Both Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbor to Host 2028 Olympic Sailing

The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, naturally meaning the sailing venue will be Long Beach, which is also where it was during the 1984 Olympics. Knowing that, US Sailing built a base in Long Beach, and many sailors started practicing there. The venue had been “confirmed” by both the City of Long Beach and an article in the Los Angeles Times. Then there was a sudden jibe. The LA28 Olympic committee said the venue was not yet finalized. It emerged that the Port of Los Angeles was also vying to host the sailing.

To the surprise of many, the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games did not choose to repeat in Long Beach, but have confirmed they are splitting competitions between the Port of Los Angeles and Belmont Shore in Long Beach. The Port of Los Angeles will host the six dinghy-racing events, including Men’s and Women’s Dinghy racing, Skiff, and Mixed Multihull competitions. Ten miles down the coast, Belmont Shore will welcome four board-based events — Men’s and Women’s Windsurfing and Kite. The events will be held consecutively, with board racing at Belmont Shore first, followed by the dinghy events at the Port.

While Long Beach has long been the home of grand prix racing, with events like the world-renowned match-racing event, the Congressional Cup, the Port of Los Angeles has recently been hosting more events such as the Cal Maritime Los Angeles Harbor Cup, SailGP Los Angeles, and the Transpac, which is starting this week from San Pedro rather than its former home in Long Beach. Beaches are clearly better for boards, so Long Beach certainly makes sense there; the devil is in the details regarding the two venues for dinghies. Logistics, breeze, viewability, ship traffic, sponsors, economics and many other variables come into play when those at the table make these decisions.

The Port of Los Angeles hosted Olympic sailing in 1932, and Long Beach did the same in 1984. With sailing’s Olympic legacy in both locations, the 2028 Games are promising to build on that history with an expanded view of Southern California racing.

LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said the decision followed close collaboration with the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as World Sailing. “We are excited about the opportunity to utilize two of the best locations along the Pacific coastline,” he said. “We look forward to hosting the world’s best sailors in both locations as they prepare to stage unforgettable events.”

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass praised the return of Olympic sailing to San Pedro, calling it a chance for the area to shine on the global stage. Long Beach mayor Rex Richardson highlighted the city’s Olympic history, having hosted sailing in the 1984 Games. “Long Beach is the premier location for windsurfing and kite,” he said. “We cannot wait to continue our legacy and show our beautiful coastline to the world once again.”

World Sailing CEO David Graham welcomed the final venue plan, noting the combination of reliable conditions and accessibility. “Belmont Shore and the Port of Los Angeles will provide wonderful sailing conditions [that] will give all our athletes a platform to demonstrate the skill, athleticism and strategic thinking required to succeed in our sport,” he said.

The Port of Los Angeles is the largest container port in the US and has been on a long-term initiative to improve the community and sustainability with projects like the Alta Sea incubator for the Blue Economy. The scale of Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles and the Olympics dwarfs the scale of boats like the 49er rounding buoys on the water. Ten miles separate the sailing venues of the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach’s Belmont Pier. It’s already been a year since Hans Henken and Ian Barrows won their bronze medal in France, and only three years until the Olympics land in L.A. It will go quickly for those preparing the sites, and for those racing.

One pair of competitors hoping to represent the US are Californians Paris Henken (Hans’ sister) racing with Helen Scutt (Hans’ wife) as they return to race in the 49erFX, which they also sailed to a top-10 finish in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

We’re looking forward to seeing all the world’s top Olympic dinghy sailors land in California!