Olympic Sailing | 470 Class
2008
470 Team USA is the partnership of Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar, campaigning to win a gold for the United States at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They first joined forces in 2006. Their talent, fierce competitive drive, and determination has won three medals at World Cup events over the last two years, and Gold at 2008 World Championships. With your support, they are eager to take on the best teams in the world and bring home gold in London 2012!
Click HERE to watch a video and meet the team.
Erin and Isabelle win the 2011 Sailing World Cup with a 1st place at Kiel Week!
Erin and Isabelle take a three point lead in the US Olympic Selections with an 8th place finish at Sail for Gold!
Latest Updates
- December 17th, 2011 - 470 Team USA Loses the Olympic Trials
- December 12th, 2011 - 470 Team USA Update — A 28, 28 on Worlds Day 1 puts us in 27th overall…
- December 6th, 2011 - Ranked 1st in the World, World Champs Preview!
- December 6th, 2011 - Photos from our World Championships / Olympic Try Outs preparation in Fremantle, Australia.
photo credit:US Sailing / Amory Ross
ERIN MAXWELL
Position: Helm
Erin Maxwell grew up sailing in Stonington,CT, representing Ram Island Yacht Club, The Mystic River Mudheads, and the Wadawanuck Club. Today she also sails for Stonington Harbor YC. In high school she competed on the Williams School sailing team where she led her team to placing well at several national championships. Erin went on to Dartmouth College where she finished her college sailing career as a four-time Women’s All-American skipper. She was also named a Co-ed All-American skipper in 2001, an honor rarely awarded to women.
After college sailing she transitioned into sailing 470s. She placed a remarkable 14th in her first world championship 2001. This was followed by winning the 470 Nationals in 2002. In the winter of 2003 Erin began sailing full time in 470’s training towards the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. She placed 3rd at the Olympic Trials and did not qualify for the Olympics, but Erin immediately refocused on her Olympic goals for Beijing in 2008. Jumping right back into competition, Erin dominated the 2004 US 470 Nationals with all first place finishes. This was followed by finishing as the top US Women’s Team at the US Nationals in 2005, making it the 4th time Erin finished as the top US women’s team at the 470 US Nationals.
In July 2006, Erin joined forces with Isabelle Kinsolving, 2004 470 Olympian. Their chemistry as a team was obvious. In 2007 they medaled at their first European grade one event, receiving bronze medals at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. After just one year together, the end of their 2007 European season culminated with a tenth place finish at the World Championships in Cascais, Portugal, qualifying the US for a spot in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, only a few months later in the fall of 2007, they fell short at the US Olympic Trials, placing 2nd, and missing out on their dream of going to the Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
In January of 2008 the team headed to Melbourne Australia where they bounced back from their Trials loss with style. They won the Sail Melbourne Asia Pacific Regatta and followed it up by winning the World Championships two weeks later. All the top teams in the world were in attendance at the two events, only seven months prior to the start of the Olympic Games. Erin and Isabelle returned home to the US high on their achievements, only to watch the Games on TV in the coming months. Now they are more determined than ever to not only be at the Games in 2012 but be on the podium with Gold around their necks.
In her free time outside of work and sailing she competed in the New York Marathon in 2002. She also has hobbies of skiing and snowboarding, gardening, cooking, painting and drawing. Erin holds a BS in Economics and a BA in Studio Art from Dartmouth College. After graduating from Dartmouth in 2001 she worked at Lehman Brothers, Inc. in their Prime Brokerage Group until the Fall of 2002. Between the 2003 Olympic Trials and 2007 Olympic Trials, Erin worked as an investment banker for 3 years in the Asset-backed Finance division of RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. After finishing the 2007 Trials and 2008 Worlds in January of 2008, Erin began working as a commodities trader for Louis Dreyfus Commodities in Wilton, CT, where she still works full-time today. Erin fits in sailing as often as she can!
Erin’s Top Sailing Accomplishments:
- US Sailing Team Member, 2000, 2001, 2003-2011, ranked 1st 2009-10
- 3rd, 2011 470 North Americans (North American Champion)
- 3rd, 2010 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, UK
- 11th, 2010 Women’s 470 World Championship, The Hague, Netherlands
- 10th, 2009 Women’s 470 World Championship, Denmark
- 1st, 2009 US 470 Atlantic Coast Championship
- 3rd, 2009 Delta Lloyd Olympic Classes Regatta, Women’s 470
- 2nd, 2009 US Sailing’s Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta
- 2008, Shortlisted for the US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award
- 1st, 2008 Women’s 470 World Championship
- 1st, 2008 Sail Melbourne Asia Pacific Regatta, Women’s 470
- 2nd, 2007 US Women’s 470 Olympic Trials
- 10th, 2007 Women’s 470 World Championship
- 3rd, 2007 Princess Sofia Trophy, Women’s 470
- 1st, Silver Fleet 2006 Women’s 470 World Championship
- 1st, 2005 St. Francis Olympic Classes Regatta (Coed 470)
- 2nd, 2005 US 470 Women’s Nationals (Top American)
- 2nd, 2005 Rolex Miami OCR, Women’s 470
- 1st, 2004 US 470 Nationals (Coed)
- 3rd, 2003 US Women’s 470 Olympic Trials
- 1st, 2003 US Women’s 470 Nationals
- 1st, 2003 Travemunde Race Week (Coed 470)
- 1st, 2002 US 470 Nationals (Coed)
- 14th, 2001 Women’s 470 World Championship
- 1st, 2000 Intercollegiate Women’s Championships
- 5th, 1999 US Women’s 470 Olympic Trials
- 2nd, 1998, 1999, and 2001 Intercollegiate Women’s Championship
- Intercollegiate All-American, 2001
- Intercollegiate Women’s All-American 1998-2001
- 1st, 1998 and 1999 Club 420 North American Championships
- 1st, 1996 and 1997 Ida Lewis Trophy (US Jr. Women’s Doublehanded Championship, Club 420’s)
ISABELLE KINSOLVING FARRAR
Position: Crew
A 2008 World Champion and a 2004 Olympian, Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar grew up in New York City, sailing out of Fishers Island Yacht Club right across the sound from Erin Maxwell. Isabelle succeeded in junior sailing on a club and local level in Optimists, Blue Jays and Club 420’s. Isabelle graduated high school from Groton School in Massachusetts, where she was co-captain of the Girls’ Ice Hockey Team and a member of the New England Champion rowing team. As an undergraduate at Yale University, Isabelle played Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey for two years before concentrating on sailing. She skippered for both the Women’s and Varsity Sailing Teams, captained the Varsity Team in 2000, and lead the Women’s Team to a New England Championship in 2002, her senior year.
While in college, Isabelle started sailing 470’s in 2001, crewing for Katie McDowell. Isabelle won the 2004 470 US Olympic Trials, earning the right to represent the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In 2004, Isabelle finished 3rd in the 2004 European Championships and 8th at the World Championships, before placing 5th at the Olympics. Competing in the 2004 Olympics only made Isabelle’s desire for Olympic Gold grew in intensity.
Isabelle and Erin joined forces in July 2006, after having competed against each other for all of their sailing careers. Together they have achieved tremendously, winning the 2008 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. With Erin, Isabelle is determined to get to the top of the Olympic podium in London in 2012.
A Political Science and Economics double-major at Yale University, Isabelle will be graduating from New York University School of Law in May 2011. Isabelle is a member of the Fishers Island, New York, and Stonington Harbor Yacht Clubs.
Isabelle’s Top Sailing Accomplishments:
US Sailing Team Member, 2001-2011
- 3rd, 2011 470 North Americans (North American Champion)
- 3rd, 2010 Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, UK
- 11th, 2010 470 World Championships, The Hague, Netherlands
- 7th, 2010 US Sailing’s Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, Women’s 470
- 10th, 2009 470 World Championships, Denmark
- 3rd, 2009 Delta Lloyd Regatta, Women’s 470
- 2nd, 2009 US Sailing’s Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, Women’s 470
- 2008, Shortlisted for the US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award
- 1st, 2008 470 World Championships
- 1st, 2008 Sail Melbourne Asia Pacific Regatta
- 2nd, 2007 US Women’s 470 Olympic Trials
- 10th, 2007 470 World Championships
- 3rd, 2007 Princess Sofia Regatta, Women’s 470
- 17th, 2005 470 World Championships
- 2004, Shortlisted for the US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award
- 5th, 2004 Summer Olympics, Women’s 470
- 8th, 2004 470 World Championships
- 7th, 2004 Kiel Week, Women’s 470
- 3rd, 2004 470 European Championships
- 1st, 2003 US Women’s 470 Olympic Trials
- 1st, 2003 US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR, 470 Women
- 5th, 2003 Pre-Olympics, Women’s 470
- 1st, 2002 US Women’s 470 Pre-Trials
- 1st, 2002 ICSA Women’s New England College Championships (2nd A Div.)
- 2000 Captain Yale Sailing Team
The Road to Gold
Olympic Sailing Background
Photo credit: Fred Elliott
OLYMPIC SAILING IN THE 470 CLASS
Qualifying for the Olympics is done in two steps: a country must qualify for the Olympics, and athletes must win their trials.
Country Qualification: 21 countries will compete in the Women’s 470 in the 2012 Olympics: the UK automatically qualifies as host country, 14 countries qualify at the 2011 Worlds, and 5 countries qualify at the 2012 Worlds.
Winning the U.S. Selection: The U.S. Selection system has changed! It is now two international regattas: Sail for Gold in June, 2011, and the Worlds in December, 2011. Add up your finishing rank at each regattas, low points win, tie-breaker goes the leading boat at the 2011 Worlds. Click HERE to see how we are tracking in the Olympic Selection.
About the 470: The 470 is one of eight one-design boats used in the Olympics. It was designed in 1963 in France, and has been an Olympic class since 1976. In 1988 the first Olympic women’s event was sailed in the 470, and Americans Allison Jolly and Lynne Jewell won the gold!
The 470 is equipped with a spinnaker and a trapeze, and is fast! Tactically, the boat is demanding, as speed differences are small and fleets are usually big. The competitive crew weight is 275-310 lbs, which makes it ideal for both women and men. In the World Championships there have been more than 30 countries represented. There are 65 member nations in the International Class Association and more than 40,000 boats have been built in 20 countries on all continents.
Key Statistics:
- Length Overall 4.7 m
- Length Waterline 4.4 m
- Beam 1.68 m
- Draft .5 m
- Draft (CB down) 1.5 m
- Weight 120 kg
- Mast 6.78 m
- Jib 3.58 sq.m
- Main 9.12 sq.m
- Spinnaker 13 sq.m
- Total Sail Area 12.7 sq.m
Schedule
Upcoming Regattas
August 5-12, Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, Weymouth, UK. This is the test event for the 2012 Summer Olympics!
November 7-12, Sail Melbourne, Australia.
November 20-24, Australian National Championship, Perth, Australia.
December 12-18, ISAF Sailing World Championships, Perth, Australia. The Worlds is the second Olympic Trials Regatta!
2012
- July 27 – August 12, Summer Olympics, Weymouth, UK!
Past Results
2011
- July: Open European Championships, Heslinki, Finland, 10th/43.
- June:
- Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, UK, 8th/46. We earned a three point lead on the other Americans in the Olympic Selection Process!
- April:
- French Olympic Sailing Week, Hyeres, France, 7th/56
- Princess Sofia Regatta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 5th/49
2010
- August: Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, Weymouth, UK, 3rd/46
July: 470 World Championships, The Hague, Netherlands, 11th/62
April: Princess Sofia Regatta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 17th/41
January: US Sailing’s Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, 7th/26
2009
- August:
- 470 World Championships, Copenhagen, Denmark, 10th/57
Atlantic Coast Championships, Stonington, CT, 1st/6
May: Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, Netherlands, 3rd/32
January: US Sailing’s Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, 2nd/9
2008
- January:
- Sail Melbourne Regatta, Melbourne, Australia, 1st / 48
2008 World Championships, Melbourne, Australia, 1st / 58
Latest Photo Galleries
FUNDRAISING
Support 470 Team USA
Non tax-deductible donations can be made through Paypal:
THANK YOU!
Stonington Harbor Yacht Club, Tucker Bragdon, Mary Haders, Jim Hicks, Spike Lobdell
- The Maxwell & Kinsolving Families
- The Bischoff Family
- Tyler Cheung, website designer
- Coach Skip Whyte
- Farrar Sails
- Bodhizone trainers Scott Weiss and Marc Bruck
- Fit Motivators trainer Jason Marcucilli
Press
coming soon…