ILCA Masters Worlds Recap: 10 Days, 500 Boats, and One Unforgettable Port-Tack Start
Ten days.
Seven days of racing.
Nearly 500 boats.
The ILCA Masters World Championship in Formia was a logistical and emotional marathon — a true test of patience, resilience, and love for the sport.
And I loved EVERY. MINUTE. OF IT.
All dressed up with nowhere to go. We often postponed on shore before postponing at sea because the wind didn’t fill in until the late afternoons
The Scene
Each morning, the port came alive in a spectacle that’s hard to put into words. The parking lot was wall-to-wall with boats — 500 ILCAs rigging side by side, masts swaying in unison, lines humming in the breeze. The air buzzed with every language you can imagine: sailors trading weather theories, comparing tuning, and swapping stories.
Launching that many boats was a feat in itself. With just three ramps serving nearly 500 sailors, it was more like a pre-race than a process. The port parking lot buzzed with intensity — sailors jockeying for position, dollies nudging forward inch by inch, and voices calling out in every language as people tried to secure their spot on the ramp. It wasn’t always calm or orderly; it was the committee-boat end of launching — elbows out, quick moves, and a lot of strategic patience. Somehow, though, everyone made it to the water, one boat at a time, ready to race.
The Conditions
Mother Nature kept us guessing.
Some days we sat for hours on the water under a heavy gray sky, bobbing in glassy seas while waiting for the wind to fill. On others, sudden bursts of breeze turned the Gulf of Gaeta into a chessboard of shifting lanes and opportunities. It was a regatta that rewarded patience, punished hesitation, and demanded total focus.
Regatta coordinators made us launch well before the wind filled in to make sure we could get everyone to the course in case the wind came up each day.
The Highlights
Amid the unpredictability, there were moments that made it all worth it:
A handful of top 10 finishes, hard-earned in tight, competitive racing.
The now-famous port-tack start on Friday — seeing the line, trusting the shift, and crossing the entire fleet on port as cheers and “Olé!” echoed from the water. For 10 shining minutes, I led the fleet — and carved a small legend for myself in the process.
Wrapping up 18th overall and 7th female in an incredibly deep international field.
Making measurable gains in light-air racing, one of my main goals heading into this event.
The Takeaways
Ten days at an event of this scale teaches more than tactics. It teaches humility, patience, and perspective. It reminds you to find joy in the process — in chatting with new friends while waiting for the breeze, in the ritual of rigging your boat each morning, in the small victories that add up to real progress.
The Masters Worlds was a test of endurance in every sense — physical, mental, and emotional — but it left me more confident and inspired than ever.
What’s Next
This regatta was a milestone — and also a reminder that big dreams take both grit and self-care. I haven’t talked about it publicly before (no one wants to hear excuses), but I’ve been sailing this entire season with an umbilical hernia that’s gradually gotten worse. Doctors wanted me to fix it in the spring, but I held off, and powered-through to get through the season.
Now that I’m back home, it’s time to fix it properly so I can head into next year able to use my abs — and my full strength — the way they’re meant to be used.
So, I’ll be going offline for a bit to recover and rebuild. It’s not easy to hit pause, but I know it’s the right step toward coming back stronger for 2026 and beyond.
Thank you all for being part of this journey — for cheering, donating, and believing. This “Second Wind” has only just begun.
