Sailing World Cup regatta in Grove this week

Peina Chan CHN Women's RS-X-5025, photo courtesy ISAF

Another regatta has descended on Coconut Grove for the week. The 25th International Sailing Federation World Cup Miami started Monday January 27 and runs through Saturday, February 1. Sailors arrived on Sunday, January 26 when they finalized registration, checked out the sailing venues and tuned up their equipment. This world class regatta is the only North American regatta to be included in the ISAF's 2013-2014 World Cup Series. Two events in this series were held last month in Melbourne, Australia, and a couple months ago in Qingdao, China.

This year's participation total is the sixth highest in event history. The six-day regatta marks the third stop on the 2013-14 ISAF Sailing World Cup series and the lone event held in North America. 

Josh Adams, Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing, said, "ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami has all the key elements to be a strong international draw: warm winter climate, proven sailing conditions, an existing Olympic and Paralympic training scene, high quality race management, a major shipping port, a sailing community and city that fully supports the event and a 25-year tradition of Olympic class racing."
  
The elite sailors who will be in town, will compete in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 575 people will compete on Biscayne Bay from 48 countries.

ISAF medals will be awarded to the top three boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class on Saturday 1 February. Competitors in the Paralympic classes will have five days of fleet racing (Monday-Friday) and no medal race. 
  
The US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove is home base for the week. It's an official Olympic training center, the USSC is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to promote sailing in the Miami area. Other hosts for the event include the Miami Rowing Club, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Shake-a-Leg Miami, and Coral Reef Yacht Club.
  
The City of Miami became a sponsor of SWC Miami this year by dedicating a grant from the Miami Exhibition and Event Authority to the event.
  
All 13 classes of sailors will be conducting a series of windward/leeward races or trapezoid shaped courses on the bay each day. Distances will vary on class, wind, and weather conditions. For more info: sailing.org/worldcup/home.php