ALMACO-Sponsored Erika Reineke’s Successful Sailing World Tour

After a month of training and competing abroad, ALMACO-sponsored Erika Reineke returns to the US with a success story.
She first started out in Barcelona where the Radial European Championships were being held and finished-up the regatta in 6th place. The venue was absolutely beautiful with sunny skies and big swell every day. The regatta was particularly challenging because of the top-level competition and for a few of the days, the swell was so big that it was impossible to see the pressure on the water. Sometimes the fleet was completely hidden in the troughs of the waves. While Erika was there, the Catalonian political movement to become an independent country was taking place. The streets were filled with protestors all day and night. It was such a huge movement that racing was canceled on the first day of the regatta because the Race Committee decided to protest in the streets instead of run races.

From the European Championships she flew directly to Gamagori, Japan for the first regatta of the 2018 World Cup Series. Since the group endured two typhoons while in Japan, Erika cannot say that the weather was as beautiful as Barcelona’s; however, it was the Japanese people that left their mark on the young champion. She states:

They were so kind and always willing to help. As I wandered lost and confused through the train stations, so many people offered to help me get to where I was going. It was nothing like taking the subway in New York City, where people just walk by without a care in the world. Anyway, after a week long regatta of gray skies and rain, a good result in the Medal Race move me up to 5th place to finish off the World Cup Event.

Erika’s and US Team’s next stop was the 2020 Olympic Venue in Enoshima,  a six hour bus ride from Gamagori. The main objective of the US Team for competing in the Enoshima Olympic Regatta only a week after Gamagori was to familiarize themselves with the venue and to get a layout of the land. Even though peaking for this event wasn’t the goal of the trip, Erika was happy to come home with a Gold medal at the end. She states, “It was an incredibly amazing feeling to win a championship at the venue the Games will be held at in three years.”

With the Enoshima Olympic Week concluding the 2017 season, Erika is looking forward to putting in the work this winter to come back in 2018 stronger. She will focus on gym training for the next few months until the Miami World Cup Event in January. Next week, the US Team is heading to the Colorado Springs US Olympic Training Center to work on fitness and brief about the 2020 Olympics and the US Olympic Trials system.

Erika adds,

I just want to say thank you again for your continuing support and thank you to the entire ALMACO Group for their interest in my dream of gold at the 2020 Games! These results would not have been possible without your help.

All of us at ALMACO Group are proud of Erika’s achievements and continue to support her in her journey. Well done Erika!