The Long Blue Line (SUMMER 2021)

Sailing into
the Olympics
LTJG Nikki Barnes is a member of an
extremely exclusive club, as a member
the U.S. Coast Guard who has qualified
for the Olympic games. For those who
have followed her sailing career, going to
Tokyo is the logical next step in a string of
successes.
Barnes was born and raised on St. Thomas in the
U.S. Virgin Islands. She started sailing at the age of
six and has always been drawn to the competitive
nature of the sport. Her love of sailing was the
catalyst for her to attend the Coast Guard Academy.
A member of the class of 2017, she helped bring
a National Championship trophy to New London in
her third class year. Her athletic accolades include
the Quantum Women’s Sailor of the Year, 2017
Sportsman of the Year, and being a three-time All-
American Sailor.
Currently attached to Sector Miami, Barnes has
been granted a Support Allowance Billet, which
allows her to train full time until the end of the Tokyo
Olympics.
Nikki’s partner in Tokyo will be Lara Dallman-Weiss,
who grew up sailing on White Bear Lake, MN. A true
cross trainer, Lara also excelled at basketball, track
and field, cross-country and dance. She discovered
her love for competitive sailing at Eckerd College
in St. Petersburg, FL. After college, she continued
to race and work with a diverse array of teams,
including five years on the professional circuit, until
she and Nikki joined forces.
“Training together as Skipper and Crew,” Barnes
says, “we are combining our knowledge about wind,
tuning the boat, racing tactics, balance, strategy,
and winning. Together, we reinforce one of our
biggest assets—we both never give up.”
Like all Academy cadets, Barnes sailed in
“America’s Tall Ship,” the Coast Guard Barque
EAGLE, in service as a training vessel since it was
brought to the United States in 1946 from Germany
following World War II. EAGLE is 295 feet long and
weighs 1,655 tons, with 23 sails and is the only
active square-rigger in U.S. government service.
In contrast, the 470 that Barnes and Dallman-
Weiss sail gets its name from its length of 470 cm
(15.42 ft) and weighs approximately 280 lbs. The 470
is a double-handed monohull planning dinghy with
a centerboard, Bermuda rig, and center sheeting.
Equipped with a spinnaker, trapeze and a large sailarea-to-weight
ratio, it is designed to plane easily,
and good teamwork is necessary to sail it well.
Invented in 1963, it is a World Sailing International
Class and has been an Olympic class since the
1976 games.
The Coast Guard has wholeheartedly supported
Barnes in her quest for Olympic competition.
Recognizing her potential to compete on the world
stage, Barnes was assigned to Sector Miami’s
Incident Management Division in order to be close
to the U.S. Sailing Center and allow her to continue
to train as a competitive sailor. This planning and
partnership echoes the Service’s approach to
a young yeoman and elite athlete named Arnold
THE LONG BLUE LINE SUMMER 2021
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