AMERICA ONE RACING Q3 Report
Executive Summary
Halfway to LA2028 – Raising the Bar
In our midyear report, we noted that A1R’s systems and processes were translating into measurable progress. Our priorities for the second half were clear:
1) convert that progress into World Championship results,
2) launch the A1R Academy and
3) further improve our support structure that enables athletes to discover their full potential.
Q3 delivered meaningful advances across all three.
A1R has moved beyond proof of concept. We are delivering results on the water, strengthening our programs and preparing the next generation for success. Halfway
through the Olympic quadrennial, we are on track toward our goal of helping Team USA achieve its strongest Olympic sailing performance in decades at Los Angeles 2028.
Project Podium Athlete Update
Preparation Translating into Performance
Several Project Podium athletes delivered their best performance to date during Q3. Over the course of the summer, the team demonstrated improvements in speed, stronger execution and an increasing ability to compete at the front of international fleets.
The quarter’s standout results came at the World Championships:
● Charlotte Rose — ILCA 6 World Champion- Charlotte’s gold in Ireland built on an outstanding season that included Gold in Hyères, Silver at the European Championship and silver at the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta.
● Noah Lyons — iQFOiL World Championship-Silver. Noah won the qualification series in a fleet of 186 athletes from 41 nations, advancing directly to the Grand Final. His Silver exceeded his top-eight target and reinforced the progression already evident in his Palma silver and fourth-place finish in Long Beach.
The significance of these results deserves emphasis. World Championship Gold and Silver, in two Olympic classes, represent a major milestone for American sailing, where success at this level has been absent in recent decades. The depth and competitiveness of Olympic sailing is higher than ever, with leading nations investing heavily in athletes, coaching, technology and year-round preparation. Finishing at the top requires exceptional skill, consistency, and the ability to execute under intense pressure. Charlotte and Noah delivered against that standard, demonstrating both their individual excellence and the strength of the A1R team supporting system.
The summer events at the LA 2028 Olympic venue provided further evidence of progress:
● Nevin Snow and Ian MacDiarmid — fourth in the 49er at San Pedro. They recovered from some setbacks during qualifying and finished strong climbing back to 4th, finishing just off the podium.
● Paris Henken and Helena Scutt — seventh in the 49erFX at San Pedro. Their performance, including a race win during qualifying, marked an encouraging step following the coaching and preparation adjustments identified at midyear.
● Noah Runciman — fourth in Formula Kite at Long Beach. Noah advanced through two elimination rounds to reach a final against the world’s leading competitors, demonstrating growing consistency and confidence under pressure.
● Makani Andrews — 13th in men’s iQFOiL at Long Beach and 18th at Worlds. Makani continues to establish himself in the senior international fleet. With those finishes, Makani met his KPI’s in both events. He is 18 years old.
● Dominique Stater — 18th in women’s iQFOiL at Long Beach and 20th at Worlds. These results reflect measurable progress for Dominique (up from 26th in 2025 Worlds) and meeting her peak event KPI.
● Competing in Long Beach and San Pedro also deepened our understanding of the venues where 2028 Olympic medals will be decided. Our established presence at both locations gives athletes and coaches a strong platform to turn those lessons into better preparation for 2028.
The next challenge is clear: make our top performances increasingly repeatable across the team.
Olympic Selection: Clear Milestones, Consistent Focus
The selection procedures for LA2028, the 2027 Olympic Test Event and the 2027 Pan American Games have been published, giving athletes and coaches greater clarity about the road ahead.
Palma in 2027 will be a critical milestone in the pathway to qualifying for the Olympic Test Event in California. Earning a place at the test event matters both as a
major preparation opportunity on the Olympic waters and as an opportunity to secure early Olympic selection under the published procedures.
For athletes who achieve early selection, the benefit is substantial: more time to focus their campaigns 100% toward Olympic performance. Our planning will reflect the importance of arriving ready for Palma and, for those selected, maximizing the California test event.
These milestones sharpen our plans while leaving our central objective unchanged: develop the performance required to compete with the world’s best. Selection is another step toward the ultimate goal of winning medals in LA 2028.
Planning for 2027 and 2028 is well underway, with a major focus of ensuring that training blocks, competitions, equipment and coaching are properly sequenced and aligned. Preparations for the Fortaleza Combined World Championships in January and the 2027 international season reflect the same principle: operational preparation gives athletes the freedom to focus only on performance.
The A1R Academy
Building Continuity
The A1R Academy is the new third leg of A1R’s Sailing ecosystem, joining the already established Project Podium and Foiling Pipeline. During Q3, the A1R Academy welcomed its first ten athletes:
Gavin Ball, Kay Brunsvold, Garrett January, JP Lattanzi, Pearl Lattanzi, Annie Sitzmann, Tommy Sitzmann, Casey Small, Dylan Tomko and Holland Vierling.
Their prior achievements illustrate the strength and range of this group: Gavin won the 2026 WASZP Games; Pearl is a back-to-back WASZP Games champion; Garrett earned silver at the 2026 U19 iQFOiL Worlds; and Annie became the 2026 29er Mixed World Champion. Casey and Dylan earned U19 bronze at the 2026 Nacra 15 Worlds.
The group also brings experience across collegiate sailing, Olympic multihulls, and emerging WingFoil competition.
Positioned between the Foiling Pipeline and Project Podium, the A1R Academy provides focused support for exceptional emerging athletes, ready for their next step. Each athlete works toward specific goals through an individual development plan, coaching, mentorship and targeted competition. The Academy also teaches the habits behind successful campaigns.
The A1R Academy is a deliberate investment in continuity. The athletes who may contend in 2032 and 2036 are developing now. Supporting them at the right moment in their development helps A1R build from one Olympic cycle to the next while preparing talent for opportunities across the broader spectrum of high-performance sailing.
Foiling Pipeline
International Experience and Earlier Entry
The Foiling Pipeline continues to evolve through purposeful growth, combining domestic development with international competition. Our travel teams give athletes opportunities to test their skills against strong fleets, learn alongside experienced competitors and circulate that knowledge back into the wider program.
The fall schedule includes:
● SWITCH Globals — Lago di Garda, Italy: an important international benchmark for our growing Switch program.
● Formula WingFoil World Cup — Sardinia, Italy: continued exposure to the leading athletes, equipment and racing standards in this rapidly developing discipline.
● X15 World Championships — Ibiza, Spain: an opportunity for emerging WingFoil talent to gain international experience in a one-design environment.
These campaigns connect training with clear objectives and help identify athletes ready for more focused support. WingFoiling will be a prominent feature in 2027 as we refine opportunities to attract and develop the next generation.
We are also launching a new proof of concept with Optimist sailors and their coaches, introducing foiling earlier in their development. The aim is to help young sailors experience the possibilities ahead and begin mapping their steps beyond the Optimist. Involving their coaches helps connect that introduction to their ongoing development.
The first camp will take place at Pensacola Yacht Club on October 10–12. It will provide an opportunity to test the approach, learn from participants and refine a model that could reach more young sailors.
We will return to Pensacola for the Annual A1R Foiling Camp on November 21–24, where we expect approximately 50 of the best foiling talents in the USA. Bringing this group together creates valuable opportunities for shared coaching, talent identification and sharing learning across disciplines.
Outlook
A Culture of Excellence: Every Detail Matters
Continuous improvement remains at the core of A1R. Everything we do, we aim to do better – from the quality of a training session to the efficiency of the operations behind it.
Our progress comes from many deliberate 1% gains: more precise equipment choices, stronger physical readiness, clearer communication, better preparation and more effective decisions on the water. Together, these improvements raise the level of the entire program.
Individual performance plans, clear KPIs, and post-event debriefs connect daily work to longer-term goals. Sharing knowledge across classes allows lessons learned by one group to benefit others. When performance falls short of potential, we evaluate honestly and make targeted adjustments.
A1R remains intentionally lean, with disciplined operations serving a clear purpose: directing resources toward athletes, coaches and the work that improves performance.
Our Partners Make This Progress Possible
Our donors and partners are helping deliver results today while building lasting strength for American sailing. Their commitment supports the daily work behind World Championship medals, the Academy’s emerging athletes and the young sailors taking their first steps into foiling and high-performance success.
Q3 gave us strong evidence that our approach is working. We have a more competitive team, a more complete development pathway and clear priorities for the second half of the quad.
Thank you for your continued belief in A1R and the athletes we serve. Layline to LA28 www.layline2LA28.org is a unique event to be held at the San Diego Yacht Club on November 20, 2026. The evening will offer high-energy, intimate insights into the A1R program, and opportunity to meet and support our athletes. We hope you are available to join us.
Halfway through the quad, we are on track. However, we know that the standard of Gold Medal performance will keep rising—and so will we.
The A1R Team
