Fast track to LA
Australia's 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 crews will test themselves ahead of the LA 2028 Games, as the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta provides an opportunity to build experience.
Photography by Sailing Energy
03 August 2026
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Australia’s fast-boat sailors will take another important step towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games this week when they contest the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta on the waters that will host the Olympic sailing competition.
The regatta gives Australia’s 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 squads a rare opportunity to race on the LA2028 venue, allowing crews to refine their understanding of local conditions while competing against world-class opposition.
Australian Sailing Team 49er crew Max Paul said the squad had made the most of its training block in California.
“Training’s been going really well here in LA. It’s our first trip here of the quad and obviously we’re going to spend a lot of time here over the next two years,” Paul said.
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“We’re really enjoying the venue so far. It’s perfect for skiff sailing with a 14 to 18-knot seabreeze almost every day. There’s some decent swell out the back on the outside courses, and we really enjoy it.”
Paul said the venue offered contrasting racecourses that would reward versatility.
“There are going to be some courses that are very simple here and there are going to be some other courses, like the course inside the breakwall, that are much shiftier and more complicated to learn how to master.”
He believes the regatta is one of the most significant events on the 2026 calendar.
This is probably one of the more important regattas of the year for us given this venue is where the Olympics are held, and we really want to put down a good performance in the next few days,” Paul said.
Paris 2024 Olympian Rhiannan Brown said the Nacra 17 squad was equally eager to gain valuable race experience on the future Olympic course.
“It’s been awesome conditions here in LA,” Brown said.
“We have had epic conditions with warm sunny days the whole time and we are enjoying the challenge of Aussie swell with European chop on top. It’s exciting to finally be training on the Olympic course and getting a feel for what we’ll face in 2028.
“While it’s still two years until the Games, every opportunity to race on the Olympic waters helps us better understand the venue, the local weather patterns, and how the course plays out under pressure.
There’s no substitute for racing experience, so this week is a great chance to test ourselves against the world’s best while also collecting information that will benefit our campaign leading into LA2028.”
In the 49erFX fleet, Annie Wilmot will team up with Tash Bryant while regular helm Laura Harding continues her recovery from the injury she sustained at the 49erFX World Championships earlier this year.
The temporary pairing will use the regatta to maximise valuable race time on the Olympic venue while Harding continues to make strong progress towards her return.
The San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta runs from 3–8 August and forms another key milestone in Australia’s preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Full list of entries can be found here
Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Squad (AS Squad), Australian Sailing Futures (ASF), and other Australian (AUS) entries at the San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta:
49er (31 entries)
Harry Price / Max Paul (AST)
Kurt Hansen / Charlie Zeeman (ASF)
49erFX (18 entries)
Tash Bryant (AUS) / Annie Wimot (AS Squad)
Brooke Wilson (ASF) / Evie Haseldine (AS Squad)
Nacra 17 (21 entries)
Archie Gargett and Sarah Hoffman (AST)
Brin Liddell and Rhiannan Brown (AST)
Jake Liddell and Niamh Meehan (AS Squad)
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