10 Athletes Dive into 49erFX with Paris Henken for Clinic in Miami

10 Athletes Dive into 49erFX with Paris Henken for Clinic in Miami

by Allison Chenard 30 Oct 13:27 PDT
October 26-27, 2024

On October 26 and 27, 10 athletes gathered at the US Sailing Center in Miami, FL for a 49erFX “Try it Out” clinic led by Rio 2016 49erFX Olympian, Paris Henken.

Classified as the “Women’s Skiff,” the 49erFX is sailed by two women in the Olympics, but both male and female athletes gained valuable coaching as the young men will eventually progress into the 49er, the slightly larger “Men’s Skiff.” The clinic was the second of its kind in 2024 focused on building depth in the American 49erFX class and upskilling newer skiff athletes in a highly technical boat.

Day one began with a morning meeting with a welcome from Olympic Development Director, Rosie Chapman, followed by a briefing from Henken on the plan ahead. The group gathered around a stationary 49erFX on a trailer and cycled through land drills learning footwork crossing the boat through tacks and improving coordination getting off and onto the trapeze wire with the tiller exchange. They learned how to rig the FX, then launched three boats and set out to put their land drills to the test on Biscayne Bay. In 10-12 knots of breeze, Henken and assistant Liam Waltz set a basic windward leeward course for laps on repeat and switched combinations of sailors all throughout the session, even swapping in themselves to demonstrate.

Setting up for land drills to work on footwork across the boat in the tacks, and coordination getting on and off the wire with the tiller exchange.

“It was great to spend some more time getting the skipper’s perspective. Becoming a better skipper makes you a better crew and vice versa,” said Declan Donovan, usually a crew in his skiff sailing. “Crewing for Paris Henken allowed me to focus on ‘driving the boat with the mainsail.’ Being able to see how she responded with the helm depending on my sail trim quickly gave me a better sense of how I should be anticipating the gusts and lulls.”

Day two began with a morning review of video footage gathered on day one so athletes could see and critique their movements and set goals for the final day of the clinic. The group hit the water in 10-15 knots of wind and continued working on footwork, controlling the rate of the turn through the tacks, and trapeze technique throughout the three-and-a-half-hour session.

“This group was such a joy to work with,” said Henken. “Everyone was very eager to learn and ask questions, and it was very refreshing to see them jump into a difficult boat with the willingness to be uncomfortable. The learning curve in the skiff is very steep and over the course of the weekend (and after some capsizing here and there) I feel confident that everyone got just that little bit more comfortable on the trapeze wire and with the boat.”

“This is the second 49erFX Try-it-Out Clinic that we’ve run this year,” said Chapman. “These weekends are instrumental to athletes’ development and next steps on the pathway. It gives them a chance to learn new skills in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. They are learning from the best firsthand!

“The camp would not have been possible without Paris Henken,” continued Chapman. “The hours of work that went into setting up the boats and dedication in the lead up and throughout the clinic was amazing. It’s not an easy task and I’m so grateful for Paris and Liam Waltz who assisted her this weekend.

“We are in an exciting part of the road to LA28 right now; people are trying new classes and partnerships and it’s how we build strong foundations here at the start. I was excited to see the hard work and passion from both the coaches and the athletes. As always, we’re grateful to the US Sailing Center for being so accommodating and helping make this camp possible. Along with Sally Barkow (Head of the Olympic Operations), we have set ourselves up well for the fall Olympic Development camps and we’re excited to keep this momentum going.”