Nikki Barnes and Ryan Squires Continue Push Toward L.A. 2028

The American 470 duo of Nikki Barnes and Ryan Squires took a big step toward their goal of sailing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games by finishing second in the 470 Midwinter Championship in Miami. The duo, who go by the name of “Team American Wave,” won two out of eight races in the event, and finished outside the top four only once (an OCS in race five that would become their drop). Barnes and Squires’ campaign is supported by, among others, the St. Francis Sailing Foundation.

The event was won by another American duo: 2025 College Sailor of the Year Justin Callahan and two-time Olympian Lara Dallman-Weiss. The winning duo finished with a net total of 11 points, winning races four through seven and finishing sixth in race eight (which would become their drop).

“This event was a great opportunity to get back on the starting line and race against the U.S. fleet,” Barnes says of the regatta, per the Team American Wave press release. “While we were disappointed not to race on Sunday due to the wind delay, we’re excited to have another chance to compete next weekend at the 2026 470 North American Championship.”

“This was a valuable event for us to practice new skills we’re developing as a team,” Squires adds. “We’re making significant progress, and there are a lot of exciting opportunities ahead as we continue to build momentum.”

Barnes hopes to make her second Olympic appearance, having sailed the 470 in Tokyo. She is also the first-ever active member of the US Coast Guard to compete in the Olympics. Squires campaigned for Paris 2024 in the ILCA 7, but has switched to the 470 for the L.A. campaign. The duo sat down with Good Jibes podcast host Ryan Foland in September 2025 to talk about their campaign. You can listen to the episode here.

You can find the full scores from the 470 Midwinter Championship here.