Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation: Sailor Stories
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Charlie Welsh at the 2024 VX One North Americans
The VX One North Americans, held in Miami from November 14–16, was a valuable learning experience. It was a fifty boat event that made my team and I reconsider how to sail in light air. The weekend prior, we competed in the warm-up event and finished fourth—a strong result that gave us confidence heading into the main regatta.
Unfortunately, the North Americans didn’t go as well. Once it became clear we were off pace, my team and I treated the event as a chance to train and refine our approach. The biggest challenge was the weather: the wind averaged under 6 knots for most of the event, well below the typical 14-knot Miami breeze we had prepared for.
Our boat was set up for heavier conditions, including extra crew weight, which left us at a disadvantage in the light breeze. The VX One, for those unfamiliar, is a planing boat—once the wind hits a certain threshold, the boat can lift and skim over the water. In those conditions, a lighter crew can get on plane earlier and carry more speed. Since we were geared up for stronger breeze, we often found ourselves underpowered and struggling to keep pace with the fleet.
We had one day where the breeze was strong our results reflected the increase in breeze.
Still, the regatta was an important step forward for Caroline Salas, Scott Rasmussen, and me. It helped us gel as a team and gave us clear takeaways to build on ahead of the Great Lakes Series, next year’s North Americans, and the upcoming Winter Series.
We are deeply grateful to the Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation for their incredible and continued support. Their commitment to helping sailors compete at a high level made this campaign possible. From travel assistance to logistical support, your backing allows us to focus on racing, improving, and representing our community on a national stage.