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Here's a truth we've learned the hard way: you can have the perfect tuning guide, the most detailed settings spreadsheet, and still be slow. The gap between knowing your numbers and actually being fast comes down to something more elusive—understanding what your boat is telling you, and having the technique to respond.
We're in year two of our four-year Olympic campaign in the 49er, and we've dubbed it the "year of speed." Year one was boat handling. Year three will be racing. Year four is mastery. But this year? It's all about raw boat speed—the kind that comes from thousands of lineups, honest self-assessment, and training partners who consistently beat you.
What We Learned: The Process of Getting Fast
Speed development isn't glamorous. It's methodical, often humbling, and requires a specific mindset. As Grant puts it:
"To get fast, you need to find tuning partners that are often faster than you. That helps you bring the bar further up. And that often means that you're losing a lot of lineups, but each lineup is a data point."
This is the key insight: losing is learning, if you're objective about it. When you line up against a Polish team that just finished 7th at Worlds—which we did this past May—you're not going to win most of those matchups. But every lineup tells you something about your setup, your technique, or both.
The progression looks like this: find training partners slightly faster than you, learn from them, close the gap, then find faster partners. Repeat. It's a ladder you climb one rung at a time.
The 45-Minute Problem
When the delta flag goes up, you have roughly 45 minutes until your first start. That's not much time to figure out if your rig is right, check the starting line, scout the course, and get your head in the game. Most sailors we see spend this time frantically testing settings, making big changes in technique, and arriving at the start line uncertain.
We've learned to approach it differently:
"With only 45 minutes from delta to the first start, you don't really have a lot of time to guess where the setup is gonna be. That means you've got to plug in the work that you've done prior to the regatta... trust your tuning guide, set the boat up where you think the wind and the conditions are at, and try and get in sync as quickly as you can."
The phrase "get in sync" is important. It's not just about the boat—it's about the two people on it working as one unit. Our method is to start with minimal inputs and let the boat reveal what it needs.
"Many people try to go out in a given condition, and they just attack the condition by putting a lot of inputs in with their technique. A lot of trimming, maybe a lot of weight movement and steering. And I believe that's the wrong philosophy. It takes a lot longer to dial back the technique than it does to dial up the technique."
Start quiet. Observe. Then add what's necessary.
Technique vs. Tuning: Where the Speed Actually Lives
Here's the uncomfortable truth most sailors don't want to hear:
"Technique makes a much bigger difference than simply putting a few turns on the rig. That means that if you're slow, it's usually not the boat - it's about how you're trimming, driving, or moving weight. You can get a lot more performance out of the boat by sailing it better than if you had the correct setup for a given condition... The best sailors in the world are able to make a poor setup or an unoptimized setup work well. The people that only focus on getting perfect setups often struggle the second conditions change."
This doesn't mean setup doesn't matter. It means that technique is your adaptive mechanism. In the 49er, once you're racing, your tools are limited: Vang, Cunningham, jib sheet, mainsheet, steering, and weight placement (fore-aft, in-out). That's it. Your rig settings are locked.
The goal is to set up the boat so you have range—the ability to adjust technique up or down as conditions shift. If you're constantly maxed out in one direction (all the way back to stay in control, for example), you've lost your range. Time to change something on the rig.
A softer, bendier rig picks up slack when pressure fluctuates—it's more forgiving. A stiffer, more rigid setup demands more from the sailor but offers more potential performance. Know which trade-off you're making.
How to Apply This at Your Next Practice
Find training partners faster than you. Seek out boats that beat you consistently. Each loss is data.
Be objective, not emotional. After each lineup, ask: what variable changed? What did we learn? Write it down.
Trust your prep. Before race day, do the homework. On race day, plug in your settings and focus on execution.
Start with minimal inputs. Reduce steering, reduce sheet pumping, reduce movement. See what the boat does on its own. Then add technique as needed.
Aim for range, not perfection. Set up so your controls have room to go both directions. If you're pegged at one extreme, your setup is wrong for the conditions.
Prioritize technique development. The best sailors make bad setups work. Don't hide behind the tuning guide.
The Relationship Factor
We've sailed together as brothers for eight years. We've had every argument possible. Here's what Jordan has learned:
"You need to realize what arguments are misunderstandings or miscommunications versus what arguments are genuine disagreements. Because both people on the boat want what's best for each other. Both people are trying their hardest, and 9 times out of 10, arguments develop from simple mistakes... Once you realize that everyone's trying their best, and wants what's best for eachother, there is no argument. It's a simple 'my bad,' and you move on."
This applies to any crew dynamic. Most conflict on the water is miscommunication disguised as disagreement. Recognize it for what it is, and you'll save hours of unproductive argument.
Speed isn't a destination—it's a process. We're still in it, still learning, still losing lineups to faster teams. But each one gets us closer. That's the work.
Back on Home Water
We just touched down from two weeks in France, and while our legs are still adjusting to solid ground, our minds are already locked in on what's next. There's something special about returning home to Long Beach after a European campaign—the familiar waters, our own gym, our routines. But this summer isn't about rest. It's about building.
The European Chapter Closes (For Now)
Our boat made quite the journey after Palma—loaded onto a truck, ferried across to France for racing in Quiberon, and now it's tucked away in a warehouse in Poland, getting a well-deserved rest. We brought home all the sails and gear, carefully packing every block in Ziploc bags to keep everything race-ready. That boat has served us well, but it's getting older, and we're looking to sell it as we plan the next phase of the campaign.
Training at the 2028 Olympic Venue
Here's where things get exciting. We're kicking off the summer with a two-boat speed camp alongside the Polish 49er team—Kuba and Mikolaj, who just finished 7th at the World Championships. Having training partners of that caliber pushing us every day? That's how you get faster.
And we're not just sailing our usual waters in Alamitos Bay. We're heading up to San Pedro—Hurricane Gulch—the actual 2028 Olympic venue. The conditions there are different, a bit finicky. There's a channel with the port traffic, potential current situations to figure out, and we're closer to the point where it typically blows harder. Our goals are simple:
- Log serious hours on the Olympic racecourse
- Identify any patterns or advantages to specific sides
- Understand the current and how it affects racing
- Build boat speed against a team that's currently faster than us
For now, we added. Because that gap is closing.
Home Water Advantage
Campaigning from Long Beach is so much easier than grinding through the European circuit. This past week off, we've been in the gym almost every day, working with our trainer, and we have room at our house for training partners to stay. It's the little things—your own bed, your own kitchen, knowing exactly where everything is—that add up over a long summer of training.
The reality of the 49er class right now is that boats in North America are scarce. Every raceable boat on the continent is being used. But that's actually good news for the summer ahead—the European teams making the trip to bring their boats over are typically the best representatives from their countries. Real competition is coming to our backyard.
What's Ahead
Mark your calendars: we're doing a presentation at Long Beach Yacht Club on June 16th. Come hear about the campaign, ask questions, and connect with us in person. We've also got J/70 Nationals in Santa Barbara in early July, and then the 49er fleet descends on Long Beach and San Pedro for the OCR in August.
It's going to be a packed summer. If you want to follow along, subscribe to our newsletter, find us on Instagram @janovracing, and visit JanovRacing.com. And if you're feeling generous and want to support two brothers chasing the Olympic dream in their own backyard—we'd be honored to have you on this journey with us.
See you on the water.
In the 49er, Jordan drives and calls tactics. Grant trims and manages boatspeed. The roles are clear—but that clarity doesn't mean the job description is where contribution ends.
After a packed May that included J/70 racing in Ventura, and Santa Barbara, the Helly Hansen Sailing World Regatta in Annapolis, and the 49er Worlds in Hyères, the brothers returned to Long Beach with a fresh perspective on what it means to be a valuable crew member—regardless of where you're standing on the boat.
Bow Position, Big Voice
At the Sailing World Regatta, Jordan did bow for Progress—a J/70 program run by Paul Green, with Olympian Stu McNay, and Ron Weed onboard. It was Jordan's first time in many years doing bow on a J/70, and his first time sailing with any of the team.
"By the end of the regatta, I felt like I was more of a strategist than anything. Yeah, I was getting the kite up and down and helping trim the jib and prepping the boat every morning. But it was really quite good to be giving tactical input on all the beats, and providing wind observations, and fleet observations."
The experience crystallized something important:
"It really taught me a lesson on how your role is as big as you make it. Even if you're doing the bow, or you're rail meat, quote-unquote—in the right context, you can contribute a lot to the team, and more than you were expected."
Observations vs. Advice
The distinction matters. On a boat where the tactician makes the final call, unsolicited advice can create friction. But objective observations—delivered without opinion—help the decision-maker see what they might otherwise miss.
"I think it's really important to give input that is not opinionated, and very objective. Stating things like, 'Hey, Stu, we have a lot of boats on the starboard layline, port layline's gonna be tight getting into it,' or 'Seeing good pressure on the right side.' Eventually, you build enough trust to where the tactician knows that you're not trying to make the decisions—you're just trying to paint a clear picture for him."
That trust doesn't happen instantly. It builds as the crew sees that your input serves the team, not your ego.
"The main thing is just building the trust that you're not trying to make the calls—you're just trying to help the tactician have a less skewed view on what's going on in the course, and more realistic."
Creating Space for Input
Of course, responsibility runs both ways. Tacticians and drivers can actively create the environment where good observations flow freely. Jordan has found that asking questions—rather than waiting for input—yields better information and gets the whole crew engaged.
"One of my favorite things to do is ask them before a start—most people on the boat—what side do you see more pressure on? Not only does it help me, because I get a second perspective... but it also gets the rest of the boat dialed into the race."
When the whole crew has been asked for input, they understand the plan. There's no confusion about why a tack is happening or which gate you're choosing—because they helped build the picture.
"When you ask them instead of waiting for them to tell you, there's usually less opinion behind it and less friction—and more just willing to help and provide input and observations instead of providing advice."
Staying in Sync
Grant, who typically trims main, focuses on keeping the boat fast and the driver informed. He watches the compass so the tactician doesn't have to, and uses simple scales to stay calibrated with the helm.
"I'm paying attention to that, and that'll take a little bit of the load off of someone like Jordan. I'm just trying to make sure that we're always talking to each other back and forth, so that we never get out of sync—because it often takes a little while to get back into the groove, if you will."
Lessons for Your Boat
Give observations, not advice. Share what you see—pressure, traffic, angles—without telling the tactician what to do with it.
Be objective. The more factual your input, the more useful it is. Leave opinion out until you're asked.
Build trust gradually. Especially on a new team, start with small, helpful observations. Trust compounds.
If you're the tactician, ask questions. Prompt your crew for input before the start. You'll get better information, and they'll be more invested in the plan.
Offload what you can. If you're next to the driver or the tactician, take something off their plate—compass numbers, layline calls, pressure updates. Let them focus on decision-making.
Stay in dialogue. Constant, low-friction communication keeps the boat in sync. Silence leads to drift.
Your position on the boat sets your responsibilities—but not your ceiling. The crew who observe clearly, communicate usefully, and help the team make better decisions will always outperform their job title.
We're back on home soil after two weeks in France, and it feels great to be training where it all matters most—right here in Long Beach, just minutes from the 2028 Olympic sailing venue in San Pedro.
European Campaign Wrap-Up
Our boat made quite the journey after Palma, traveling by ferry to Quiberon, France for competition. Now it's tucked away in a Polish warehouse, getting some well-deserved rest while we shift our focus entirely to domestic training. We brought home all the sails and gear, carefully packing every block in Ziploc bags to keep everything race-ready. The plan is actually to sell that European boat—it's getting a little older—and concentrate our resources here at home.
World-Class Training Partners Coming to Long Beach
We're kicking off the summer with something special: a two-boat speed camp with Kuba and Mikolaj, the Polish 49er team that just finished 7th at the World Championships. Having training partners of that caliber pushing us every day is invaluable. We're fortunate to have two boats here in Long Beach, which makes hosting international teams possible.
The focus? Pure boat speed in San Pedro conditions. We'll be studying the venue intensively:
- Identifying any side advantages on the racecourse
- Mapping current patterns near the shipping channel
- Learning the nuances of Hurricane Gulch
- Getting comfortable with the windier conditions near Point Fermin
"Doing it with a team that's much faster than us," Jordan noted with a competitive grin, "...for now."
The Home Water Advantage
There's something to be said for campaigning from home. This past week, we've been able to hit the gym daily with our trainer, recover properly, and prepare without the logistical headaches that come with European travel. We have room for training partners to stay at our house, and logging water time is simply easier when you're not living out of a suitcase.
A Busy Summer Ahead
The calendar is filling up fast. We're hosting a presentation at Long Beach Yacht Club on June 16th—we'd love to see you there for an inside look at our campaign. We'll also be competing at the J/70 Nationals in Santa Barbara in early July, and then it's all hands on deck for the OCR (Olympic Class Regatta) in early August, which will bring significant 49er activity to Long Beach and San Pedro.
One exciting development: top international teams are starting to recognize they need time on the 2028 venue. As Grant put it, the teams making the trip from Europe tend to be the best representatives from their countries—the ones whose federations invest in shipping containers across the Atlantic. That means world-class competition right in our backyard.
How You Can Support Us
Follow along with our journey by subscribing to our newsletter, joining us at the Long Beach Yacht Club presentation, or visiting JanovRacing.com if you're able to contribute to our campaign. You can also follow us on Instagram @janovracing for daily updates from the water.
The road to LA 2028 runs right through our hometown, and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you.
Finding Silver Linings in Heavy Air
We just returned from the 49er World Championship in France, and we'll be honest with you: it was our worst result ever in the 49er. Our first time in Bronze Fleet. But before you feel too bad for us, we want to share why this regatta might actually be one of the most important of our campaign so far.
The conditions were brutal—sustained 25+ knot winds, cold temperatures, and only six qualifying races completed out of nine scheduled. Half of those races were right at the wind limit of the class. We capsized in two of those high-wind races, which cost us dearly in the standings. It was frustrating. It was humbling. And it was exactly what we needed.
Learning How to Lose
Here's something that's become clear to us: when you're campaigning in an Olympic class where the competition includes SailGP athletes and America's Cup sailors, you're going to spend a lot of time losing. The question isn't whether you'll face setbacks—it's how you respond to them.
At this regatta, we chose not to let the results define us. As Jordan put it during our debrief: "The only thing we could have done worse at this regatta was get negative or dark about it. It was literally the only thing that could have made things worse, so we chose not to."
Our coach Willie noticed something different about us at this event. He said we've "learned how to lose"—not in the sense that we've lost our hunger or motivation, but that we've stopped letting frustration sabotage our performance and our learning.
Speed Breakthroughs in the Toughest Conditions
Here's where it gets exciting. Despite the overall result, we had some genuine breakthroughs:
Heavy air boat speed: On one race day, it was so windy we couldn't even sail upwind before the start to check our setup. We had to race blind in 25 knots—and the highlight reel from the media team that day was a video of us matching speed with the Dutch team that finished third overall.
On-the-fly adjustments: We've developed a new ability to diagnose and fix speed issues while racing, something that hurt us badly at Palma earlier this year.
Port tack starts: We committed to practicing this skill that the top teams use regularly. Three of our four port starts were rough, but the last race of the regatta? We crushed it—applying the lessons that we had discussed earlier in the event and breaking through the middle of the fleet beautifully.
The Bigger Picture
We're in Year Two of our four-year campaign to qualify for the 2028 Olympics. Year One was boat handling. Year Two—where we are now—is boat speed. Year Three will be about tying everything together, and Year Four is when we peak.
This result doesn't tell the whole story. We're building something systematic and disciplined, and sometimes that means accepting short-term setbacks for long-term gains. The American 49er fleet is stacked with talented teams who have a head start on us. To have a real shot at qualifying, we essentially need to be medal contenders. As a result we've built our campaign in a slightly different way than most teams, and we think that the results will start to show in year three.
We'll head back to training with a clear focus: more time in the 20-30 knot range, more high-wind gybes, more preparation for conditions where other teams might not even be able to finish. We're not discouraged—we're motivated.
The work continues.
We're pushing hard toward our Olympic goals, even when that means stepping into different classes to sharpen our skills. This past weekend at J/Fest in Ventura marked our return to J/70 racing after a significant break, where we finished 2nd, but the results sheet doesn't tell the whole story. We had some early success and some great lessons throughout the weekend. In this post we'll focus on what we learned and how this racing fits into our campaign. Congratulations to Ryan Cox and his team on DJ for taking the win! Grant will be sailing with the DJ team next weekend in Santa Barbara for the Cinco De Mayo Regatta, while Jordan is on the water in Annapolis doing some J70 racing with team Progress at the Annapolis NOOD regatta.
Finding Our Rhythm Again
Jumping back into the J/70 for the first time since winning the One Pro World Championship in 2021 (Jordan was 15!) felt like reuniting with an old friend—familiar, yet requiring some reacquaintance. Despite the rust, our speed was immediately competitive, proving that the fundamentals we've been building in Olympic classes translate well across platforms. We had moments of brilliance: strong starts that put us in contention and boat speed that allowed Jordan to play the game from the position of tactician.
But here's where it gets real—and where our supporters get to see behind the curtain of high-performance sailing. Racing with family brings unique dynamics that don't always exist in typical crew configurations. Jordan and I have developed an incredibly objective, efficient communication style through our Olympic campaign, but we discovered that what works in a two-person boat where we spend every day rehearsing our communication and coordination, doesn't always translate to a four-person team.
The Communication Challenge
The second day brought big breeze, and with it, a masterclass in team dynamics. We found ourselves walking the tightrope between necessary urgency and micromanagement. As Grant explained, it's about "painting the broad strokes of the picture so that everyone on the boat understands what we're trying to achieve, without micromanaging the details."
This insight is gold for our Olympic preparation. In the heat of competition, clear communication that inspires confidence rather than creates tension can be the difference between a podium finish and watching from shore. We're learning to balance objective information with positive reinforcement—keeping everyone "excited to find the groove, rather than nervous about making a mistake." Debriefing after the J/Fest, this stood out as a huge focus for us in the weeks ahead as we spend a bit more time in the J/70 leading up to the National Championship in Santa Barbara this summer.
Looking Ahead: Nationals and Beyond
Our sights are now set on the J/70 Nationals this summer, where we'll welcome Patrick Wilson to the team. Patrick brings deep J/70 expertise that will help us extract every ounce of performance from the boat. But more importantly, this event serves as a stepping stone to our larger vision.
The 2027 season will see us aggressively pursuing high-level competition across multiple fleets, particularly on the East Coast where the J/70 class attracts world-class talent. Every race, every practice session, every debrief like this one builds toward our ultimate goal: standing on the Olympic podium.
This weekend reminded us that excellence isn't just about boat speed—it's about building a team culture that thrives under pressure, communicates with precision and positivity, and constantly evolves. We're not just learning to sail fast; we're learning to win as a family, as a team, and as Olympic hopefuls.
The journey continues, and we're grateful to have you along for the ride.
We've just wrapped up an intense month of training in Europe, and the lessons we're learning are transforming how we approach speed in the 49er. Working with world-class coaches has given us incredible insights, but perhaps more importantly, it's taught us how to make those insights our own.
Finding Our Style Through Exploration
One of the most valuable lessons from this training block has been understanding that there's no single "right" way to set up a 49er. Working with Ben Bildstein, we ran tight lowers and medium caps. With Maurice (a top Dutch coach), we flipped that completely — tight caps and very loose lowers. Each setup has its merits, but the real learning comes from testing these settings through their entire range.
As Grant explained during our debrief, "Even if you know that going 10 on the lowers is probably not going to be very fast, it's really helpful to know what that feeling is like, so that when you're one or half a lower too tight, you kind of recognize that while you're sailing."
The Power Breakthrough
Perhaps our biggest breakthrough came from something Maurice told us early in our training: "Americans are always so scared to have a little bit of power in the boat." This observation has completely changed our approach to jib trim.
We've discovered that keeping a firmer leech on the jib — even to the point where Jordan reports it's folding back on the spreader at times — provides incredible stability when the pressure drops. In variable conditions around 9-11 knots, this extra grip prevents the boat from "falling out from underneath us" in the lulls.
Communication is Everything
With Grant on mainsheet and Jordan handling both jib sheet and helm, constant communication about boat feel is crucial. We're learning to recognize when disagreements about boat feel signal the need for adjustments. It's not about who's right or wrong — it's about finding the sweet spot where helm load and mainsheet tension work in harmony.
Grant summed it up perfectly: "The 49er is a very sensational boat, and most of the feedback I'm getting is just by feeling." This sensitivity means we need to constantly calibrate our sensations and communicate what we're experiencing.
Looking Forward
These technical breakthroughs are building our confidence for the challenges ahead. By embracing the philosophy of testing extremes to find our optimal settings, we're developing our own style — one that combines the best insights from world-class coaches with what works specifically for our team.
The journey from imitation to innovation is ongoing, but with each training session, we're getting closer to unlocking our full potential in the 49er. Stay tuned as we continue to push boundaries and chase our Olympic dreams!
After a month bouncing between training camps and competition in Palma, we're back home in Long Beach with some serious insights about where we stand in this Olympic campaign.
Winter Training Pays Off
This winter, we committed fully to the "year two" philosophy that our coach Willie has always preached: boat speed, boat speed, boat speed. While it might sound simple, developing speed in the 49er is incredibly complex—we're constantly switching between different modes and gears depending on conditions.
We spent our winter training alongside some of the world's best teams in Cadiz and Vilamoura. Working with the Swedish and Dutch squads gave us the perfect training partners—crews that were consistently faster than us, which is exactly what you want when you're trying to improve. We shared everything: settings, techniques, even swapped boats to understand different sensations and feelings on the water.
The Dutch connection has been particularly special. It started when Willie reached out to Floris van der Werken, a three-time 49er world champion, and somehow convinced him to coach us. Turns out he loves America! The Dutch sailors are incredibly welcoming and refreshingly direct—they tell you exactly what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.
Palma: A Reality Check
Palma served as our benchmark event—the first time the entire international fleet comes together after winter training. With nearly 100 boats and all the Olympic classes present, it's where you put your money where your mouth is.
The good news? Our speed work is paying off. In training sessions with top Austrian and Dutch teams before the regatta, we were holding our own in multiple conditions. We started the event strong and maintained good pace throughout.
The challenging news? This was the first major 49er event using Vakaros RaceSense technology, and it completely changed starting dynamics. Without being able to see the line ends in tight packs, sailors had to rely on precise positioning rather than visual judgment. The first start had 18 boats over the line—and that wasn't unusual for the week. We had to completely rethink our starting approach.
Adapting and Moving Forward
We've just completed a five-day camp here in Long Beach focused on speed work and—crucially—starting practice. Every day ended with an hour of start sequences on the biggest line we could set, learning to "ping" the line without relying on distance-to-line displays.
This is what we love about sailing at this level: just when you think you've mastered something, the sport evolves. The Vakaros system is here to stay, so we're adapting our training to match.
What's Next
Our next major check-in is Worlds in Hyères this May, followed by the San Pedro OCR in late July. Between now and then, we're hosting some incredible training partners: a top Polish team in June and a Gold Fleet Swedish team for the entire month leading up to San Pedro.
Nothing fancy—just heads down, logging hours on the water and in the gym while we're based in one spot. We're trusting the process, knowing that this methodical approach to speed development is what separates good campaigns from great ones.
With two years until the Olympics come to our home waters in San Pedro, every training session matters.
Thanks for following along on this journey—there's so much more to come.
When we were kids sailing Optimists at our local yacht club, we never imagined we'd be here—training full-time for the Olympics in the 49er skiff. But sometimes the biggest dreams start with the smallest boats.
From Brothers to Teammates
We're Jordan (20, skipper) and Grant (23, crew), and we've been racing together since I was 13 and Grant was 16. What started as two brothers needing a sailing partner after our older brother went to college has evolved into a full Olympic campaign.
Our path wasn't typical. When COVID disrupted our Youth Worlds plans in the 29er, we didn't see it as an ending—we saw it as an opportunity. We were already running our junior campaign with Olympic-level intensity, complete with online school, professional coaching, and a two-boat training program. The transition to the 49er felt natural, even if the learning curve has been anything but easy.
Reality Checks and Trust in the Process
Grant likes to tell the story of our first Junior Worlds in the full-rig 49er. We finished near the bottom of the fleet—a harsh welcome to what he calls "sailing against some of the best sailors on the planet." It's true that in the 49er class, you're literally starting between SailGP skippers and Olympic medalists. The margins are razor-thin, with entire fleets rounding marks within 90 seconds of each other.
But here's what keeps us going: we trust the process. As Jordan often says, borrowing wisdom from Ian Barrows, progress isn't always reflected in results. Sometimes it's holding a lane longer against a top team. Sometimes it's executing one maneuver cleaner than yesterday. These small gains compound over time.
Beyond the 49er
While our hearts are in the 49er, we've learned that becoming complete sailors means racing everything we can get our hands on. Grant's experience winning his division at the J/70 Worlds and taking third at the Melges 24 Worlds has taught us that skills transfer across boats. This year, we're expanding our racing calendar to include:
- J/70 sailing with top programs like Progress in Annapolis
- Etchells and Melges 24 campaigns
- Potential Marstrom 32 opportunities
Each boat teaches us something different—tactics, boat handling, pressure management—that we bring back to our 49er.
Looking Ahead
We're now almost two years into full-time campaigning, though honestly, we've been on this path since we were 14. We've transitioned from 29ers to 49erFXs to the full 49er, growing stronger with each step. Grant graduated from UCLA early, I'm finishing college online, and we're both all-in on this dream.
The road to LA 2028 is long, and we're still near the beginning. But when you're sailing against the best in the world every day, getting your teeth kicked in just means you're in the right neighborhood. We wouldn't want it any other way.
Learning from the Best
There's something special about getting thrown into the fire with sailors who are faster than you. It's uncomfortable, humbling, and exactly what we need to become one of the fastest ourselves.
At the beginning of the month, we hosted Kuba and Mikolaj—the Polish 49er team fresh off a 7th place finish at the World Championships—for seven straight days of intense training on San Pedro's Olympic waters. These guys had a 1-2-1 on the windiest days at Worlds, and we were determined to learn everything we could from them.
Back to Our Roots
The venue holds special meaning for us. Grant started sailing these waters at eight years old, racing Optimists at local regattas. Now we're preparing for the 2028 Olympics on the same course. The flat water inside the breakwall, the geographical features that favor the right side when the breeze builds, the more unpredictable conditions outside—it all felt familiar, but we're seeing it with new eyes.
We towed up from Long Beach to Cabrillo every day, spending hours doing lineups on both the inside and outside courses, then finishing with racing to test split tacks and course strategy. The long downwind sail back to Long Beach became our time to decompress and process everything we'd learned.
The Real Takeaway
Here's what surprised us most: Kuba shared how he and Mikolaj got fast in the first place. During COVID, they found themselves stuck training with teams better than them. They were thrown into the fire and forced to absorb as much as they could. Sound familiar?
Since they were sailing our equipment—not their personal gear—Kuba and Mikolaj had to adapt their technique and rig setup to find the feelings they wanted. Watching them dial in unfamiliar boats reminded us of something important: the meat and potatoes of boat speed comes from how you set up and sail the boat, not just the equipment details.
We spent time testing forestay lengths and mast compression, swapping between our two boats, and even switching teammates. Every session brought new insights. By the end of the week we felt quite strong in a range of conditions. In July the rest of the international fleet will begin arriving in Long Beach for a first look at the Olympic venue, and we're excited to line up with them with the new tools we've developed!
Coast to Coast and Back Again
If you've ever wondered what life looks like in the middle of an Olympic sailing campaign, this past month offers a pretty good snapshot: red-eye flights, training with international partners, fundraising galas, and regattas across multiple boat classes—all while staying laser-focused on the long-term goal.
We kicked off June with ten days of intensive two-boat training here in Long Beach with Kuba and Mikolaj, the Polish 49er team. Having international training partners pushes us in ways that solo training simply can't replicate. The back-and-forth competition, the immediate feedback, and the chance to test ourselves against top-level competition right here on our home waters—it's invaluable for the boat speed development we're prioritizing in Year 2 of our campaign.
The day after wrapping up training with the Polish, we caught a red-eye to Rhode Island for the Golden Spinnaker Gala with Sailing Foundation New York at Harbor Court. Fundraising is a critical part of any Olympic campaign, and we're incredibly grateful for every supporter who shows up for us at these events. We red-eyed right back to Long Beach to avoid missing any gym or sailing days—because right now, every session counts.
A week later, we were back on another red-eye to Newport for a Melges 24 training camp with Anthony Kotoun, five-time Olympian Stu McNay, and Franny Schulte. Sailing with experienced campaigners like Anthony, a former 49er sailor himself, and Stu gives us a unique learning environment. The Melges 24 is a fascinating boat—small enough that everyone stays engaged, but demanding enough that it rewards extra effort and precise teamwork.
Winning on Home Waters
Thursday night we caught yet another red-eye back to Long Beach, landed Friday morning, and headed straight to Long Beach Race Week on Dad's Melges 32. Despite zero lead-up time, we had an incredible regatta—winning every race except one. Our team included:
Our dad on the helm
Floris van der Werken - 3x 49er World Champion (NED)
Mark Gauthier - multi world champion and pro sailing bowman
Wiktoria Golebiowska - top Polish Laser sailor (and Grant's girlfriend)
Our brother Ryan
Matt Merchant - 5o5 champ
Calling tactics on a Melges 32 with nine highly accomplished sailors aboard—including Floris, who has won three 49er world titles—is both challenging and rewarding and pushed Jordan to be clearer with communication and committed to decisions. Learning to manage feedback, stay calm under pressure, and keep a talented team focused on the right priorities are skills that translate directly to high-stakes Olympic racing.
Looking Ahead
We're now in the final months of Year 2, our boat speed development phase, and beginning the transition to Year 3's racing focus. On the calendar: the Melges 24 Pre-Worlds and Worlds in Harbor Springs, J/70 Nationals in Santa Barbara, and the Etchells Spring Series in San Diego. We're also working to secure spots in winter racing series in Miami to keep building experience across different platforms.
Every flight, every race, every training session is another step toward LA 2028. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
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