Sailing World Cup Palma

Leopold spent the last three weeks in Palma (Spain) to prepare for the season and compete in the first Sailing World Cup of the year. This World Cup is a special event since it is not only the first one of the season, it is also Leopold’s comeback to the Olympic sailing scene after a three-year retirement and Leopold’s first big event in the ILCA class (Leopold competed in the 470 class until the Tokyo Olympics, after which the discipline was changed from separate men’s and women’s events to a gender-mixed discipline, which did not allow Leopold to keep competing with his brother on one boat.).

Leopold practiced with training partners from Spain, the USA, the Bahamas, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany for two weeks to improve maneuvers and boat speed on the bay of Palma. During the 5 days of racing that followed, the focus was set on practicing starts and high-pressure situations in the 180-boat fleet, as well as continuing to improve boat speed in the world-class fleet.

Strong winds are still a big problem, as Leopold is still about 15 kg (30 lbs) too light, but in more moderate conditions, Leopold was able to finish a few solid races in the 20s.

We will keep up the hard work and update you on the upcoming events. Lastly, we would like to thank all sponsors, donors, supporters, and City Island Yacht Club for supporting Leopold’s journey to the Olympic Games!

Another Training Block Comes to an End

Some amazing weeks of practice in all kinds of conditions have come to an end. The conditions were diverse and allowed for practice in all areas of boat handling. Next up are some team practices and practice regattas to work on tactics and strategy. Big thanks to the CIYC Olympic team for making this possible.

Leopold Brandl – CIYC Olympic Team practice

Victory at City Island Distance Race

Leopold and his team had a blast racing down Long Island’s coast at the annual distance race this Saturday. After a slow start in light winds, the breeze picked up and allowed for some faster racing in wind speeds of about 10kts and boat speed of 8kts. In the end, the team won by almost an hour over the second-placed boat!

Next up for the team is Wednesday’s Big Tom Race!

Leopold Brand and Crew – Winners of City Island Distance Race

America Trophy 2022

Last weekend, Leopold and his crew Ali represented Columbia University Sailing in the A Division of the America Trophy at the Merchant Marine Academy.

Leopold Brandl and Alison Keenan at America Trophy 2022
Leopold Brandl and Alison Keenan at America Trophy 2022
Leopold Brandl and Alison Keenan at America Trophy 2022
Leopold Brandl and Alison Keenan at America Trophy 2022

The Grant Trophy

Leopold and his crew Ali started the college fleet racing season with a strong series at The Grant. Leading the A Division throughout most of the regatta, they finished tied with Washington College (home game for WC) 5 points behind Princeton after a bad last race. This podium finish qualified Columbia for the America Trophy and Regional Championships at the Merchant Marine Academy in two weeks. Full results can be found here.