We are officially off to Split, Croatia to compete in the 470 European Championship, our first major event together as a team! After months of focused training and preparation, we are ready to hit the international stage and race against some of the best teams in the world.

This regatta marks an exciting milestone on our road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and is just the beginning of many big moments to come. We are excited to finally put our hard work to the test and kick off our journey with a strong performance. With determination, excitement, and a lot of heart, we are ready to show the world what American sailing is all about.

While we are not setting a specific performance goal for this event, our focus is on the process: learning, improving, and seeing how we match up against other teams. We will be joined by Stu as our coach and are proud to be supported by the US Sailing Team for this regatta.

Getting to this point has not been easy, and we are still navigating a few challenges.... like our sails currently being held in customs from Japan... but we have gotten good at adapting and pushing through.

Big thank you to the few families who helped us meet our fundraising goals for the European Championship! This trip wouldn’t be possible without your help. *Donation links are below if you're looking to help us pay for our new sails!*

We are all in and ready to give it everything we have got!

Before heading overseas, we wrapped up an intense and productive training block in Miami. Beautiful spring conditions on Biscayne Bay, with mostly high winds, gave us the perfect opportunity to refine critical race processes and build even greater speed and consistency.

Over the past few months and weeks, we’ve had the opportunity to work with an incredible lineup of coaches including Robby Bisi, Stu McNay, Romain Bonnaud, and David Bargehr. We’ve also been lucky to train alongside amazing sailors like Lara Dallman-Weiss, Giulia Conti, and Dave Hughes.

In addition to all the expert coaching, we’ve spent plenty of time training on our own to strengthen our communication and hammer out as many maneuvers as possible. When you look at our tracking during these sessions, it probably looks like we’re just driving in circles... but that repetition is the foundation of a strong team! While it can be tiring, we’ve genuinely loved the process of training hard and developing our playbook together.

Specific training highlights included:

• Upwind Jib Adjustments: Focused on sharper, more precise jib trimming to boost boat speed across modes.
• Tacking Efficiency: Streamlined foot and hand movements during tacks, leading to more consistent speed and better balance through each maneuver.
• Windward Mark Roundings: Dialed in detailed step-by-step rounding procedures, minimizing mistakes and maintaining speed through straight sets, windward sets, and reach sets.
• Gybing Flow and Roll: Improved flow and roll during gybes, resulting in faster, cleaner transitions with less hesitation.
• Downwind and Reach "Blinking": Fine-tuned spinnaker handling to stay constantly powered, focusing on quick, frequent trimming adjustments.
• Detailed Gybing Procedures: Developed structured high-wind and low-wind gybe processes to ensure consistency across all conditions.

Our last days of training were all about pushing harder, executing faster, and locking in the small details that make a huge difference at the highest level of competition.

During our last training block, Ryan was generously hosted by the McAliley family at their home in Coconut Grove, Miami. With limited resources at the moment, an Airbnb wasn't an option for this block - so we are incredibly grateful to the McAlileys for welcoming Ryan with open arms. From home-cooked dinners to the company of their two adorable, loving dogs, they made him feel right at home. Thank you for your amazing support!

Ryan will be heading to Europe a few days ahead of Nikki and Coach Stu to take care of the equipment logistics for the regatta. His journey starts in Charlotte, NC as he flies to Barcelona, where he’ll then pick up the coach boat, the 470 sailboat, all the rigging, and a rental van. From there, he’ll hit the road solo to Marseille to link up with the Israeli 470 coach. They’ll caravan together with the Israeli team, making a quick overnight stop in Monaco before continuing through Kozina and finally arriving in Split for the championship! 

Although Ryan is basically a certified trucker at this point - racking up well over 10,000 miles since January driving between Columbia, SC and Miami, FL for training - this will be his first time driving in Europe! Send him all the good vibes as he hits the road solo, and cross your fingers that both Ryan and all our precious equipment make it safely to Split in one piece!

Nikki is in full prep mode for the European Championship while juggling a mountain of regatta logistics. This week, she’s coaching the Ransom Everglades Team at the District Championships in St. Pete, FL, organizing and packing equipment, securing regatta insurance, applying for grants, and writing thank you notes to our amazing donors.

Oh, and did we mention she’s bringing her two-year-old son Benni along to Europeans? That means packing for two (or three if you count the 470), and making sure everything, including a toddler, makes it through this whirlwind trip to Croatia! On top of all that, she still finds time to work out and keep up with her media content!

This is why we call her the 'Sailing Superwoman'. Go Nikki!

The 470 European Championship will be hosted by the J.K. Mornar Sailing Club right along the beautiful coastline of Split, Croatia. Split is one of the most iconic sailing locations in Europe, known for its reliable sea breezes, stunning historic backdrop, and challenging coastal race conditions.

The racecourses will be either Windward/Leeward or Trapezoid layouts, two classic formats designed to test teams on boat speed, tactics, and sharp decision-making across a range of conditions. With about 40 of the best teams in the world on the starting line, the competition will be fierce!

We’ll be sharing updates throughout the event on our Instagram @americanwave2028 including behind-the-scenes looks, race day highlights, sweet race course pics, and check-ins with us.

Keep an eye out for a link to the live standings once racing begins, so you can track American Wave’s progress all week long!

Sometimes, sailing seems easy. Off the water, it seems at times as though our work is just beginning. We try to stay fit, we train, repair, and tune our boat, study the racing venues, listen to our coach, keep in touch with family and friends, laugh a little, try to eat healthy foods, keep an eye on our competition around the world, order parts & gear.

And we fundraise!

Sailing is expensive, and we can't do it without you. We pay for everything that is not donated to us. We pay for coaching, clinics, coach boats, sails, 470 boats, boat parts, gear, air travel, communications, insurance, entry fees, and more. So be a sport and help us in our sport. We are thrilled to have you on our team.

Please follow the links below to donate!

Do you know of a brand that wants to adopt a couple of Olympic Athletes?

We would love to form partnerships to help with our campaign and also promote the sport of sailing!



Follow the link below for sponsorship inquiries!

Send us questions, merchandise requests, follow us on Instagram below, send jokes/advice, and interact with us if you see us at your club or in the boat park! This journey is a marathon, and we can only reach our goals with a strong support system behind us. Thank you for your support!