Nico Martin and Carolina Zager
_{Flying at the Forefront}

The Mission:

Be the best Nacra Sailors the US has ever seen

Show it to the world on the podium at the LA 2028 Olympics

Become the fastest sailors in the world

The Team

Nothing motivates people like love ...

... and boy do we love going fast 😈

_{Driven to be the fastest sailors in the world}

• Nico
• Carolina

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Nico Martin

• Sailing CV

" Raised sailing in the harsh winters of the Pacific Northwest, I started sailing at age 6 in Optimist. Small but mighty, I very quickly showed my potential, rising to the top in the region by the time I was 9.
But I wanted more...
Soon I was travelling every weekend to Vancouver BC, or San Francisco to up my game. When I was 10, I travelled alone to Argentina. I sailed in the biggest waves I have ever seen, building from Cape Horn all the way west to South America... Qualifying for the US National Team, my passion for sailing became worldwide. Japan, Bermuda, Mexico, Antigua, Italy, Spain, just a handful of the places I had been selected to represent the US in before I even turned 15.Around that age, I was invited to my first Olympic Development Clinic, by rising star Ian Macdiarmid to sail the 29er with him.
I was hooked.
Working with a teammate to push a fast, unstable boat to its limits was a feeling unlike any other I had ever had.
That boat taught me high-speed tactics, sail control, and how much physics is behind making a boat go fast. More than that, it taught me to be fearless, to be cold-minded, fueled by the knowledge that I could go out in any condition, control the boat at its limits, and get home safely.My life changed the moment I found out there would be a Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October 2018. Something grew in me. Day after day, I thought about this opportunity more and more. Even before I had a partner, I knew this was my path.
In my head it was not a dream, but a hunger.
I decided to switch classes to the Nacra 15, and found a teammate in AnaClare Sole. With her, we became one of the best teams in the world, fueled by pure hard work and determination. We would prepare our drills and training plan, and go out on Galveston Bay every day we could, three buoys and their anchors on our little Nacra 15 trampoline so that we could set our own racecourse.
This dedication is what raised us to glory
We became North American champions every year we were in the class. We earned Team USA a spot in Sailing at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. We qualified to fill that spot, winning our two-part qualifier in Clearwater and Long Beach. At the 2018 Youth Worlds, our results brought the Nation's Trophy to the United States for the only time in history. And after a difficult event at a tricky city-front venue, we placed a respectable 6th at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
I finished my youth sailing career so grateful for all the opportunities, but deep down, I knew This was just the beginning
Knowing I wanted to pursue an olympic campaign, and having the ability to study in Europe, I decided it would be best for my sailing career to make a home base in Barcelona, Spain, where I could study and sail on the international circuit simultaneously at less cost. And that's what I did.
I managed to attend many international events with different crews from around the world, even getting 14th place at the 2020 Kiel Week, shortly before the scheduled games that year -- and without any proper training. The move also gave me the opportunity to be part of the Youth Americas Cup as part of the Spanish Team as I continued to look for a crew to pursue my Olympic sailing goals.Advised from a good friend, I reached out to my ex 29er coach Phil Muller to see if there were any strong potential talents rising through the youth classes, and his answer was loud and clear. "Call Carolina. She is a hammer!"
Not only is she a "hammer" supercrew, but she also absolutely loves the feeling of pushing the boat to its limits. She has the boat in the palm of her hands at all times ... and she knows it 😏When I'm not training on the Nacra, I am putting hours in the gym (climbing and weight training are my favorite), on the water in the Moth class and laying the foundation for this project towards the 2028 Olympic Games in the foiling Nacra 17 with my new partner and friend, Carolina Zager. "

Carolina Zager

• Sailing CV

Growing up in Miami brought the world of sailing to my doorstep, starting as an Optimist sailor on Key Biscayne bay at the young age of 12, sailing quickly grew into the fiery passion that fuels my dreams to this very day.It all changed when I took my first step into the 29er. It was as if I had entered an alternate dimension and sailing really took on a whole new meaning for me. Sailing with my super skipper Laura Hamilton for three incredible years not only let me become one of the top female crews in the world, it also made me hunger for a career in the sailing world.Starting off with Phill Muller and the 2Niner squad, I quickly began traveling across the country, competing in national competitions and rising to the podium, sailing fast and climbing the learning curve. I learned the physics, boat handling, and techniques to push the boat to its limit and the speed ceiling kept rising higher and higher. Facing off with incredible athletes, our true debut was when we scored 25th at our first World Championship together in Spain, 4th for women. It was that event that completely shifted my perspective and made me realize how much sailing has molded my life and will shift my future in an irreversible way.And we kept striving for more.Our eyes were dead set towards Youth Worlds and after traveling across the nation and the world, winning bronze at Nationals, gold in the women's division at UK Nationals (pre-worlds) and then qualifying for Youth Worlds in Brazil my sailing career really launched in a way that it had never before.Youth Worlds was the peak of my 29er career and after battling in a variety of conditions and competing against the top female teams in the world, me and my partner finished 5th overall. Although we were merely inches away from reaching the podium it was an extremely proud moment for me and is what brought my youth career to a joyous close.Yet when I moved from the United States to Italy I thought all was lost…I had spent 4 strenuous months searching and searching for a potential skipper until I had finally found the 49er FX. Albeit a rocky start due to lack of funding and coaching, my partner and I had learned the ways of the boat and competed in Europeans and the World Championship in Galicia, Spain with just the backing of our wits and hunger for success.And with one phone call everything changedI will never forget the excitement I felt when Nico Martin first reached out to me. I had always been eager to take the next big leap towards the Olympics and this partnership was my ticket towards that dream. Since then we have been rocking as a team, with his years of experience guiding me and my passion to learn and improve, I believe that our team has a very bright future ahead of us and I am so thrilled to start our project geared towards the LA 2028 Olympic games in the Nacra 17.

The Now

We're in Barcelona, training and practice-racing with some of the best teams in the world. We're working on securing long-term coaching, and in the meantime have on-water support from our friends. Wether they are olympians or sail just for fun, every bit of support is proving so valuable and boosts us forward.Just like Nico, the Italian, Dutch, and Canadian nacra teams are all part of the Youth and Women's America's Cup, and it has been absolutely incredible to be sailing around these flying machines on their "mini-me"When we're not sailing, we're working on all the other pieces of launching a new campaign.
_{Find our upcoming calendar below}

Jump Onboard with us

We could use passionate people on our team... Wanna join us?
_{Don't let the speed scare you 😏}

We have partnered with the Sailing Foundation of New York, a registered 501(c)3 organization, to be able to directly receive tax-deductible donations.That wetsuit that didn't quite fit? The protein powder at the back of your pantry? Your pull-out couch? All critical pieces to get us roaring full-speed across the finish line.
You can offer us a place to stay, gas, airline miles, sailing gear, or any other assets as "Value in Kind" (VIK) donations. These are all essential parts of our support system..Your team is our team
Once we start working together, know that we're a team. Your projects are our projects, and we will do everything we can to support you.
Whether it's branding on our gear to get the word out, helping you behind-the-scenes, or sharing some of our expertise; we love to work together with the people who have our backs. Tell us about yourself and our flame will burn for you..Click here to become part of our teamYou can contact us by clicking one of the icons below. 100% of all donations will go towards pushing our campaign to the next level, and bringing the US to the top of the international stage.plus, we love to take our fans for a ride..

Moments