USPA Alumni Spotlight
Ian MacDiarmid ‘18 Top Ranked US Olympic Sailing Class Crew in the World
Ian MacDiarmid ‘18 Top Ranked US Olympic Sailing Class Crew in the World.
Ian MacDiarmid (USPA Class of 2018) and his driver Andrew Mollerus are now the top World Sailing ranked US Sailing Team boat in any Olympic Class for the second month in a row. 4th in the World Sailing Ranking System!
“For the first time in almost 20 years, the United States has an Olympic 49er team in the top 5 with two boats in the top 10, and we are excited USPA played a part in that,” said USPA Founder Pete Smith. “We worked with Ian during his first two years on the professional Olympic circuit to make sure he could get a leg up on his peer group competing with the best in the world at just 17 years old – while making sure he earned an elite education at the same time. It worked!”
The most demanding Olympic class, the 49er, is an overpowered boat capable of powerboat speeds and known for spectacular crashes. With most sailors in the 49er class, a generation older than Ian, the ability to train and compete globally at such a young age made the difference in his jump to the Olympic level.
“The phasing and adaptability of the USPA platform allowed me to compete in Asia, Europe, and South America while still achieving in my high school academics. There is just nothing like USPA; it will become a secret weapon for the smartest US sailors.
