Champions Rising
January 31, 2008 by regattanews.com | 0 comments
After three days of fleet racing at US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR, the cream is rising to the top for the 369 sailors competing from 34 countries. The regatta, which is hosting fewer classes than normal due to conflicting world championships overseas, has shown no shortage of intensity or talent in the four Olympic classes (Laser, Laser Radial, Star, Yngling) and three Paralympic classes (SKUD-18, Sonar, 2.4mR) competing here on Biscayne Bay.
After three days of fleet racing at US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR, the cream is rising to the top for the 369 sailors competing from 34 countries. The regatta, which is hosting fewer classes than normal due to conflicting world championships overseas, has shown no shortage of intensity or talent in the four Olympic classes (Laser, Laser Radial, Star, Yngling) and three Paralympic classes (SKUD-18, Sonar, 2.4mR) competing here on Biscayne Bay.
With the Yngling Worlds following this event here next week and the Star Worlds scheduled for here as well in April, these two classes have proven to be the deepest in talent.
“At the last Star Worlds there were teams from 32 countries, and only 15 countries can qualify for the Olympics,” said Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Reynolds (San Diego, Calif.). “Now there are four slots left and 12 countries vying for them, so out of all the Olympic classes, this is the toughest for getting into the Games.” Reynolds noted that this year’s Worlds will be the end of the line for poor performers, though “poor performers” is a relative term in this fleet. It is sprinkled with no less than six World Champions and a slew of national champions and Olympic medalists. Reynolds, himself a World Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist qualified the USA for its Olympic berth with his performance at the 2007 Worlds but will not represent the USA in 2008. Instead John Dane and Austin Sperry (both Gulfport, Miss.), who won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, will sail for the USA. Dane and Sperry today landed in 16th overall after today’s single race was added to the score li! ne of four previous races, while Reynolds, sailing with Steve Erickson (Hood River, Ore.), logged in at 7th. Starting with tomorrow’s racing, the fleet of 66 boats will split into Gold and Silver fleets, and by Saturday, the Gold fleet will have narrowed down to the top ten for a single medal race that will count double in scoring, simulating the new format that will be introduced for all Olympic sailing classes at the 2008 Games.
