LA2028: It’s going to be expensive

The Australian Sailing Team shared an update about their preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, but it included two bits of information that may not help the team at all:

• Their training was in March.
• They trained in Long Beach, CA.

The Australian Sailing ILCA7 squad spent two weeks training and competing in the 2025 ILCA Midwinters West Regatta at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. Their goal was to familiarize themselves with the venue’s unique conditions, from the way the seabreeze develops to the subtle shifts in wave patterns, providing valuable local knowledge ahead of LA 2028.

The problem? The Olympic sailing venue may not be in Long Beach, and March winds compared to July/August winds, which is the timing of LA28, are different. However, Australian Sailing Team Technical Director Michael Blackburn did learn one thing that will apply regardless of venue or month:

“A key takeaway from this LA trip is that it’s an expensive venue, the Aussie dollar struggled, and most things were at least 30% more expensive than at home. That means we need to make the most of every day we spend there.”

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program*:
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Venue: Los Angeles or Long Beach
Dates: July 21-August 6

* World Sailing voted to keep the Paris 2024 Sailing Program for Los Angeles 2028, but the program is not final until the IOC approves all events, which usually occurs between December 2024 and January 2025. To date, this decision has not been made.