By Cris Miller, Columnist
It takes a lot to be an individual representing a country. All countries require dedication to get to an international level. In the summer of 2019, the White House delayed roughly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine, which was approved by Congress to assist in resisting the Russian attack on Ukraine. This was followed by a freeze of funds in January and March of last year.
In July 2022, the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regional central yacht clubs of Ukraine were struck and heavily damaged, followed by the Odessa Yacht Club in October of 2023. In a world where yacht clubs are about promoting the sport of sailing and a world where the White House seems to have more heart for Russia, Ukraine was hit with what may have seemed an end.
Out of the rubble, the inspirational Ukrainian Olympic hopeful, Alina Shapovalova, has continued to rise. This is despite the displacement of her family from Ukraine to Switzerland in her early teens because of the attack in 2022. Alina is currently well on track to be the first Ukrainian woman to compete in the International Laser Class Association (ILCA)/Laser class, a boat with a long history made in numbers that outweigh all other boat lines. Olympians have to qualify in races hosted all over the world to secure a spot in the Olympics. Two recent events hosted in July, the ILCA North American Championships – Los Angeles and the Olympic Class Regatta, both took place in San Pedro’s Hurricane Gulch with upwards of 300 boats participating from all around the globe.
One of our local clubs, the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club (CBYC), hosted and sponsored Alina and allowed her to post her link to fundraising on their page. It is a testament to CBYC’s pursuit and the undeniable effort that Alina makes. Fundraising in this sport is relentless. In America, tier 1 athletes receive $30,000, and tier two athletes receive $15,000, to which Alina replied, “Yes, but it’s not nearly enough; usually you spend $150,000 to $250,000” in order to represent their country and go on to qualify for a race series where they receive no prize money.
Alina noted that athletes raise all that money for no monetary return in the end.
“It is a labor of love no doubt,” Alina said. “Imagine trying to sustain that.”
Alina does, despite the many challenges. For the generation that grew up with Caitlyn (formerly Bruce) Jenner on a Wheaties box, Alina is a throwback who walks farther… faster… with an otherworldly drive that we all tend to admire.
Imagine Russia bombing your home country, you and your whole family being displaced, America saying but not delivering, and continuing to be competitive in a single-person boat.
Alina can. And she has. She has won gold, silver and bronze in international competition. When asked if she felt special or like she had an advantage compared to countries that have many competitors, she says, “It gives me a bit less stress compared to USA or Italy, but to look at it on the other hand, when you don’t have strong sailors in your country, in your class, you always have to search for training partners outside.”
Alina has sailed since she was 9 years old. Her experience since she first sailed in the Gulch last year in 2025, when the wind was steady, lead her to this double series. In this double series, out of a dozen races, the first series was in conditions of low wind and the second series was high wind. So three races were inside and the rest were outside of the breakwater, past the lighthouse, where the ocean claims its persona as the current and wind strengthen.
“Now all of us know each racing area because there are definitely different things you can highlight. Outside of the breakwater turning right going up to the wind, or outside of the breakwater going to port, or inside. Having all three routes made a huge impact in preparation for the Olympics because we still don’t know where we will race,” Alina said.
It depends on the day. “When I was here last year we had one type of condition, but this year we had all conditions, which gave me a lot of information about how the wind works and how current influenced what tactics would be.”
I asked if she felt like racing inside took her height advantage and played it against her, and she said it was an eye-opener to sail in “light and patchy winds.” And I know by racing in the Cal 20 fleet hosted by CBYC’s Richard Welch that there are places where a sailor can go ‘inside to die’. It can turn off, and any sailor can become a bathtub on the water if they make the wrong decision.
Alina’s talent is rare; she has a hard time finding competition, yet competes at a high level. She goes worldwide to find it. Her family was displaced, but it did not disrupt her for long. She has competed in steady wind here in San Pedro and has experienced low wind. She has learned how the current works. She faces teams that have multiple sailors, and she has succeeded even when she is alone.
Alina is a true competitor who embodies what all competitors want. Maybe the cancellation of U.S. funding while her country was bombed drove her. Maybe the destruction of her Yacht Club could have stopped her. Perhaps having little competition made her attitude right. It may be that her relationship with her sisters means she keeps perspective on the race course.
When asked what drives her the most, there were a couple of things she mentioned, but the main one of them was competition.
“I was surprised in a good way when we went racing outside with a lot of current and chop. Two top tens out of three races.” She explained that teams with larger networks work the rulebook to their advantage. “That makes me want to beat them,” she said.
When asked if she felt lucky or special, she replied, “Of course.” Then she pointed to her support.
“I have the best parents in the world. It’s all about family. My parents were always striving to show us the world.” Her family is her lighthouse.
At 19 years old, Alina has faced adversity beyond her years. Perhaps the ocean is the current and the country is the wind, and the sailor is where the wind and the ocean shake hands.
