West Marine US Open Sailing Series Launches in 2021

Six Olympic-Class Regattas Scheduled in Florida and California

BRISTOL, RI – Jan. 11, 2021 — US Sailing and West Marine are thrilled to launch a new domestic racing and training series of Olympic-class regattas in 2021. The West Marine US Open Sailing Series offers an increase in high-quality Olympic class racing for U.S. athletes with a long-term goal of attracting top-level international competitors to race in these regattas for years to come. 

US Sailing and the larger community of sailors in the U.S. has identified a strong demand for a racing and training platform based in the United States that serves to provide a runway to the Olympic Games for prospective athletes. With the 2028 LA Olympics on the distant horizon, it is essential for US Sailing to establish a consistent and predictable cycle for athletes to plan for on an annual basis. 

US Sailing and event organizers are honored to have West Marine as the title sponsor for the new series. For more than 50 years, West Marine has been the premier retailer of sailing, boating, fishing, and paddling gear. The company is committed to providing the local sailing community and all boaters with the highest quality products and expert service, all while inspiring a new generation. West Marine has a long-standing history of supporting the sport of sailing with a focus on youth and young sailors who aspire to reach new heights.

“West Marine’s mission statement is to outfit, educate and inspire boaters. Partnering with US Sailing on this new Olympic-class series is a great opportunity to inspire both current Olympic hopefuls as well as young athletes about to enter the sport with dreams of standing on the podium,” said Ken Seipel, CEO of West Marine.

US Sailing looks forward to working closely with West Marine on providing important resources to the event organizers so that participating sailors will have an outstanding experience at West Marine US Open Sailing Series regattas on and off the water in 2021.

This series of regattas allows US Sailing to provide more support for sailors at these events through advanced and in-person coaching, training, and data collection. The series will become an important part of the training plans for young sailors participating as part of the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a US Sailing initiative that provides world-class coaching support to promising American youth sailors competing in high-performance classes.

2021 West Marine US Open Sailing Series: 

January 15-18: Fort Lauderdale, Florida  
Lauderdale Yacht Club 

January 21-24: Miami, Florida  
Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation 

February 4-7: Clearwater, Florida  
Clearwater Yacht Club, Clearwater Community Sailing Center, Tampa Bay Charities, Sail Life 

June 11-13: San Diego, California 
San Diego Yacht Club  

July 9-11: Long Beach, California  
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Aquatic Capital of America, Long Beach Yacht Club, US Sailing Center Long Beach 

August 13-15: San Francisco, California  
St. Francis Yacht Club, Treasure Island Sailing Center, San Francisco Yacht Club, Richmond Yacht Club 

About West Marine

For more than 50 years, West Marine has been the premier retailer of boating, fishing, sailing and paddling gear. With more than 240 stores located in 38 states and Puerto Rico and an eCommerce website reaching domestic, international and professional customers, West Marine is recognized as a leading resource for cruisers, sailors, anglers and paddlesports enthusiasts. West Marine employees share the same love for the water as our customers and provide helpful advice on the gear and gadgets they need to be safe and have fun. To learn more about West Marine, please visit the West Marine website at westmarine.com.

Media Contact

Lorene Frank: LoreneF@westmarine.com