Life on the Road: Red-Eyes, Regattas, and the Push Toward 2028

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.