Los Angeles Harbor has long been recognized as one of the busiest ports in the world, defined by commercial shipping lanes, working waterfront infrastructure and a strong recreational boating community. Yet alongside those longstanding maritime traditions, a new chapter is taking shape on the water. Competitive sailing, particularly at the highest international level, is gaining momentum in San Pedro as Southern California prepares to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As international teams begin planning their training programs and major sailing organizations expand their presence in the region, Los Angeles Harbor is emerging as a key hub for high-performance sailing in the years leading up to LA28. What is unfolding along the waterfront is not simply preparation for a two-week sporting event but part of a broader effort to establish the harbor as a long-term center for competitive sailing.
Kevin Ketchum of California Yacht Marina, who’s been closely involved in discussions surrounding the harbor’s evolving sailing landscape, says the Olympic Games are only one piece of a much larger vision.
“The 2028 Olympics will bring sailing events to the area, but there is a lot more happening in San Pedro and Los Angeles Harbor when it comes to high-performance competitive sailing,” Ketchum said. “The Olympics are really just one step in a broader effort where the Port of Los Angeles has made a commitment to bring competitive, high-performance sailing to the harbor.”
That shift is not happening overnight. Instead, it’s the result of a growing series of events and partnerships that have steadily positioned the harbor as a viable venue for elite racing. In recent years, the global sailing league SailGP selected Los Angeles Harbor as one of its race venues, bringing the sport’s high-speed foiling catamarans and international teams to San Pedro.
The league has already held two events in the harbor and has indicated plans to return in the future. Those races not only introduced the local community to one of the fastest forms of sailing in the world but also demonstrated that the harbor can support complex international events.
Ketchum notes that those events are part of a longer timeline that has been developing behind the scenes for several years.
“This is really an unfolding story that has been developing for the past two years,” he explained. “SailGP has already held two events in Los Angeles Harbor, and my understanding is that the venue is now part of their permanent rotation.”
At the same time, attention is increasingly turning toward the upcoming Olympic Games. When Los Angeles hosts the LA28 Olympics, sailing competitions will take place in nearby Long Beach, part of a broader network of venues stretching across Southern California. Surfing competitions are scheduled to take place at Trestles in San Clemente, while other Olympic events will be distributed across numerous zones throughout the region.
However, even though the Olympic sailing races themselves will occur in Long Beach, preparation for those competitions will extend throughout the surrounding coastal communities, including San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles.
With that in mind, Olympic sailing preparation has already begun. For competitive sailors, the work leading up to the Games starts years before the opening ceremony. Athletes must train extensively in the waters where they will compete, studying local wind patterns, currents and weather conditions while refining equipment and race strategies.
Ketchum said the timeline surprised even seasoned members of the sailing community.
“One thing I did not realize until recently is that Olympic sailing teams from around the world typically come to the venue about two years early,” he said. “They set up their operations and begin practicing on the same waters where they will ultimately compete.”
Because of that timeline, the next several years will bring a steady influx of international sailors to the harbor.
“The Olympic sailing competition itself only lasts about two weeks, but the ramp-up leading to it is actually quite extensive,” Ketchum said. “For sailors, there are going to be a lot of great stories about how the long-term plan is for San Pedro and Los Angeles Harbor to become an epicenter for competitive sailing.”
That preparation period is expected to unfold over the next two and a half years, beginning as early as summer of 2026. During that time, international teams will gradually move equipment and training operations into the area while athletes begin practicing regularly in local waters.
“They expect about 56 sailing federations or nations to come to San Pedro as part of their Olympic preparation,” Ketchum said. “Those teams are looking to arrive around June or July of this year to begin setting up their pre-training operations.”
The preparation schedule will also include a series of international regattas designed to help athletes refine their strategies in the same conditions they will face during Olympic competition.
“They already have several regattas scheduled for this year and next year as part of the training process leading up to the Olympics,” Ketchum said.
Supporting that effort is a California nonprofit organization known as Pathway to Podium, often referred to simply as P2P. The organization was created to assist with the logistical and infrastructure needs associated with Olympic sailing preparation while also strengthening community engagement with water sports in San Pedro.
According to Ketchum, the organization itself grew out of collaboration within the local sailing community.
“The Los Angeles Yacht Club and Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club are working together toward that goal, and the group Pathway to Podium, or P2P, really evolved from the collaboration between those two yacht clubs,” he said. “It’s not technically a yacht club organization, but it is chaired by the past Commodore of the Los Angeles Yacht Club, and the board of directors includes members from both Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club and the Los Angeles Yacht Club.”
Central to that effort is the Cabrillo Beach Youth Waterfront Center, which will serve as a host site for sailing federations preparing for LA28.
“There is a lot happening right now as we ramp up toward the Olympics, and even beyond the Olympics,” Ketchum said. “The Port has taken over a property adjacent to us that will become the Cabrillo Beach Youth Waterfront Center. LA Waterfront is investing more than a million dollars to refurbish the facility so it can serve as the center for pre-Olympic training.”
While the presence of international athletes is expected to generate significant economic activity for the region, the goals of Pathway to Podium extend beyond simply preparing for the Olympic Games. The organization was also developed with a strong focus on youth development and community access to the waterfront.
Through partnerships with local programs and educational initiatives, the Cabrillo Beach Youth Waterfront Center will continue supporting sailing instruction, water sports programs and community engagement opportunities throughout the Olympic preparation period.
In that way, the Olympic training effort is intended to complement the existing maritime culture of San Pedro rather than replace it. The harbor has long served a diverse range of maritime activities, from commercial shipping and fishing fleets to recreational sailing and cruising. Now, high-performance racing is becoming another layer within that environment.
Cabrillo Marina plays an important role in that setting. Located in the heart of the Port of Los Angeles’ West Channel, the marina provides convenient access to Cabrillo Beach and the nearby launch ramp while serving as one of the closest mainland marinas to Catalina Island.
Operated as one of three family-owned California Yacht Marinas in Southern California, the facility is known for its well-maintained slips and boater-focused amenities.
Because of its location, Cabrillo Marina will also play a direct logistical role in the Olympic preparation effort.
“At Cabrillo Marina, we find ourselves right next to a lot of this activity,” Ketchum said. “In fact, some of our leasehold will be used for staging pre-Olympic sailing operations.”
In regard to preparations already underway at the marina, he explained, “We’ve already cleared out a section of dock space so that the chase boats used by the different sailing federations will be berthed in our marina,” Ketchum said. “So, we find ourselves in a great location for all of this.”
Those preparations will place recreational boaters alongside international racing teams in the same harbor waters. And Ketchum believes that proximity will create unique opportunities for the boating community to witness elite sailing up close.
“There’ll be opportunities for people to watch these international sailing federations practicing in the harbor,” he said. “It’ll be a great experience for boaters.”
At the same time, marina operators are already considering ways to connect local boaters with the international sailing activity unfolding around them.
“Henry and I have been discussing ways to create events around these activities,” Ketchum said, referring to Henry Rivas of Cabrillo Marina whom he is working alongside with during this process. “As each new federation arrives, we are planning to host pop-up events and meet-and-greet opportunities for our customers.”
Those gatherings would allow marina tenants and visitors to interact with sailors from around the world while learning more about the Olympic training process.
“That is really the business side of it for us,” Ketchum said. “We want to provide added value to the people who keep their boats here.”
Beyond the immediate Olympic preparations, however, the long-term vision is to ensure that the growth of competitive sailing continues well after the Games conclude.
“The goal is not simply to build up activity leading into the Olympics, but to continue growing the sport even after the Games are over,” Ketchum said.
That long-term outlook reflects a broader desire within the boating community to strengthen sailing opportunities for both competitive athletes and recreational sailors.
“This is ultimately a story about all the great sailing activity happening in San Pedro right now,” Ketchum said. “We are fortunate because Cabrillo Marina is the largest marina in Los Angeles Harbor, so we find ourselves strategically positioned.”
He added that raising awareness about the preparation process is important for the broader boating public.
“That is why Henry, who does a great job working with us, and I have been talking about getting the word out,” he said. “I don’t think many people fully understand everything that happens before that two-week Olympic event.”
Taken together, these developments suggest that Los Angeles Harbor may be entering a new era in its maritime history. For generations, the harbor has been defined by its role in global trade and regional fishing industries. Now, it’s also beginning to play a growing role in international competitive sailing.
“And for us, and really for the entire boating community, everyone wants to grow boating,” Ketchum said. “This is a great opportunity to give boaters something new to experience with their boats, especially for sailors who simply love being out on the water.”
As Olympic teams arrive and training intensifies over the next several years, San Pedro’s waterfront will likely see an increasing number of racing boats sharing the water with recreational sailors and working vessels. By the time the Olympic sailing competitions take place in Long Beach in 2028, Los Angeles Harbor will already have become a critical part of the preparation process.
Long after the medals are awarded, the influence of that preparation is intended to continue shaping the harbor’s identity. What is happening now is not simply the lead-up to a two-week sporting event but rather the beginning of a broader transformation that could help high-performance sailing flourish in Los Angeles Harbor for years to come.