3 USA Skiff teams ranked Top 10 in the World
by US Sailing Team 2 Mar 2022 12:38 NZDT
Ian Barrows & Hans Henken at the 2021 Skiff World Championship in Al-Mussanah, Oman © Sailing Energy
Two USA 49ers and one 49erFX currently sit in the top 10 of World Sailing's rankings, making history as the most skiffs from the USA to rank top 10 at one time.
49er Rankings
49erFX Rankings
View Full Rankings here.
For teams Mollerus/MacDiarmid and Barrows/Henken, the World Sailing rankings celebrate a changing tide in the US 49er trajectory. The American boats have been training and sharing knowledge across the squad to expedite skill development and expand the depth of top-performing boats.
"Finding the front of an Olympic fleet is a challenging task, but we've all got our heads down and are working hard," said Mollerus. "Ian and I are proud to be rising alongside so many strong American teams. We've got our eyes set on being the dominant country in years to come."
Steph Roble and Maggie Shea are no stranger to World Sailing's top 10 list. After teaming up in 2016, the pair first cracked the top 10 in late 2018 and then have remained consistently on the list since late 2019. Hungry for more after their first Olympic showing at the Tokyo 2020 Games, Roble and Shea join Mollerus/MacDiarmid and Barrows/Henken as active campaigners for the Paris 2024 Games.
"These rankings are the product of hard work and therefore well deserved." said Paul Cayard, Executive Director of the US Olympic Sailing Team. "They are not a destination, but rather a progress report. Further inspiring, these results come from a spirit of collaboration, a willingness to work together as US Sailing Team members."
From World Sailing's "Rankings Explained:" "Fleet rankings are issued approximately 9 times a year for Olympic classes... Each competitor counts their best six results over the previous 12 Months. They may also include the two past World Championships. The time period is calculated on a rolling basis from the date that rankings were published..."