Highlights from the 2021 World Sailing Championships!
View Nikki and Lara's journey to qualification!
(recorded March 9, 2021)
LTJG Nikki Barnes '17, set to become the first-ever, active-duty Coast Guard officer to compete in the Olympic Games!
U.S. Coast Guard LTJG Nikole ‘Nikki’ Barnes and Lara Dallman-Weiss have qualified to represent the U.S.A. in the Women’s 470 at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, which will take place July 23 to August 8, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. The team of Barnes and Dallman-Weiss, aka “Perfect Vision Sailing” qualified on the fifth and final day of series racing on March 12 at the 2021 470 World Championships held in Vilamoura, Portugal.
While a handful Olympic athletes have had some connection to the U.S.
Coast Guard [Jack Dempsey competed in the 1922 Olympics and enlisted in
the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942, and Janine Bowman ’95 competed in pistol
at the 2000 Olympics, after retiring from active duty earlier that year,
it was not until 2018 when the U.S. Coast Guard first exercised U.S.
Code 717 that permits members to compete in and train for the Olympic
Games.
In addition to her talent, work ethic, and crew Lara Dallman-Weiss, this
historic achievement was made possible thanks to the USCGA Alumni
Association by creating the Elite Athlete Excellence Fund for the
specific purpose, to financially support CGA alumni who possess both
talent and opportunity to pursue athletic competition at the
professional, Olympic, or elite level.
Since 2018, the Alumni Association has provided more than $700,000 in
direct support to help turn Nikki’s dream into a reality! Thanks to our
leadership donors, Dr. Jim Tyler ‘58, Mr. Randy Hogan ‘77, the Class of
1951, and the Alumni Association itself,
100% of donations received for this initiative have been directed to support Nikki and Lara. This support has been used to pay for equipment, coaching, travel, entry fees, and more.
Although some expenses will now be covered by U.S. Sailing, to properly
train and compete for a gold medal at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad,
an estimated $250,000 - $300,000 is still necessary. Help Nikki and Lara
continue their dream to win an Olympic medal.
Make your gift to the Elite Athlete Excellence Fund today!
Support Nikki & Lara Today
at one of the following levels:
Thank you!
A 2017 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Barnes currently serves in the U.S. Coast Guard assigned to Sector Miami. As an ensign, Barnes was assigned to Miami’s Incident Management Division and was awarded a Coast Guard Achievement Medal for her efforts during Hurricane Irma.
She is the first active duty officer in the history of the Coast Guard to receive the Support Allowance Billet with permissive orders to train fulltime for the Olympics. The most decorated sailor in Academy history, Barnes placed 3rd at the 2011 ISAF Youth Worlds, is a 2016 Women’s National Champion, 2016 Quantum Women Sailor of the Year, 2017 Sportsman of the Year, three time All American, and All American select.
Recognizing the extraordinary athletic ability LTJG Nikole Barnes ’17 and like the other services, the Coast Guard in 2018 took advantage of U.S. Code 717 that permits members to receive a Support Allowance billet and train fulltime for Olympic competition.
“Our ability to provide ENS Barnes the opportunity to pursue her goal of representing our Nation in the 2020 Olympics is just one example of the Service’s efforts to develop and retain the talented women and men who make up the Coast Guard’s Total Workforce” said RADM Bill Kelly ‘87, then Assistant Commandant for Human Resource (CG-1), now Superintendent of the Academy. “As we strive to be the most inclusive military service, we must examine how we manage and retain talent. Providing ENS Barnes the ability to train full time is indicative of our dedication to our people and I believe it sends a positive signal that we are responsive to the needs and requests of our service members and our commitment to the Service to ensure we have a ready workforce prepared to meet the needs of the Nation.”
Lara Dallman-Weiss grew up sailing on White Bear Lake, MN. She spent her summers sailing in the ILYA, but most of her development as an athlete came on the basketball court, in track and cross-country and as a dancer. She found her love for competitive sailing at Eckerd College and from there continued to race and work with an incredibly diverse range of teams until she and Nikki joined forces.
Most Notable Accomplishments:
- North American Champion Farr 40 Class, Flash Gordon 2016
- 1st place Key West Race Week, C&C 30 class 2016
- 1st place Etchells Pacific Coast Championship as main trimmer 2016
- 3rd place Women’s Match Race World Championship, Epic Racing 2014
Lara is a 2011 graduate of Eckerd College where she studied nutrition and was team captain and earned both crew and skipper of the year awards; she had her best result, a 3rd place finish at the 2010 Women’s Nationals. Lara raced on the professional sailing circuit for 5 years racing with a range of teams from Etchells and Melges 20s to Farr 40s and Perini Navis. In addition, she spent time as a drone pilot, copywriter and photographer. Lara is a proud member of the New York Yacht Club, the IYAC, White Bear Yacht Club, and the ILYA.
“If you want something bad enough, you’ll make it happen.”
OLYMPIC CAMPAIGN RACING RESULTS - WOMEN’S 470
2018
January - World Cup Series 2, Miami (27/33 Skipper, Olympic 470)
July - 470 US National Champs/Oakcliff Triple Crown – 1 (2/13 Overall, 1/5 Women)
August - Sailing World Championships, Denmark (37/37)
October - Oakcliff Triple Crown – 2 (4/6 Women)
October - Oakcliff Triple Crown – 1 (2/12 Overall, 1/6 Women)
2019
January - 470 North Americans, Miami, FL (19/25)
February - World Sailing World Cup, Round 2, Miami, FL (17/28)
April - Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia Iberostar, Palma, Spain (20/45)
April - World Sailing World Cup, Round 3, Genoa (27/35)
May - 470 Open European Championship, San Remo, Italy (37/40)
June - World Cup Series Final, Marseille, FR (19/24)
August - 470 World Championships, Enoshima, Japan (31/39)
August - 2019 Olympic Test Event, Enoshima, Japan (15/20 -2 Top 10 Finishes)
September - 2020 World Cup Series Round 1, Enoshima, Japan (15/21 - 3 Top 10 Finishes)
September - Oakcliff Triple Crown – Series 1, Oakcliff, NY (3/4)
September - Oakcliff Triple Crown – Series 2, Oakcliff, NY (1/4)
October - Oakcliff Triple Crown – Series 3, Oakcliff, NY (2/4)
2020
January - 470 North Americans, Miami, FL (8/12)
January - World Cup Series – Round 2, Miami FL (11/16)
February - Mallorca Sailing Center Regatta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain (8/15)
November - Lanzarote Winter Series Training Regatta, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain (13/20)
2021
January - Lanzarote Olympic Winter Regatta, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain (7/12)
March - 2021 470 World Championships, Vilamoura, Portugal (7/27 – OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION)
[View highlights from the event.]
Upcoming Events
April 11-14: Vilamoura Grand Prix (small regatta)
April 25-18: Coaches Regatta
April 30-May 8: European Championship
About the Olympic Sailing Event
The women’s 470: two-person dinghy is just one of many sailing events held during Olympic competition. The boat measures 470 centimeters and requires one skipper and one crew. For the 2020 Olympics, only twenty-one countries will qualify to send only one team each to compete in the 470. Beginning with the 2018 Sailing World Championships a varying number of ‘quota’ spots can be earned by countries over the course of several international competitions. The final opportunity for a country to qualify for the Olympics will occur at the 2021 World Championships, March.
About the Elite Athlete Excellence Fund
On average, less than 2% of collegiate athletes have the opportunity to compete at the next level. That opportunity is even rarer among D3 institutions like the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. So when such an opportunity emerges, it is in the best interest of the Academy and its community to celebrate and support that individual however reasonably possible. The Elite Athlete Excellence Fund was established to financially support CGA alumni who possess both talent and opportunity to pursue athletic competition at the professional, Olympic, or elite level.