between sessions. It’s a solid crew. Noah has even been teaching me how to play the guitar, and it’s actually been a lot of fun.
Right now I’m focused on three key events: the Youth Worlds Qualifier, the Senior Worlds coming up soon, and most importantly the Junior Pan Ams in August. Whether it’s a tune-up regatta or a major championship, the mindset is the same: sail smart. My speed is there, maneuvers are clean, and I’ve got one of the fastest setups in the fleet thanks to all the support from A1R. It’s just about putting the pieces together.

One of the big highlights from the Aarhus block was winning the final race of our pre-worlds training regatta before the off week. Everything clicked — low mode, perfect positioning, full commitment. In another race, the whole fleet started on port, and I won the pin or the most windward lane, put the bow down, and just rolled everyone. Some of the top guys get upset seeing that — I’m just four months into senior fleet racing,  I’m still blown away by what can happen when everything comes together.

And none of this would be happening without the support from AmericaOneRacing and Project Podium. In full transparency, if this project didn’t exist, more than half the growth we have made this year just wouldn’t be possible. Like Juanma and Noah always tell me, once you’re at this level, you’re not going to gain 10% by doing one thing. It’s about stacking all the tiny 1% improvements, and this program gives us everything we need to find those edges faster than anyone else.

Looking ahead, we have the Senior Worlds coming up soon. Then I have the Junior Pan Ams in August, where the gold medalist in each sailing discipline earns an automatic qualification spot for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima. Long-term, the dream is for Noah and I to lock in those two spots and represent the U.S. together on the Pan Am Games podium. After that, I’ll go all-in on qualifying for my last-ever Youth Worlds in December. I made the podium last year in Italy — now, with a full year under Juanma and the Project Podium crew, I’m stoked to see what’s possible.

Appreciate everyone who’s supporting this journey. It means more than you know.