{"id":82609,"date":"2025-09-16T18:13:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T22:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=82609"},"modified":"2025-09-16T18:13:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T22:13:12","slug":"los-angeles-2028-henken-and-scutts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/racing\/los-angeles-2028-henken-and-scutts\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles 2028: Henken and Scutt&#8217;s Quest for Gold"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/250426_SailingEnergy_SOF_JR1_5826-Enhanced-SR-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Paris Henken and Helena Scutt\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/250426_SailingEnergy_SOF_JR1_5826-Enhanced-SR-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/250426_SailingEnergy_SOF_JR1_5826-Enhanced-SR-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/250426_SailingEnergy_SOF_JR1_5826-Enhanced-SR-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/250426_SailingEnergy_SOF_JR1_5826-Enhanced-SR-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/250426_SailingEnergy_SOF_JR1_5826-Enhanced-SR.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">49erFX teammates Paris Henken and Helena Scutt return to the Olympic campaign trail with a standout silver-medal performance at Semaine Olympique Fran\u00e7aise de Hy\u00e8res.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Sailing Energy<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Paris Henken glances over her shoulder and takes in a Waszp going through its paces on Alamitos Bay in a wispy midmorning breeze. It\u2019s a warm and sunny Mother\u2019s Day, and the Alamitos Bay YC is already abuzz with the brunch crowd taking seats and sailors rigging in the boatyard. Henken and her sailing partner, Helena Scutt\u2014both of whom are ABYC members and new residents in Long Beach, California\u2014have walked to the club from their homes nearby. They\u2019re now full-time residents of the sailing venue of the 2028 Olympics. They\u2019re both clearly relaxed and excited to be where they are in life right now\u2014teammates again in the 49erFX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"x8aa2rgac1\" src=\"https:\/\/Sailingworld.dragonforms.com\/x8aa2rgac1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI grew up in San Diego sailing Sabots, and I\u2019m looking behind me here at ABYC, where I learned to race from age 10, then as a youth sailor, I\u2019d come here every year in the 29er for the CISA Racing Clinic,\u201d says Henken, 29. \u201cI have been familiar with this area for a <em>very<\/em> long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Henken, the time between those foundational clinics and returning to her childhood sailing ground has included completing a college degree at the College of Charleston, where she sailed three Olympic campaigns all in the 49erFX\u2014placing 10th with Scutt in Rio in 2016 when she was just 19, and two with Anna Tunnicliffe (Tokyo and Paris), losing both times in the Trials to Maggie Shea and Stephanie Roble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scutt\u2019s path to the Olympic scene was different, but by no means less spectacular. Learning to sail at the age of 15, Scutt immersed herself in the sport, competing in her first Olympic Games at age 22. She completed a master\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford, became a Moth Class world champion, and had the distinction of being the only woman on the New York YC\u2019s American Magic design team for the 37th America\u2019s Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Los Angeles Calling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With LA2028 on the horizon, unfinished Olympic business was all-consuming for Henken. The FX had been in the back of her mind since the 2024 Trials. She came up empty-handed after some crew scouting with the assistance of America One Racing (A1R), and then recalled an out-of-the-blue conversation with Scutt. On that call, Scutt had nonchalantly mentioned that she\u2019d been thinking about FX sailing again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI thought Helena was calling me to catch up, because she\u2019s my sister-in-law and we hadn\u2019t seen each other in so long, then all of a sudden she brings up FX sailing, and I was like, \u2018Whoa!\u2019\u201d Henken says with a laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Realizing she had a lifetime to follow her engineering career, Scutt jumped on the opportunity to capitalize on more than a decade of exceptional sailing experiences. And competing on her home turf for a medal was an opportunity not to be missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s nothing like the FX for me,\u201d says Scutt, 32. \u201cI love doublehanded sailing, working with somebody else, and the FX rewards being in sync in a way that I haven\u2019t found in another boat. It\u2019s fast and I like trapezing, but for me it\u2019s about teamwork.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within days of teaming up, the pair headed to Palma for the first regatta of this year\u2019s new Sailing Grand Slam Series. At the Trofeo Princesa Sof\u00eda Mallorca (Spain), they had a terrific first regatta together, finishing eighth in a 46-strong fleet. \u201cWe\u2019ve never had such a short lead-up, so we weren\u2019t sure how it was going to go in Palma,\u201d Henken says, \u201cbut it was all about getting racing experience with the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few weeks later, the duo were in Hyeres, France. Rather than teams splitting into gold and silver fleets, this regatta was one fleet of 38 boats. Having never sailed an FX regatta with that many boats on the line, which the pair found competitive and challenging, Henken and Scutt secured second overall after 15 exhausting races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was a marathon,\u201d Henken says. \u201cThat was five days of three races per day with a medal race. We just kept solidifying what we knew how to do well in our control, and anything else we couldn\u2019t control was about adapting. We could have won the regatta right at the end if I had called a better layline at the finish. Nonetheless, we surprised ourselves, and it\u2019s exciting to know that we are competitive at the beginning of this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The competition is hard to pick right now, Scutt acknowledges. \u201cIt\u2019s not lost on us that a lot of teams took a break after the Games, but we\u2019re excited to already be beating teams who have just done the Games.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combined efforts over multiple campaigns places Henken and Scutt in an enviable position; both agree it is different doing a quad at age 30 versus 20. They have four years to work on this next quad, which is two more they\u2019ve had in each of their previous campaigns. Not having to start over with a new crew is a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith Helena, we are exponentially more steps forward than I would have been with anyone else because I know her and she knows the boat,\u201d Henken says. \u201cIt takes so much time to be really good at this boat; the past 10 years of my life have catered toward Olympic sailing, and now I have all the tools and skill to make anything happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scutt agrees: \u201cWhen I know what I want, I move pretty quickly, and this is why we jumped into a pretty competitive calendar right off the bat. I\u2019m really excited that I bring a lot of skills that I wouldn\u2019t have otherwise had if I had kept sailing the boat (after Rio), as far as technical aspects and being in faster boats than skiffs, and even the management experience is helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Together the Quad Squad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Scutt and Henken feel fortunate to be two of nine athletes selected to be part of the elite America 1 Racing Team for this next quad, with its emphasis on performance planning around elements such as scheduling, training, fitness and logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey know us very well as people and athletes,\u201d Scutt says. \u201cOur funding is not contingent upon our performance; they are not worried about results because they believe in our abilities, so we can focus on being professional athletes. Their help takes the weight of fundraising off our shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not forgetting that the Henken-Scutt union now includes a bronze medalist in the family, the pair are more motivated than ever to set their sights high for 2028. They\u2019ve quickly adapted to the systems and processes that brought Hans Henken and teammate Ian Barrows their medals in Marseille. With a prior commitment for Palma, coach Willie McBride joined the pair very recently, so Henken coached his wife and sister for that regatta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was really cool,\u201d Scutt says with a broad smile. \u201cHans knows the boats inside and out, just as Paris knows the FX, so we benefitted from their combined knowledge. He really emphasizes the process and the mindset, and he\u2019s coming at it from the athlete\u2019s perspective, not necessarily that of a coach. He can also be super-honest with both of us; there is no beating around the bush.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Henken-Scutt duo are off to an enviable start; next up, the pair will race the 2025 European Championship in Thessaloniki, Greece, in June, followed by the fifth and final regatta of the Sailing Grand Slam Series, the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, in July. The 49erFX World Championship in Cagliari, Italy, in October, will be one final check of the year\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve already had great success, and we can\u2019t guarantee an end result,\u201d Henken says, \u201cbut we can guarantee that we will try to do everything we can to be successful in 2028.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two of the smartest, fastest women in American sailing join houses again, with a clear goal of conquering the podium in Long Beach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":82610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Michelle Slade","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[159],"tags":[391,3032,186,3003,177,178],"class_list":["post-82609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-racing","tag-49erfx","tag-la2028-sailing","tag-olympic-sailing","tag-print-summer-2025","tag-racing","tag-sailboat-racing"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}