2011 Sail for Gold Regatta

[MLovett]

May 31

Preview to Sail for Gold Regatta – US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics

First Selection Event for “U.S. Olympic Team – Sailing” Held at Venue of 2012 Games

Weymouth, U.K. (May 31, 2011) – Over 50 members of US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org> (USSTAG) are in Weymouth, U.K. preparing for Sail for Gold, first of two Selection Events for the U.S. Olympic Team – Sailing. Scheduled for June 6-11, the regatta marks an important milestone for USSTAG athletes in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games. In addition to the venue being the same as the one used for the 2012 Games, the top performing American sailors in nine of 10 Olympic classes will qualify for the 2011 Weymouth and Portland International Regatta, which serves as a pre-Olympic test event. Exclusive photos, video interviews and reports from the racecourse will be posted on USSTAG’s Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/usstag> and Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/usstag> channels.



Organizers expect over 1,000 athletes from 62 nations to compete at Skandia Sail for Gold. As the final stop on the ISAF (International Sailing Federation) World Cup circuit, ISAF will award medals for the overall season standings.



“This is the event that our athletes have been working toward all year,” said USSTAG’s High Performance Director/Head Coach Kenneth Andreasen (Tampa, Fla.). “We have put countless hours in at the gym and on the water to prepare. Our sailors have spent many days here in Weymouth training in preparation for this regatta. In addition to our entire USSTAG team, we also have 10 members of the US Sailing Development Team competing, along with our full support staff and performance enhancement team.”



“As the first of two Selection Events, Sail for Gold is where U.S. athletes begin to stake their claim on an Olympic berth,” said Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.). “The best combined performance at this and at the second Selection Event, ISAF Sailing World Championship, in December, 2011, will determine our Olympic Team in all classes except Women’s Match Racing. We’re confident that this process will select our best prospect for medals in 2012.”


Racing starts Monday, June 6 in all classes and concludes with the medal race on Saturday, June 11. Women’s Match Racing consist of an opening series, a knockout series, and a sail-off for boats not advancing to the knockout series, with the final matches scheduled on Saturday, June 11.

Sailors accrue points at each of the seven ISAF Sailing World Cup events to earn an overall Series Score. A first place win translates into 20 points, a second place earns 19 points and so on.

(Twentieth place earns one point.) The skipper/crew with the highest Series Score at the end of the season wins the ISAF Sailing World Cup Trophy.

For a full list of USSTAG athletes competing at the 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold regatta, please visit: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm>

Trials Tracker
Follow the progress of U.S. athletes as they campaign for the U.S. Olympic Team – Sailing. Currently campaigning in the midst of the European season, athletes in nine of 10 Olympic classes qualify for a berth at two Selection events based on combined results at ISAF World Cup events. http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Ga...pics/Track.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Games/Olympics/Track.htm>

For more information on 2012 Olympic Selection Procedures: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Ne...Procedures.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/2010/Olympic_Selection_Procedures.htm>

To read an interview with Dean Brenner that explains the 2012 Olympic Selection Process: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Ne..._Interview.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/2010/Selection_Procedures_Interview.htm>

[MLovett]

Racing Summary – Day 1 June 6, 2011, Weymouth, U.K.



The first day began under postponement for all but the Women’s Match Racing at Skandia Sail for Gold, first of two Selection Events for the U.S. Olympic Team – Sailing. Once racing got underway in Weymouth, U.K., the venue for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, racing in all classes lasted throughout the day. US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics athletes hold 11 top-10 spots across the leaderboard.



Full list of USSTAG athletes competing at the 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold regatta: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm
Performance highlights include:



· USSTAG’s two match racing teams headed by skippers Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) counted wins in round robin racing. Barkow, with team mates Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig Burnham (Miami, Fla.), scored 2 wins, one loss in the day’s first grouping. In the second group, Tunnicliffe, with her “Team Maclaren” crew Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi went 4-0.



Sally Barkow introduces her crew in an exclusive video: http://youtu.be/ykx7rSfbq94



· The Sonar team of Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Me.) started the regatta with a win, then followed it up with a second to stand second overall. They are the 2009 champions and looking to add another medal.



· In the day’s only Laser race Clay Johnson (Toms River, N.J.) scored a 7th in his fleet’s only race to stand 13th overall in 124-boat fleet. The fleet is divided into groups each day of the qualifying series.



· With a third and an eighth-place in the Men’s 470, Stuart McNay (Boston, Mass.) and Graham Biehl (San Diego, Calif.) are in 6th overall. Audio interview: http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sounds-...nday-evening-1

[MLovett]

Racing Summary – Day 2 June 7, 2011, Weymouth, U.K.



Strong and plentiful wind was the theme for the second day of racing at Skandia Sail for Gold, the sixth stop on ISAF (International Sailing Federation) World Cup circuit. US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics has a training base in Weymouth, venue of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the extra time invested here paid off for American athletes who hold top-10 positions in nine classes and top the women's match racing round robins.



Full list of USSTAG athletes competing at the 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold regatta: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm>
Performance highlights include:



· After a shake-up overnight in the Women’s 470 class, Erin Maxwell (Wilton, Conn.) and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar (New York, N.Y,) found themselves in first overall and donned the yellow leaders’ pinnies for today’s two races. With a 8-24, they now stand in 6th overall.



· Undefeated with seven wins is Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) with her “Team Maclaren” crew Molly Vandemoer (Stanford, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.). They advance to the Women’s Match Racing Gold Round on Wednesday, hoping for another day of big breeze.

· Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) relished the big breeze conditions and turned three race finishes into a 7th overall. The highlight for her was the last race, which she won, by “out hiking” Irish Radial sailor Annelise Murphy.



· Star sailors Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih (both Miami, Fla.) moved into 4th overall by putting in two strong finishes, 5-6. They are two places ahead of USSTAG teammates George Szabo (San Diego, Calif.) and Mark Strube (Punta Gorda, Fla.)



Exclusive video with Paige Railey, in 6th overall after day two: http://youtu.be/Ym0tkS26UYE



Bonus video interview: Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Dean Brenner talks about the challenges of sponsorship how US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics has evolved its partnership to support the athletes.
http://youtu.be/AFWneQU1kc0



Quotes on Day 2:



Anna Tunnicliffe on being undefeated in Women’s Match Racing: “We had a great day again today. We had three races and came away with three wins to win our Group C round. Our last race was against the Brits. They controlled us for the first minute or so of the pre-start, but then we managed to get control of them after that. We led them into the start a few seconds late, and matched their tack off the line. We had great speed and were able to pin them to the layline. Downwind, they closed the gap at the leeward mark, but we pulled ahead again up the next beat and held our lead to the finish. The conditions were windy so boat control and speed were important. Now we advance to the Gold Round. The team did a great job in the bigger breeze making great calls all around the course. The conditions in Weymouth are great. It’s chilly when the wind blows, but the wind is fantastic. The facilities are great and make training and racing very good.”



Sarah Lihan, crew for Amanda Clark, on switching into the 470 and how Yale University prepared her: “We’re trying to plug away and let other people make mistakes. The 470 has been a whole lot of fun and I’m really glad I made the switch. Amanda is a wonderful person to sail with and I’ve learned more from her than anyone in my 10 years of sailing. We have pretty good chemistry together. We’re in the game and we’re doing what we need to do.”

Full interview: http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sets/2011-sail-for-gold <http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sets/2011-sail-for-gold>



Bonus audio interview: U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Psychologist Dr. Wendy Borlabi discusses how she is helping US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics with performance enhancement, building skills and dealing with the pressure of being an Olympic-caliber athlete.

Full interview: http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sets/2011-sail-for-gold <http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sets/2011-sail-for-gold>

[Stuart Streuli]

FINN FOCUS: Sail for Gold day three – Ainslie stakes his claim

By Robert Deaves

A familiar pattern started to emerge on day three for the Finn class at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta at Weymouth & Portland. Two more wins for Ben Ainslie (GBR) has given him a useful nine point lead over Giles Scott (GBR), who moves up to second after a third and a second, while Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) drops to third after a sixth and fourth place.
After several postponements due to the wind shifting and strengthening, the first race of the day got away around 11.30 in 18-20 knots. World champion Ed Wright (GBR) started to produce the form he is famous for, leading round the top mark as the wind continued to increase. But regatta leader Ben Ainslie (GBR) wasn’t far behind and the chase was on. By the first leeward rounding Jonas Høgh Christensen (DEN) had taken the lead from Giles Scott (GBR), while Wright slipped to third. Ainslie had eased into third by the second windward mark and then cruised into first place on the second run to lead to the finish. Høgh Christensen held on for second while Scott took third. Early race leader Wright could only manage a ninth.

After a course move, the second race of the day – race five of the series – started in a gusty 18-20 knots of breeze and increased to more than 25 during the race. Ainslie was clearly intent on sending a clear message to the British selectors and led round the top mark with Wright and Dan Slater (NZL) close behind. Zach Railey (USA) moved up to third on the downwind and then Scott made his move into second with Railey hanging onto third. At the finish, Ainslie took his second win of the day – and the third of the week so far – with Scott still in second and Railey ending a great day in third.

With the wind now gusting to 30 knots on many parts of the Weymouth Bay the fleet was sent ashore, once again without catching up with the programme. The Finns are still one race behind.

Ainslie said of the day, “We raced more inshore so it was a little shiftier on the first beats, though there was slightly more breeze than yesterday. In the first race I had a great second run which got me the lead and in the second race I was ahead from the first mark.”

“I feel okay about sailing in the windier conditions now. I'm quite small compared with some of these guys but my speed is okay. It's a bit of everything coming together well but it's also been tricky tactically.” Were they up for a third race? “No, we were all pretty spent.”

“I come back in from a day like today and my body is aching, but it’s all about testing yourself so it is satisfying to get two good results. We have worked hard technically on the boat and physically on my fitness so it’s good to see that hard work paying off. I am happy with how things have gone so far but there is still a long way to go this week.”

Though Ainslie seems to have returned to the top of his form, second placed Scott is not phased by it. Is is happy with his own performance so far? “Yes, I'm becoming increasingly happy, although I felt as if I was always on the come back from the first mark rounding. I need to start getting around the first mark in better contact with the leaders.” On the racing today, he said, “I think the key today was being fast upwind and not making to many wrong decisions on the shifts.”
The World No 1, Zach Railey, also had a better day today. After some average results on Tuesday, he put himself right back into medal contention with a 4, 3 to move up to sixth overall.

“Moving course areas was a good decision by the RC. We raced on the 49er area today. I'm not sure we would have got the second race in on our course given that its usually windier on the outer course. So that was a great move today by the RC.”

“I used what I learned yesterday about the wind and did not make the mistakes again which was a huge positive from today. The wind is very difficult to figure out here. I still have some speed issues to work out but we will figure it out.”
Railey spoke about his preparation for this event. “We have spent a good amount of time training in Weymouth. I missed the Delta Lloyd Regatta to train here during the event. As it is one of our trials venues and also the Olympic Games venue, knowing it well is a huge advantage. Weymouth is a very tricky place to sail and I don't think you can ‘figure it out’ but just spending time here makes you more comfortable with what you will be facing while racing here.”

How well does the team work together? “We have really adapted to a new team process and we have been training as a team for a long-time now. I think it’s great and we are seeing the results improving all the time. We push each other to make each other better so that whoever goes to the Games has the best chance of success when they get there.”
Tomáš Vika (CZE) is the sole Czech entry this week in the Finn fleet, with the top Czech sailor and four times Olympian Michael Maier (CZE) concentrating on the defence of his World Masters title next week in Italy. He said “I came to Weymouth straight from Medemblik. This area is perfect for sailing with stable wind conditions and is mostly windy. The only problem for me is that I feel always cold here. Both Portland and Weymouth are nice and the people are friendly; only the roads from the Academy to Weymouth centre is full of traffic jams.”

“My goal is to improve my sailing and become familiar with the racing area. I gained 10 kg compared to last year, but I'm still fighting more with myself than the other competitors.” Vika lies in 36th place after an amazingly consistent 34, 34, 32, 32, 34 so far this week.

The race committee will again attempt to run three races on Thursday to catch up with the programme. There are just two more days of qualifying races left before the medal race for the top 10 on Saturday 11th June.

Results after five races:

1 GBR 3 Ben AINSLIE 5
2 GBR 41 Giles SCOTT 14
3 CRO 524 Ivan KLJAKOVIC GASPIC 14
4 NZL 1 Dan SLATER 17
5 DEN 2 Jonas HØGH-CHRISTENSEN 22
6 USA 4 Zach RAILEY 25
7 GBR 11 Ed WRIGHT 28
8 FRA 112 Jonathan LOBERT 33
9 GBR 85 Andrew MILLS 34
10 GBR 88 Mark ANDREWS 37
Event website: www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk
Full results: http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta...esults2011.htm

[Stuart Streuli]

USSTAG Racing Summary – Day 3 June 8, 2011, Weymouth, U.K.


Another ripping windy day at Skandia Sail for Gold for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. With wind speeds in the upper 20s and a building sea, athletes’ fitness were tested in the big conditions. US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics holds nine top-10 positions across 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes: 2.4mR, SKUD-18, Sonar, Finn, Laser Radial, Star, Women’s 470; and both Women’s Match Racing teams saw wins in the Gold Round.


Full list of USSTAG athletes competing at the 2011 Skandia Sail for Gold regatta, along with results, photos, videos and a link to the team blog: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm>
Performance highlights include:

· 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) started the day with a 4th in race 4, then followed it up with a 3rd. Currently in 6th overall, he credited an improved fitness level for boosting his power in the bigger breeze. Video interview: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm <http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011/SFG.htm>

· With a 4th and 8th finishes, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) continued to prove her strength in the Laser Radial fleet. She is in 7th overall.

· In the Women’s 470 class, Erin Maxwell (Wilton, Conn.) and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar (New York, N.Y,) are in 9th overall with scores today of 15-17. Amanda Clark, 2008 Olympic representative in the Women’s 470, with new crew Sarah Lihan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) scored a regatta-best third place in race 6.

· Scoring two straight match racing wins was Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig Burnham (Miami, Fla.). They defeated the Dutch and French teams. Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.) with her “Team Maclaren” crew Molly Vandemoer (Stanford, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) went 1 win, 1 loss. Racing in the Gold Round continues tomorrow.

· Although the SKUD-18 class did not race today due to wind conditions, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics sailors hold 4th and 5th places: Jen French and JP Creignou (both St.Petersburg, Fla.) and Scott Whitman (Brick, N.J.) and Julia Dorsett (Boca Raton, Fla.), past gold medalists at this event, respectively

Daily Team Blog from Dean Brenner, Chairman, Olympic Sailing Committee: http://usstag.blogspot.com/ <http://usstag.blogspot.com/>

Photo Gallery from Weymouth: http://usstag.photoshelter.com/ <http://usstag.photoshelter.com/>

Quotes on Day 3:


Clay Johnson a really long Laser day and the American competition: “We had a really late start yesterday and had to do three races. Two races today, puffs into the 20s, big waves. It’s not the way I wanted to spend the last 24 hours, but we’re halfway through the regatta. I hope I made gold fleet and anything can happen. Brad is sailing really well and he’s not making many results. He’s going to be hard to beat. Rob is sailing well too and it’s going to be the three of us duking it out.”

Bonus audio interview, part 2 with U.S. Olympic Committee’s Sports Psychologist Dr. Wendy Borlabi discusses how she is helping US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics with performance enhancement, building skills and dealing with the pressure of being an Olympic-caliber athlete.

Full interview: http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sets/2011-sail-for-gold <http://soundcloud.com/usstag/sets/2011-sail-for-gold>