Around The World Of Sailing

Interesting Collection of Model Ships on E-Bay

An interesting collection of model ships has surfaced on EBay. The auction, which is set to expire on September 2 at 10:04 Pacific time, is fun to look at even if you would not be a serious bidder.

The collection of model kits is a lifetime collection of a master model builder whose plexi-glass cased models are found in numerous museums and private collections in the United States and Europe. It had been the intention of the builder to complete each of these models and add them to an existing museum collection and display, but due to the development of Parkinson's Disease this has become an impossibility.

The collection includes 192 plastic model kits of tall ships. A complete list of all models is available on auction web site.

Check out this auction at EBay. Then search for item number: 2265060433 or the phrase "Sailing Ship Bonanza"

If you find other unique nautical auctions online, let us know about them.

J/35 Lake Michigan Championships

The J/35 Lake Michigan Championships at Muskegon Yacht Club in Muskegon, Michigan was held August 27-29, 2004. Here are the results for the series.

1. Falcon
2. Touch of Grey
3. Sociable
4. Aftershock
5. Bad Dog
6. Bozo's Circus
7. Houqua
8. Short Handed
9. Jason

Final Olympic Standings

Standings of U.S. Sailors:

Europe (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
14. Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.),
9-11-13-9-3-13-11-16-9-(19)-19; 113

Finn (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
11. Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.), 11-6-13-(17)-16-14-13-9-9-17-7;
115

470 Men (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
1. Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.),
1-8-2-15-9-4-3-7-18-4-(22); 71

470 Women (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
5. Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York,
N.Y.), 12-16-3-12-9-2-(18)-17-8-1-4; 84

49er (Final--after 16 races) SERIES COMPLETED
5. Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.),
7-8-5-(OCS/20)-9-9-8-3-1-(13)-7-3-10-11-1-10; 92

Laser (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
8. Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 2-14-20-6-6-10-(29)-22-16-6-9;
111

Mistral Men (after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
28. Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.),
22-20-23-16-22-29-27-24-30-28-(31); 241

Mistral Women (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
16. Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.),
13-16-9-(18)-17-13-6-14-(19)-15-5; 126

Star (after 10 races)
4. Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port
Washington, N.Y.), 1-6-(15)-10-3-6-1-15-6-8; 56

Tornado (after 10 races)
2. John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston,
Texas/Columbia, N.C.), 2-2-1-6-(9)-9-6-7-1-2; 36

Yngling (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
10. Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy
Haberland (Annapolis, Md.), 2-10-16-9-15-10-1-15-7-1-(OCS/17); 86

Lovell/Ogletree Claim Silver

On their third consecutive try at winning an Olympic medal in the Tornado class, John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.) won the silver in Athens. One last race today had been their one last opportunity to pass Austria's gold medallists (and defending gold medallists from Sydney) Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher in the overall standings, but it was not meant to be. Lovell and Ogletree had been assured of no less than a silver medal going into today, and that is what they will proudly take home.

"We had a good shot at it but knew it would be tough," said Lovell. "We just didn't know how tough it would be. We tried to get Austria behind us, but they broke away and got to the right side of the course, at the critical point in the race when the right came in big time. We then had to take big chances and dropped back. It was a done deal. The way they sailed today, there was no chance to beat them." Lovell and Ogletree fell to tenth in the race, their worst race taken as a throwout in the 11-race series, while Austria climbed through the fleet to finish first.

Ogletree, who has been sailing since 1993 with Lovell, a "great friend" with
whom he shares the exact same birthdate, year and all, said that initially the two were disappointed about losing the gold. Upon returning to the Agios Kosmas Sailing Center in Greece, however, the melancholy turned to delight.
"Our heads were down a little, but the moment we got ashore and started talking to the media and friends and family we started realizing how great it is to conclude with a medal after trying in Savannah and Sydney. It's a dream come true."

"I'm thrilled for them," said the US Sailing Team's Head Coach Gary Bodie (Hampton, Va.). "They've always been players, but this Spring they really started putting it together and won the silver medal at the 2004 Tornado World Championships. They had the package that was necessary."

Also fighting for a medal position today were Star sailors Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.). In fourth going into today's final race, with an outside shot at bronze or silver, they "got tangled up with Spain" for a bad start. The rest of the race went just as badly; the 16th they took was their worst finish yet out of 11 races and it landed them in fifth overall for the regatta.

"We tried to make it work, but it almost seemed like a bad joke," said Cayard, who accompanied the Olympic Sailing Team to the Los Angeles Games 20 years ago as an alternate and has since established himself as one of the most recognizable sailors on the planet. "Everything we tried didn't work and we got a serious distance behind. Right now it's hard not to focus on the opportunities that were there throughout this regatta and the unfortunate fact that we didn't take advantage of them."

Cayard figures that only half the races they sailed were in conditions for which they had trained and the "difficult" random winds-like today's-were what got the best of his team. "We started off in the groove but then the third race it started unraveling. I'm disappointed I didn't sail the regatta of my life. I'd rather have a gold medal. But I'm old enough and have been through the emotional part of all this in sailing, with the America's Cup and other events, that I know that in a week, a month, it slowly fades away."

Trinter considered the emotional letdown to be a natural part of being an athlete. "You've got to remember, it's still the greatest thing in sailing to be here," he said. "The Olympics are something special, and to get here is a great accomplishment and honor."

This was the final of 15 competition days at the 2004 Olympic Regatta in Athens, where nine Olympic classes (11 divisions) have competed on the Saronic Gulf.

Lovell/Ogletree Mining For Gold Tomorrow

The USA's Tornado sailors John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.), who secured themselves at least a silver medal yesterday, will battle for gold tomorrow, when racing resumes for their class as well as for the Star class. This will be the final day of the Olympic Regatta 2004 in Athens, with one race scheduled for each of the two classes as a medal round. Also fighting for a medal position, albeit not assured, will be Star sailors Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.). They are currently in fourth overall while Lovell and Ogletree are in second.

There is no racing today, as the Tornados and Stars are observing a reserve day. The balance of the nine Olympic classes (11 divisions) competing on the Saronic Gulf off the Agios Kosmas Sailing Center in Greece, have completed their series. The USA has claimed one gold medal, in the 470 men's division, won by Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.).

Storage Rates Hold Steady for '04-'05

Torresen Marine is now accepting fall haulout and winter storage reservations for the '04-'05 season.

Rates can be found online. Prices are steady this year with rates for outdoor storage, indoor heated storage and indoor cold storage remaining the same as the '03-'04 season.

In addition to making your storage reservation, now is the perfect time to start thinking about those special projects you want completed for next year's sailing season. By scheduling your service project for now, you will beat the spring rush and be sure your project is completed before your 2005 launch. For more information, a quotation or to schedule your service order call the Torresen Service Department at 231-759-8596 or email service@torresen.com

Sailors On TV

470 Gold Medalist Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.) will appear live from Athens on NBC�s TODAY show tomorrow morning. The live interview is scheduled to air between 0830 and 0900 EDT on Friday, August 27. Burnham and skipper Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) won the gold medal last Saturday in the 470 Men�s competition.

Updated schedule for sailing coverage on the NBC Cable Network: the final
two shows are scheduled for:
- Thursday, August 26 - midnight on the Bravo network
- Saturday, August 28 - 4:00pm on CNBC
For further updates on the TV schedule, visit the NBC Olympics website at
www.nbcolympics.com.

Last Tuesday, USA's Yngling team of Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz
Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.) were chosen
to star in a segment with Al Roker on the Today Show. The setting was the
USA House, where the U.S. Olympic Committee entertains VIPs, administrators
and athletes in Athens. Liz Filter took the lead in "giving Roker a tour,"
and Roker asked questions about the team while the tour was underway. The
USA House is in downtown Athens, far away from the Agios Kosmas Sailing
Center in Glyfada, where the sailing events have taken place. Its balcony
looks out over the Acropolis.

US Sailors - Olympic Standings

Europe (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
14. Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.),
9-11-13-9-3-13-11-16-9-(19)-19; 113

Finn (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
11. Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.), 11-6-13-(17)-16-14-13-9-9-17-7;
115

470 Men (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
1. Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.),
1-8-2-15-9-4-3-7-18-4-(22); 71

470 Women (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
5. Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York,
N.Y.), 12-16-3-12-9-2-(18)-17-8-1-4; 84

49er (Final--after 16 races) SERIES COMPLETED
5. Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.),
7-8-5-(OCS/20)-9-9-8-3-1-(13)-7-3-10-11-1-10; 92

Laser (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
8. Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 2-14-20-6-6-10-(29)-22-16-6-9;
111

Mistral Men (after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
28. Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.),
22-20-23-16-22-29-27-24-30-28-(31); 241

Mistral Women (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
16. Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.),
13-16-9-(18)-17-13-6-14-(19)-15-5; 126

Star (after 10 races)
4. Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port
Washington, N.Y.), 1-6-(15)-10-3-6-1-15-6-8; 56

Tornado (after 10 races)
2. John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston,
Texas/Columbia, N.C.), 2-2-1-6-(9)-9-6-7-1-2; 36

Yngling (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
10. Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy
Haberland (Annapolis, Md.), 2-10-16-9-15-10-1-15-7-1-(OCS/17); 86

Friday Olympic Sailing Outlook

There is no racing scheduled on Friday, August 24 with the Tornados and Stars scheduled for a reserve day before their medal rounds on Saturday, Aug. 28. All nine classes (eleven divisions) of sailing will then be concluded.

Olympics: Lovell Ogletree Assured Gold

The USA's Tornado sailors John Lovell
(New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.)
secured themselves at least a silver medal today when they won the first of
two races and followed up with a second-place finish. With one race to go on
Saturday, Aug. 28, they are now in second overall, only three points behind
the Austrians, who are the only ones that could keep the USA from gold on
Saturday.

"We won the start in the first race and got a good jump on the fleet
immediately," said Lovell, who led at every mark of the course. "In the
second race, we did the same thing but started consolidating--covering the
guys we needed to cover, in particular Austria and Argentina--and finished
second.

"Saturday it's one big race for gold," continued Lovell, who counts the
Austrians as one of the fastest Tornado teams in the world. "It's not going
to be easy. Today they were in tenth and we thought 'we've got them!," but
then, in both races, they grinded back."

Lovell said the Tornado reserve day tomorrow would be spent taking the
entire boat apart and putting it back together again, to ensure that no
mechanical breakdowns will foil their plans. They also will study the scores
and go over all the different race scenarios that could happen. As
match-racing champions (they won last year's International Catamaran
Challenge Trophy), Lovell and Ogletree are ready for the one-on-one racing
with Austria that might present itself.

"We have a much better drop race than the Austrians, so we have two
choices," said Lovell. "We jump on them early and drive them to the back of
the fleet or just go out and win. We'll make that decision on game day."

The Star team of Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain,
Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.) also will be studying scores tomorrow before
their medal round on Saturday. They have a chance to medal, but the job will
be much harder. Only silver or bronze is available, with Brazil's Torben
Grael and Marcelo Ferreira having snagged the gold today.

"Torben has just been in a zone," said Trinter, "just like we were when we
sailed our Trials."

Cayard and Trinter turned in a 6-8 today to fall to fourth on the scoreboard
from third yesterday. They are seven points behind Canada, which sits in
third, and nine points behind France, in second.

"I'm disappointed we slid as far as we did today," said Cayard. "It will be
a tough grind to grind back the seven or nine points, but it can be done.
You can't beat yourself to death about it, though. I feel we have a medal in
us. Whether or not it's too late, that's another question."

Concluding their series with a final medal race today were the 49ers. The
USA's Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.) knew
going into the race that they could do no better than fourth, while Spain,
Ukraine and Great Britain fought it out for what ultimately became gold,
silver and bronze positions, respectively. The team finished 10th in the
race and fell to fifth overall in the standings behind Norway.

"On the last run, the Norwegians were in second and we were in seventh,"
said Wadlow. "We needed to be sixth in order to be tied with Norway and
maintain our fourth overall on a tie-breaker." At that point the choices
were to follow the parade of boats going to the right side of the course or
roll the dice and split from the pack. Wadlow and Spaulding pulled off a
quick jibe set and banged the left corner, but luck was not waiting there.

"It has been a long journey and pretty awesome," said Wadlow. "The last
three years we've pushed hard and put everything on the table. The British
and the Spanish have been dominating and we have been closing the gap on
them recently, but we didn't do it in this regatta. They've done the
Olympics before, and they put together better races. I have a lot of respect
for them."

"We're both disappointed that everything did not go our way," said
Spaulding. "At the same time, we sailed very well. Fifth is respectable,
especially when you consider where we started with our campaign. Everyone
here is more experienced than us-they've been at it twice as long. And we
have to be satisfied with the speed of our progress."

US Sailing Names Youth Team

With all of US SAILING�s national youth
and junior championships for 2004 completed, US SAILING has named the
members of the 2004 U.S. Youth Sailing Team. The team members are considered
the strongest young sailors in the U.S. They each won or were the highest
U.S. finishers at a US SAILING National Championship or are members of the
U.S. Youth World Team, which represented the U.S. at the 2004 Volvo Youth
Sailing ISAF World Championship held last July in Poland.

The following sailors have been named to the 2004 U.S. Youth Sailing Team:

U.S. Youth Championship
Michael Scott (Kaneohe, HI) - Laser
Cy Thompson (St. Thomas, VI) � Laser Radial
Erick Storck (Huntington, NY) � Club 420 skipper
Killarney Loufek (Costa Mesa, CA) � Club 420 crew

U.S. Junior Women�s Doublehanded Championship
Roberta Steele (Shoreacres, TX) - skipper
Meredith Nordhem (Chicago, IL) - crew

U.S. Youth Multihull Championship
T.J. Tullo (Staten Island, NY) - skipper
Jerry Tullo (Staten Island, NY) - crew

U.S. Junior Women�s Singlehanded Championship
Paige Railey (Clearwater, FL)

U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship
Patrick Curran (Moorestown, NJ)

U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship
Brian Kamilar (Miami, FL) - skipper
Simon Sanders (Miami, FL) - crew

U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship
Fred Strammer (Nokomis, FL) - skipper
Dalton Tebo (Sarasota, FL) - crew
Charlotte Sims (Venice, FL) - crew

U.S. Youth World Team
Reed Johnson (Toms River, NJ) - Laser
Paige Railey (Clearwater, FL) � Laser Radial (also winner of the 2004 U.S.
Junior Women�s Singlehanded Championship)
Zach Brown (San Diego, CA) � Club 420 skipper
Graham Biehl (San Diego, CA) � Club 420 crew
Leigh Kempton (Island Heights, NJ) � Club 420 skipper
Kaity Storck (Huntington, NY) � Club 420 crew
Nancy Rios (Naples, FL) - boardsailor
Harry Newkirk (Gulf Breeze, FL) � Hobie 16 skipper
Tommy Fruitticher (Pensacola Beach, FL) � Hobie 16 crew

The U.S. Youth Sailing Team is an honorary team. All members were presented
with official team uniforms at their qualifying event.

Harken Parts Available Online

The Torresen Marine online shipsstore now offers a selection of more than 1,400 Harken hardware parts online.

You can get a sampling of the Harken's parts selection .

In addition to these Harken parts, the Torresen Marine Online Ships Store will add more than a 1000 parts from Shaefer Marine by the end of this week.

This selection of sailboat hardware is in addition to nearly 200,000 marine engine parts and other parts Torresen Marine currently carries online. By the end of the first quarter of 2005 the store online store is expected to carry more than 1,000,000 sailing products.

You can visit the various online stores of Torresen Marine at:
Sailing Ships Store
Westerbeke
Yanmar
Universal

Wednesday Olympic Preview

Wednesday brings more Olympic sailing. TheMistral (men's and women's)
class will sail its medal round while Stars continue racing, Tornados resume
racing after their reserve day today, and the 49ers observe a reserve day.

On Thursday, Aug. 26, 49ers finish their series with a medal round, while
Tornados and Stars continue racing.

Olympic Regatta Day 11

There was a light load on the Olympic
Regatta courses today, with only the 49ers sailing three races and the Stars
sailing a single makeup race. The small number of races, however, counted
big for the USA, putting the Star team of Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.)
and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.) more solidly into
medal contention while at the same time dashing any medal hopes had by 49er
sailors Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.).

Going into today with a fourth overall, Wadlow and Spaulding turned in a
10th and an 11th before winning today's final race. "Two big shifts in the
first two races didn't go our way," said Wadlow, giving the Cliff Notes
version of what went amiss. "In the last race, everything went our way, but
it was too little, too late."

The finish positions again left them in fourth overall at day's end, but
with the next racing day's window of opportunity closed. Only a single
race-scheduled as a medal round to take place Thursday, August 26--remains
in the 16-race series, and there is no way the USA can catch up
mathematically in the scoring with the three teams ahead in medal positions
(Spain, Ukraine and Great Britain).

"It was bittersweet," said Wadlow, who with Spaulding finished fifth at the
49er World Championship and fourth at both SPA and Hyeres Week this year.
"To win the last race today was great, but it's the end of a dream."

Spaulding added: "Today when we were ahead by a considerable margin, we did
sit back and enjoy the moment. We thought that this could be a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; someday we might be able to do the Olympics
again, but we don't really know. We had a chance to reflect on the
experience and it put a smile on our faces."

After climbing to fourth overall yesterday, Cayard and Trinter finished
sixth today to move up a notch to third overall. They are tied on points
with fourth-place finisher Denmark and have Canada and Brazil ahead of them.
Brazil's Torben Grael and Marcelo Farreira have a strong but not
insurmountable lead on the fleet.

"In the big scheme of things, I'm happy," said Cayard, explaining that he
had to fight back, as he did yesterday, from a position deep in the fleet
for his respectable finish. "Most of the race we were 10th or 12th, and on
the last leg, we got our head out of the boat and passed a group in front of
us to get to sixth. I have to be humble enough to admit that we had to have
some luck to do that. Yesterday, we felt more in control of moving up."

Cayard and Trinter had been tied in points with Canada before that country's
team received redress points in today's race for a jib track that had been
ripped from its deck after a collision with Bermuda. The effect of the
decision was nearly six points shaved off Canada's score. Cayard and Trinter
will be watching that team closely as well as those in the next six places
behind them.

"Torben will be hard to reel in," said Cayard. "I wish the whole group was
closer to him, because the pack that's close together will eventually start
thinking silver or bronze and will start beating up on each other and he'll
get farther ahead. I just hope tomorrow we can get him back farther in the
fleet so there will be a chunk of guys fighting for gold in the end."

The Stars have three more racing days and five races to go.

Current Olympic Standings

Current Standings of U.S. Sailors:
for full results visit: www.sailing.org/olympics244/

Europe (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
14. Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.),
9-11-13-9-3-13-11-16-9-(19)-19; 113

Finn (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
11. Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.), 11-6-13-(17)-16-14-13-9-9-17-7;
115

470 Men (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
1. Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.),
1-8-2-15-9-4-3-7-18-4-(22); 71

470 Women (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
5. Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York,
N.Y.), 12-16-3-12-9-2-(18)-17-8-1-4; 84

49er (after 12 races)
4. Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.),
7-8-5-(OCS/20)-9-9-8-3-1-13-7-3; 60

Laser (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
8. Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 2-14-20-6-6-10-(29)-22-16-6-9;
111

Mistral Men (after 10 races)
27. Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.),
22-20-23-16-22-(29)-27-24-(30)-28; 211

Mistral Women (after 10 races)
17. Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.),
13-16-9-(18)-17-13-6-14-(19)-15; 121

Star (after 5 races)
4. Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port
Washington, N.Y.), 1-6-(15)-10-3; 20

Tornado (after 6 races)
1. John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston,
Texas/Columbia, N.C.), 2-2-1-6-(9)-9; 20

Yngling (Final--after 11 races) SERIES COMPLETED
10. Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy
Haberland (Annapolis, Md.), 2-10-16-9-15-10-1-15-7-1-(OCS/17); 86

Tuesday's Olympic Schedule

Today, the 49ers will sail three races while the Stars will make up a missed race on what was to have been a reserve day. All of the remaining classes observe their own scheduled reserve days. On Wednesday, Aug. 25, the Mistral (men's and women's) class sails its medal race while Tornados and Stars resume racing and the 49ers observe a reserve day.

Olympic Regatta Day 10

Comebacks in two classes and good
maintenance in another highlighted the USA's day at the Olympic Regatta in
Athens. A northern breeze, what the Greeks call a Meltemi, materialized but
failed to pump up the winds to their radical norm. U.S. sailors called the
breezes frustratingly shifty but managed them nicely.

In Tornado class, John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree
(Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.) held on to their top spot on the scoreboard
after turning in two ninth-place finishes, one of which they count as a
throwout. After a shaky start in the first race, the team's successful
attempt to climb from seventh to fourth was negated by a spinnaker retrieval
line that got looped around their onboard camera. "It pulled the patch out
of the sail and Charlie had to climb out to manually stuff the spinnaker
back in its storage tube," said Lovell. "Having a guy out there on the bow
is not fast." Lovell said four or five different breezes were fighting each
other in the second race. When the committee shortened the last leg of the
race, the U.S. team had just passed six or seven boats to recover from a
position that had once been 17th in the 17-boat fleet. Though the team has
the lowest drop score of anyone in the hunt for medals, Lovell was cautious
when assessing the situation. "We were okay with the ninths, especially
considering all that happened and that we had a lot of the leaders around
us, but there were a lot of teams who seemed way back yesterday that moved
up today." Their closest competition remains Austria, in second place and
trailing the USA by only one point.

Star sailors Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain,
Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.) climbed back to fourth overall today, after
having fallen to seventh yesterday. It took one race and a third-place
finish to do it. (Due to a dying breeze, a second race was postponed until
tomorrow.) The team had to fight back from 12th at one point and outsmart
the fluky winds. "You can't ever get used to the conditions here," said
Trinter. "It's more a matter of controlling your frustrations." Brazil has a
good jump on the fleet with eight points to Canada's 15, Denmark's 19 and
USA's 20. "We have six races left," said Trinter. "That's a whole world
championship. And sailing tomorrow plays to our favor. We're tougher, fitter
than a lot of guys out there, and taking their reserve day away plays into
our hands."

The 49er class used a reserve day today to catch up on their schedule, which
was missing a race from yesterday. U.S. sailors Tim Wadlow (San Diego,
Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.), who had fallen to sixth yesterday,
picked themselves back up today, taking a third-place finish and climbing to
fourth overall. "It was a very difficult third," said Spaulding. "A 10-15
knot breeze came in before the start. It was very shifty. We were seventh or
eighth at the first mark in a close pack that stayed mostly together for the
next two legs, but on the second run we separated and rounded the last
leeward mark in 4th." The team then passed one more boat for good measure.
"We did a good job sailing the shifts and staying in the most wind," added
Spaulding, "which was critical today."

The Mistral class resumed racing today after a day off, with both the men's
and women's divisions completing two races. Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso
Viejo, Calif.) sailed her throwout, a 19th, and then finished 15th in the
second race. She dropped one position to 17th overall. "There really isn't
anything wrong or missing," said Butler. "I'm sailing as best I can, and
against the same women I sailed against in Sydney. They've just all gotten
that much better."

For Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.), today offered no relief
from finishes well back in the fleet. A 30th and 28th drops him to 27th
overall. Both classes have one race to go, scheduled for Wednesday.

Two classes-Europe and Laser-completed their series yesterday, Sunday, Aug.
22, making a total of five that have concluded racing.

Clipper Cup Race Results

The 2004 Muskegon, Michigan to Port Washington, Wisconsin Clipper Cup sailed on August 13.

The complete results for the 64.8 mile race are now listed on the official Clipper Cup web site at www.clippercup.com.

Chicago Verve Cup Results Now Available

The Chicago Yacht Club has posted 2004 Verve Cup results as well as result summaries from 2003. Follow the links below for details.

• 2004 Course A Final Results
• 2004 Course B Final Results
• 2004 Course C Final Results
• 2003 Course C Final Results
  
• 2003 Course GL 70 Final Results
  
• 2003 Course B Final Results
  
• 2003 Course A Final Results
  

Water Level Update

Below you'll find water level info that pertains to Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Reference Point- Measurements in Inches

Difference from Chart Datum +12
Difference from last month -2
Difference from last year +12
Difference from long term average for August -10
Difference from Record High -42
Difference from Record Low +22
Forecast for 20 September 2004 -1

Click for information on other lakes.

US 470 Team Clinches Medals

Today�s two races in the 470 Men�s class determined that the USA�s team of Paul Foerster (Dallas, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.) will win at least a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Regatta. The duel for gold between Foerster/Burnham and Great Britain�s Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield, which the USA decisively toppled today from its top spot on the scoreboard, will take place Saturday, August 21. There are only two points that separate the two teams and both are untouchable by Sweden and Japan, which are tied for bronze.

Oddly enough, Foerster and Burnham sailed their throwout today, an 18th in race one, but followed it up with a fourth, while Great Britain turned in race finishes of 10-19, the latter of which they, too, took as a discard in their score line.

"We finally had a good start," said Foerster, a two-time Olympic Silver Medallist (470 Men in 2000, Flying Dutchman in 1992) about today�s second race. "We were ahead of the Brits there. Going up the beat we had a spot where it was a life or death situation and we were able to eek through, get the next shift and round in a decent spot. On the next beat, Kevin hit the shift and we picked off four more boats. That was great."

"In the first race there was a 30 degree shift to the left that just never came back," said Burnham, who at 47 is the oldest member on the U.S. sailing squad and won a 470 Men�s Olympic silver medal in 1992. "We waited and waited and pretty soon we were running out of race track." Foerster added that they�d been playing the middle because "all of our practice here has said it doesn�t pay to go to the corners."

On Saturday, the key to gold for Foerster and Burnham will not be winning the race over the 27 boats competing, but rather finishing no worse than two boats behind the British no matter where they are on the course. "It will be a good thing to watch," said Burnham, "and it will show Paul�s ability to match race, which most people don�t know about."

As Burnham watched the Greek 470 Women�s team sail into the harbor to a cacophony of boat horns and flag waving (they had just clinched the gold), he was asked if the spectacle motivated him for the finals. "I don�t need any extra motivation," laughed Burnham, "Paul and I both have silver medals. We want gold!"

By an impressive margin, the USA�s 470 Women�s representatives Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) won their second race of today after an eighth in race one to make huge gains on the scoreboard. They are in sixth overall, with one race to go on Saturday.

"There is no day like any other day here," said Kinsolving, who said her team made a solid comeback in the first race and had great upwind and downwind speed in the second. "It�s really exciting sailing against the best competitors in the world and at moments being the best in the world yourself. Saturday, we�re going out to win the last race."

The Finn and Ynglings also will have their medal rounds on Saturday, but the Yngling gold already has been claimed by Great Britain�s Shirley Robertson, Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton. The USA�s team of Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.) have a shot at sixth after moving themselves up to eighth today from 12th yesterday. Today they finished seventh in the first race and won the second. "We climbed up big; I just wish we would have started that climb sooner," said Cronin.

After ten races in the Finn class, USA�s Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.) is in 14th place. He finished ninth and 17th today to climb up one position on the scoreboard from yesterday.

Europe and Lasers are well into their 11-race series now with two races held today for each class. Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.) fell to 11th today after finishing 11th in the first race and sailing her throwout, a 16th, in the second. Laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) had a disappointing day, falling from fifth to 10th after posting a throwout 29th and a 22nd. Both classes have three more races to sail.

Two ninth-place finishes helped 49er sailors Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.) improve their overall position from 13th yesterday to eighth today. With six of 16 scheduled races under their belts, they were allowed the first of two throwouts, which meant the 20 points from a premature start yesterday were eliminated from their point total.

In Mistral Men, a single race today brought Peter Wells (La Canada/Newport Beach, Calif.) up one notch on the scoreboard to 24th with seven races to go, while in the women�s division Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) fell two spots to 18th overall after two races. Wells finished 24th today. Beashel posted finishes of 18-17. The 18th she uses as a throwout after five races.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Olympics Europe. Laser. Men's Mistral. Women's Mistral. Men's 470. Women's 470. Yngling. Finn 49er.

News Golds begin. Brit girls take gold. Ainslie looks gold. OCS issues. Gold # # 2. Cayard bets on maturity.

Great Lakes Verve Cup

Gold to Greeks, Brits

The Greek women's 470 team of Sofia bekatorou and Emilia Tsoulfa has clinched the gold medal after a 1st place finish in race 9 and a 2nd in race 10.

The Greek pair won 5 of 10 races and was 34 points ahead of 2nd place. They will not need to sail the final race.

Greece's Sofia Bekatorou, right, and Aimilia Tsoulfa react atop their capsized boat after they turned it over in celebration of winning the gold medal in the 470 sailing competition in Athens, Thursday Aug. 19, 2004. (AP Photo/Nikos Chalkiopoulos)

The US team had their best day with an 8th and a 1st moving up to 6th place with one race remaining.

The British Yngling team of Shirley Robertson, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb have also clinched the gold medal. This is Robertson's 2nd gold medal.

In the men's 470 the veteran US team of Paul Foerester and Kevin Burnham-each owners of Olympic silver medals- have taken the lead with one race to sail. A 4th place in Race 10 was enough for them to overtake Great Britian. They lead by a scant 2 points. Race 10 was a good bounceback for the team after they finished 18th in the day's 1st race, which is now their discard race.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Olympics Europe. Laser. Men's Mistral. Women's Mistral. Men's 470. Women's 470. Yngling. Finn 49er.

News Brits near medals. NZL news. Ainslie's fame. Story of an OCS. Thinking Medals. Coutts situation. College Sailing pre season

Great Lakes Thanks to May. Ferry & Tall Ship Captain

US Olympic Team So-So

After a fifth day of racing at the Olympic Regatta in Athens, the competition schedule is relatively back to normal. Following oppressive breezes of too little yesterday and too much the day before, a light-to-moderate seabreeze prevailed today for seven classes (Europe, Finn, 470, 49er, Laser, Mistral and Yngling) that sailed, three of them on what had originally been scheduled as their reserve day. The classes can be divided into three groups--those that are still very early in their racing (49er and Mistral), so their rankings are by no means conclusive, and those that have covered more than half of their races (Europe, 470, Finn, Laser and Yngling). In these classes the athletes have already dropped a race, since they have sailed at least six, and are starting to feel the medal pressure.

Looking best for the U.S. team is the 470 Men�s team of Paul Foerster (Dallas, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.), who maintained a second position overall today with race finishes of 3-7. The duo�s lag behind the leaders from Great Britain, who finished 2-3 today, stretched a bit over yesterday but still is only by 6 points. With 27 teams in the fleet and three races left in an 11-race series, the mathematical chance of leapfrogging the leaders is excellent.

"Our starts weren�t the best today, but amazingly, we were able to come back and have good finishes," said Foerster. "We were just being cautious. Our speed�s good, we just need to work on starts a little bit." On losing points on Great Britain, Foerster added: "They just sailed a great day. Hats off to them!"

49er sailors Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.) turned in solid performances of eighth and fifth in the first two of three races today. Their third race was scored OCS when they jumped the starting line prematurely. The mistake added 20 points to their score, which they hope to discard once a throwout race is allowed. "We�re using our throwouts wisely," Wadlow laughed. "We�re gonna get our money�s worth.�

"Seriously, we just pushed too hard, and the committee got three in our group at the start for the same thing. It�s part of the game, and it backed us up just a hair."

Added Pete Spaulding, "In our fleet, it�s about averaging a low score, not about winning races. The team averaging in the top five or six will take away gold, and I think we�re sailing well enough to bring home a medal. Before the 20 entered Wadlow�s and Spaulding�s scoreline today, it was 7-8-5. They stand in 13th overall.

Sailing a flawless first race today to win it was the Yngling team of Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.). "It was easier in light air today where we have a speed advantage upwind on the fleet and we�re about even downwind," said Cronin. "It reminded me of the first day of the regatta when we got a second. If you�re not bunched at the start you can find a lane and separate from the fleet. That�s what we did. We knew the left would pay so we motored to the left corner. There was a threat by the Ukraine, who crossed us on the first run, but then we protected ourselves and got on the inside around the gate.

"The second race we finished 15th, and that was a good example of how a couple of small errors can compound. The thing about our fleet is that it�s just as tough whether you�re fighting for first or last. It�s frustrating but really cool at the same time." Cronin�s team currently sits in 12th overall with three races to go.

Europe sailor Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.) moved up two positions today to eighth overall after finishing third and 14th in today�s races. She counts the 14th as her worst score and discards it as allowed by the scoring system. "The first race was good," said Gaillard. "I saw a breeze up the middle of the course, and got the shift. It was easy like it should be. The second race was a bummer. It was much windier and I wasn�t set up right. There are a lot of double-digit scores in everyone�s results, though, and it will be a high scoring event."

Laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) fell one position to fifth overall on the strength of 6-10 finish positions today. He is only nine points away from the bronze slot, occupied by Slovenia.

470 Women�s representatives Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) slipped from 7th to 11th today after turning in a 17th and 18th today. The 18th counts as the team�s throwout.

The Mistral Men�s class resailed race one of their series today and completed race three. Peter Wells (La Canada/Newport Beach, Calif.) finished 22nd and 23rd, respectively, and sits in 25th overall. In the women�s division Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) posted an 18th in her single race today and currently is in 16th overall.

Finn sailor Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.) turned in a 13-9 today to fall one spot to 15th overall.

Moloney begins Vendee Prep

IN BRIEF:

* WITH LESS THAN 12 WEEKS BEFORE THE START OF THE SOLO NON-STOP ROUND THE WORLD VENDEE GLOBE RACE, NICK MOLONEY'S SKANDIA OPEN 60 BEGINS PREPARATIONS IN EARNEST FOLLOWING A FULL WEEK OF ACTIVITY AT SKANDIA COWES WEEK...

* RIG COMING OUT TODAY FOR MAINTENANCE WORK BEFORE BOAT TESTING PROGRAMME BEGINS AT END OF THE MONTH...

* AS SKANDIA'S SHORE TEAM WORKS ON THE 60-FOOTER, NICK PREPARES HIMSELF FOR THE HUGE CHALLENGE AHEAD...

* 22 ENTRIES NOW CONFIRMED FOR 2004 VENDEE GLOBE...DISAPPOINTMENT AS BERNARD STAMM IS FORCED TO PULL OUT...

For further information, please visit http://www.nickmoloney.com

IN DETAIL :

Skandia Cowes Week 2004 drew to a close last weekend and so did an intensive week of hospitality and media activity on board Nick Moloney's Skandia Open 60. Throughout the week, Nick and his shore team took 100 guests sailing on board the high-tech racing boat, from the media, sponsor guests, competitions winners and Sail4Cancer [the official charity for Skandia Cowes Week and for which Nick is an ambassador]. On the final day, Nick welcomed on board his sailing mentor, Australian John Bertrand [legendary America's Cup skipper], and another headline-grabbing Aussie, Grant Wharrington, skipper of Skandia Wild Thing, line honours winner of the 2003 Sydney to Hobart race.

"It was a great week for us and everybody on board Skandia," commented Moloney. "The conditions were varied throughout the week which provided some pretty exciting sailing especially at the end so we were kept entertained out on the water as we sailed our way around the different fleets."

SKANDIA BOAT PREPARATIONS:

"We are taking the mast out of the boat today and carrying out some general maintenance and working with our technical partner B&G when the rig goes back in next week. Then I will be trying to grab small periods of sailing.

"I am hoping to be able to do something in the region of 2500 miles, in broken patterns, before the start of the Vend�e. I would like to do one 1000 mile passages and will try and sail the first leg of the course from Les Sables D'Olonne to Cape Finistere as one of these test passages. The first 48 hours of the Vend�e is important to getting accostomed the the course and life at sea. The whole Biscay area is very busy from a shipping and fishing perspective and I have battled around Cap Finistare many times both crewed and short handed.

"The geographical conditions to Cape Finistere in terms of sea depth and land, when combined with the current, make this whole area very tough and it is crucial to be able to 'tick off' this part of the race.

"I have new sails arriving during September and we want to make a few minor modifications to the boat following the Transat in May this year. In effect, I sailed that event with the full Vend�e Globe trim and now have loads of information that we are analysing to see how best to maximise given conditions.

"Skandia needs to be in the Vend�e start port of Les Sables D'Olonne by 16th October. We have everything we need at the Offshore Challenges base here at Cowes Waterfront - Venture Quays in East Cowes, so we will make the call as to when to leave as late as possible. We will prepare everything for the end of August - spares, clothes, etc, and bag these up in the container to be sent straight to Les Sables."

NICK PREPARATIONS:

"I will be looking closely at the nutrition programmes for the Vend�e Globe and organising the clothing I need on board to survive the three months! In addition, I have a programme of meditation and yoga planned. Over the last few weeks I have been working with an expert on meditation in terms of mental preparation for the Vend�e. It is a fascinating discipline and this along with the sport performance analysis that I am doing with QinetiQ, will stand me in good stead for the race itself.

"One of the biggest issues I had when I first started in this discipline was sleep deprivation. During the Transat I was really pushing myself and this race will be different in that respect. I will get settled into a regular pattern on the first night and then try to stick to this all the way round. For busy areas like Biscay, my strategy is to mentally make it as small as possible and 'zone off', I can then plan cat-naps of 15-20 mins. When you are in mid-ocean you can sleep for up to an hour at a time, which is luxury. The biggest problem is then being able to perform at 110% from the minute you open your eyes - I am currently working on methods to deal with this."

VENDEE GLOBE - 22 ENTRIES CONFIRMED BUT STAMM FORCED TO PULL OUT:

"The news of Bernard's withdrawal is very disappointing and a little alarming [Stamm was forced to pull out following catastrophic damage to his Open 60 that is unable to be repaired in time for the start]. This guy is a real character and all round nice guy. He is a genuine 'wild man' who has an incredible speed threshold which I guess comes from racing motorbikes.

"It has always been the general concensus brfore the start of any race that Stamm from Switzerland would lead at some point in the early stages due to twisting the throttle harder than anyone else. In the past, this had led to many dramatic retirements, from broken steering to broken ribs but when it all managed to hang together the results were spectacular! His trans-Atlantic record in 2001 was simply blistering and the images of that storm-laden finish has set the mark for how hard these Open 60's can be pushed.

Stamm altered his focus and approach for the Around Alone race 2002-3 and absolutely dominated, scoring a very rewarding overall win and a world championship crown.

The man is a 'Battler'... Bernard Stamm dragged himself to the top of the sailing tree in a home-made boat, bonded together by a strong spirit. His presence and style will be missed in this event."

Olympic Notes

Coverage of Olympic sailing on TV may or may not be satisfactory. No worries, though you can follow it nearly in real time via the Internet. You can get not only race by race placings, but mark by mark placings with the time between each boat. There is even a wind strength and direction provided for each mark. All this at www.sailing.org.

Here then are notes from the racing on Wednesday. In general the first race for most classes was sailed in light 5-7 knot conditions. The second races saw breezes in the low double digits, more consistent in direction.

In the Europe race 5 USA's Meg Gallaird was 3rd and moved up to 5th overall.

Gallaird fell back to 14th in the day's 2nd race, 6th for the series. Notably pre regatta favorite Siren Sundby of Norway has been knocked from 1st by Australia's Sarah Blanck.

The Laser class also saw a strong US performance. Mark Mendenblatt was 6th which moved him up to 3rd. The days 2nd race was not quite as good as Mark was 10th and fell back to 5th sailing in winds that were in the low double digits.

The Finns resumed racing with Australia nipping leader Ben Ainslie of Great Britain by 2 seconds. Perhaps more importantly 2nd place Spain was scored OCS.

Finn race 8 saw Pole Matuesz Kusznierewicz take 1st. Ben Ainslie took 3rd place just ahead of the Spanish boat. Ainslie now leads the Spaniard Rafael Trujillo by 8 points.

Ainslie's comeback from a 1st day results of 9th/DSQ continue to make him- the man- full stop of the sailing games.

In men's 470 Great Britain finished 2nd, 15 seconds ahead of the USA. This put the Brits 2 points ahead overall. In the 2nd race Great Britain's margin was greater in time and in places and they now lead the veteran US team by 6 points.

The women's 470 saw leader Greece 14th in the 1st race and the USA 18th. The Greek team came right back winning the days 2nd race and now has 21 points exactly 1/2 of 2nd place! Unfortunately for the US they racked up a 2nd 18th.

The 49er skiffs sailed 3 races. The USA's Wadlow and Spaulding has good finishes in the first 2 races, but ended the day with an OCS.

The USA's Yngling team made up ground by winning race 7.

Race 8 saw them on the elevator shaft and they ended up in 15th out of the 16 boat fleet. They are now in 12th place after 8 races.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Olympics Europe. Laser. Men's Mistral. Women's Mistral. Men's 470. Women's 470. Yngling. Finn 49er.

News Irish finnster. Indian 49ers. Brit fortunes. 49ers in the lite stuff. Kiwi news. Brit 470 team keeps lead. Ainslie appeal done.. Brit daily outlook. Very weird day. Words on wx

Great Lakes Ore shipments increase. Barge usage

US Olympic Report: Good day for 470 Teams

After gear-breaking Meltemi winds forced postponement of racing on three of four Olympic courses yesterday, organizers worked hard today to catch up with the competition schedule. Again, the breeze did not cooperate, but this time the problem was too little wind speed rather than too much.

The 49er class sailed its rescheduled first race from yesterday but had to forego its rescheduled second race when the wind petered out completely. Europe, 470 and Lasers each sailed two rescheduled races from yesterday, giving the classes a total of four, six and four races, respectively, in their series. Mistrals had the most frustrating day. The women�s division completed one of two scheduled races while the men�s division got in nothing at all. An ambitious plan for the men to sail two scheduled races and re-sail the opening series race from Sunday was scrapped, but not after an attempted race had to be abandoned at its mid-point.

�Even though we�re supposed to have four races and we only have one, I�m not really concerned,� said USA�s Mistral representative Peter Wells (La Canada/Newport Beach, Calif.). �We have six racing days and five reserve days built in so there is plenty of time. I was doing much better in the abandoned race than I had done on my first day, but the race committee made the right decision. I was in about 10th or 11th, but the wind had dropped down to two knots.� Wells explained that the Mistral men�s first race of the series got thrown out because of an upheld protest charging that none of the sailors completed the correct course. With a single-race score of 20, he sits in 20th overall and has 10 races left in the series.

Wells� counterpart in the Mistral women�s division, Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) posted a ninth today to move into 14th place. �It was a strange day when the offshore Meltemi switched to the onshore breeze,� said Beashel. �There were big right and left shifts, but it was under five knots.�

49er sailors Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.) made their one race count, posting an eighth and feeling good about it. �The leader ended up 12th. It�s the battle zone between the Meltemi and the seabreeze that gets ugly. The wind filled from behind and people would carry the wind past you, then you�d get a puff and leapfrog over them. It was good to finally get our series started, though, even if it was a sketchy race.�

470 women�s representatives Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) moved up from 12th to seventh today on the strength of 9-2 finishes. �You had to use your head as much as your body today,� said McDowell, �and keep cool, stay focused and look for the next shift.�

For 470 men�s sailors Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.), today was a day to maintain their second-place overall, a silver-medal position. They did it with a tenth and a fourth and stand only two points behind the leaders from Great Britain.

Laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) had another good day, moving into fourth from sixth overall yesterday. �I don�t really feel I should have moved up based on my first race today (a 20th),� said Mendelblatt. �I wasn�t satisfied with the decisions I made in it. But I�m happy with the second (a sixth). There�s a group who had two good races today. It will be those who can avoid having a couple of bad races that have a shot at the medal in the end.�

Europe sailor Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.) posted a 14-9 today to maintain her standing of tenth overall.

Olympics Day 4

The USA's men's 470 team of Foerester and Burnham are now 2nd after 6 races. They trail the British team by just 2 points. In the final race on Tuesday the US finished 4th with the Brits just 9 seconds back.

Also sailing well is the women's 470 team of Mcdowell and Kinsolving. After a 2nd in race 6th they are in 7th place, only 8 points out of 3rd.

The homestanding Greek team was 46 seconds ahead of them as they won both races for the day and lead the overall results.

The Lasers have now completed 4 races. As per usual Robert Scheidt of Brazil-the 7 time world champion- is in the lead. He was 1st and 3rd today and leads by 17 points.

Mark Mendenblatt of the USA did not have a stellar day with finishes of 20th and 6th. However, it's a tough fleet and after 4 races he is 4th. His position is far from certain with 8 sailors within 10 points.

As expected Norweigan Siren Sundby is leading the Europe class. She won one race on Tuesday and leads by 13 points.

American Meg Gaillard is in 10th place.

The 49ers did get their 1st race in today. The race was scrambled by a dying breeze near the finish.

The Mistral women's fleet completed a single race in light air. USA's Lanee Butler was 9th.

Boat Smart: Affects of Fishing Frenzy

I wrote the following newspaper piece 18 years ago and apparently little has changed regarding recreational fishermen and their misguided interpretation of the Navigation Rules. So once again, let me set the record straight regarding recreational fishing and the Navigation Rules, but first the story.

Manistee River Channel, August 31, 1987. Late Sunday morning the Manistee channel resembled the L.A. freeway system: congestion, confusion, festering tempers, disregard for the safety of others, everything but gunplay prevailed. Those were my thoughts as I looked out Station Manistee�s radio watch room at the river channel.

I ordered the crew to saddle up and within minutes we were underway to establish traffic control in the channel buzzing with fish-crazed anglers pursuing a lee within Manistee�s river channel from gusty winds and high seas. The running of the Coho had drawn hundreds of fishermen to the harbor mouth.

A solo fisherman, determined to land his catch, nearly ran his 16-foot boat into several boats. He hooked a fish near the South Pier Head Light, then began zigzagging across the 300-foot wide Manistee channel while steering the boat with one hand and battling the fish with the other. Approaching the seawall, he turned away from the helm and faced the stern to reel in the fish. I watched in disbelief as the boat bounced off the wall. Ignoring the collision, he continued to battle the fish. A 25-knot wind pinned the boat against the pier wall; two gentlemen fishing off the pier leaped onto the boat to assist as he fought the coho.

This account may sound humorous, but not to the many boaters forced to change course to avoid a collision with our possessed angler. A situation made even more hazardous by gusty southwesterly winds that threatened to set boaters onto the wall while attempting to avoid Captain Zigzag, who in the end lost the fish.

Unfortunately I couldn�t cite the boater for hazardous operation due to more pressing matters. I flipped on the blue law enforcement light and steamed down the center of the channel, acting as a center highway line in order to keep outbound boats on the right side of the channel and those inbound on the left, and fishermen from zigzagging to and fro. This certainly wasn�t the first time nor would be the last I had to perform traffic cop duties to enforce proper vessel traffic flow in a channel in accordance with Inland Navigation Rules.

Apparently, over time little has changed. While visiting the crew at Station Frankfort in 2003, several crewmen told me they often tune in VHF-FM Channel 10, a common working frequency used by the local fishermen, for an up date on what they call �Lake Michigan combat fishing�. �During the running of the salmon you should hear these guys go at each other threatening to cut lines, ram boats, and inflict bodily harm,� said Coast Guardsman Kevin Cook.

So crazed can fishermen become that they even ignore those in distress. On Saturday, August 14, 2004 a 17-foot Ranger boat struck Manistee�s South Breakwater while out bound into the lake. Coast Guardsman, Clark Bates, while conducting boat checks around 5 a.m. heard an engine roar. �It sounded like a jet ski accelerating, and then I heard a bang followed by someone hollering for help,� said Bates. A stream of outbound fishermen ignored the boater�s cries for help. A fisherman did, however, call 911, but by then Bates and his crew were underway to assist.

�The boat had struck the breakwater rocks with its bow pointing upward, which spared the couple aboard serious injury,� said Coast Guardsman, Jeremy Morris. The impact fractured the boat�s fiberglass hull.

Fishing frenzy often leads to a self-serving interpretation of the Navigation Rules. One rule swirling about fish stations, boat ramps, and campgrounds�fishermen enjoy the right-of-way over other vessels while engaged in recreational fishing. Nonsense.

The rules apply to fishing boats that due to the nature of their WORK are restricted in their ability to maneuver. A vessel engaged in trawling, which according to Navigation Rule 26 means: �the dragging through the water of a dredge net or other apparatus�, has the right-of-way over power and sail boats. These fishing boats with extended nets trailing far off the stern, or off the beam, or trailing cable with ice-hook like barbs (line fishing), are working fishing boats according to the rules.

The nature of their work clearly restricts their ability to maneuver and power and sailboats must give way. These boats also display distinct day shapes: a black cone pointing upward if fishing nets extend more than 150 meters horizontally from the vessel, and two vertical cones with their apexes together or basket that can readily be seen by other boaters. At night, they display a vertical green over white light on the mast to announce they are engaged in fishing and if trawling a red over white light. According to the rules, trawling means: �the dragging through the water a dredge net or other apparatus�.

A recreational sports fisherman, and that includes licensed recreational charter boats, do NOT have the right-of-way over power or sailboats while engaged in fishing. Most of the fishing lines that sport fishermen troll with could be cut with a finger nail clipper. Remember, sport fishermen troll, working fishermen trawl, many recreational fishermen, however, seemingly confuse the words or interpret them as alike.

Navigation Rules addressing fishing apply to harbors and channels as well. In fact, in narrow channels according to the rules, even working fishing boats �shall not impede the passage of any other vessel navigating within a narrow channel or fairway.�

While many fishermen attempt to lord over Lake Michigan�s many river channels, harbor mouths and bays, they do so while in violation of the rules that are in place to maintain order and safety upon the waters. So what�s more important fishing or safety? Those who BOAT SMART needn�t answer.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Olympics Europe. Laser. Men's Mistral. Women's Mistral. Men's 470. Women's 470. Yngling. Finn.

News Finn & Yngling quotes. Schedule. Cayard preps. NZL report. Brit Ynglings. SA lone sailor. Coutts to try Stars. US Weatherman. Ainslie afire.

Great Lakes Ferry to seek loan. Water trails. Boating $ study. Rescue. Michigan best for boating

US Olympic Sailing Report Day 3

ATHENS, GREECE (August 16, 2004) -- The Meltemi winds raged for a second day at the Olympic Regatta, causing postponement of racing in all but the Finn and Yngling classes. Originally scheduled for competition were these two classes plus Europe, 470 (men and women), 49er and Laser, while the Mistrals (men and women) had packed their gear away to enjoy a "reserve" day. Breezes of 20 knots and higher, punctuated by gusts of 45 knots, cemented the Race Committee�s decision.

"This was the kind of day that if you had made it around the race course you would�ve been lucky," said 49er skipper Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.), for whom this was to be the first day of sailing in a six-day, 16-race series. "I think the organizers made the right decision, especially since we have a class rule that says the racing must be abandoned if there are any gusts past 30 knots." The 49er, likened to a rocket ship on water, is a high-performance double-handed dinghy that typically provides sailing fans with a spectacle of breathtaking action on the racecourse. Wadlow sails with crew Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.).

On the Finn course, the wind was not as fierce, but still topped out at 28 knots. With flatter water than yesterday, there were neither the mishaps nor the capsizing that took place then. For the most part, the big men in this singlehanded dinghy made it look easy.

Finn sailor Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.) posted a 16-14, slipping one position to 14th place overall. "It was a blast to sail," said Hall, "but it showed up that I have a weakness in these conditions. It was bittersweet in that respect."

Yngling sailors Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.) got caught up in a foul situation at the start line in race one today.

�It was a traffic management issue," said Cronin. "We got pinned between two boats and none of us were making the pin. We had a couple of choices, none of which were good, and we fouled a boat and did a 720 penalty turn."

Cronin�s team finished 15th and followed it with a 10th in the second race. They are in 11th overall and looking forward to lighter air and flatter water over the coming days.

"It�s the short chop and big breeze, if I had to pick one thing we�re struggling with," said Cronin. "We�ve had some wild wipeout recoveries in the last two days. The good news is we�re making progress downwind with our technique in big breeze. Lots of boats wiped out in front of us."

Today was Haberland�s birthday. "Her present was that we didn�t wipe out on the last run!" said Cronin.

Over the course of the 15-day Olympic Regatta, all events will sail two fleet races on each day of the scheduled competition except the 49ers, which will sail three.

Olympics Day 3

3 of the 4 course areas had no racing on Monday due to high winds. The Finn and Yngling's did each get 2 races in.

In the Finn's Ben Ainslie continued to comeback from a 1st race DSQ with a 4th and a 1st. The 1st in race 6 put him into 1st for the regatta. Spain is 2nd and Poland 3rd.

Ainslie as much a sure thing favorite as anyone in these games had a horrible 1st day with a 9th and then a DSQ on a port/starboard incident. Ainslie has been inspired winning 3 of the 4 races since then. Perhaps the French sailor who protested him is having some regrets?

The USA's Kevin Hall was 16th and 14th on the day and currently stands 14th for the regatta.

It was a rough day for the USA's Yngling team as they posted a 15th (out of 16) and a 10th. They are now 11th overall, with slim medal hopes.

Monday Yngling race winners were Germany and Norway.

Great Britain with 2000 Europe gold medallist Shirley Robertson at the helm have sailed consistently and lead Denmark by 9 points after 6 races.

So, at least in the classes that sailed on Monday Great Britain's medal machine sails on with two gold medallists from 2000 on reciprocal course to the medal stand.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Europe. Laser. Men's Mistral. Women's Mistral. Men's 470. Women's 470. Yngling. Finn.

News US Team Reports Day 1 Day 2. Opening ceromonies. Greek board sailor featured. Ainslie DSQ'd. Ainslie's day 2. New Zealand Report. The venue. Carnage.

Great Lakes Security up tick. Teflon in the water

2004 Laser District 19 Championship

2004 Laser District 19 Championship
Series Standing - 7 races scored
Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results saved: Sunday, August 15, 2004 11:10:54 PM EDT

Division: Laser (30 boats) (top)
Pos Sail Skipper 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total
Points Pos
1 177190 Chad Coberly 6 3 1 6 3 3 3 25.00 1
2 179473 Sean Fiddler 1 1 11/ZFP 4 6 5 1 29.00 2
3 137086 Craig Pearson 9 2 6 8 2 2 2 31.00 3
4 179211 Doug Carlson 4 5 2 10 4 6 10 41.00 4
5 158743 Jim Meyer 8 4 4 1 7 12 7 43.00 5
6 16 Mike Moody 3 13 3 8/ZFP 5 4 12 48.00 6
7 179973 Curt Miller 2 9 10 7 11 9 16 64.00 7
8 171661 Jamie Stuursma 14 10 8 11 12 11 5 71.00 8
9 145230 Scott Jones 5 11 7 16 17 10 19 85.00 9
10 175885 Than Dykstra 11 14 14 18 19 1 13 90.00 10
11 133777 Ted Lockwood 16 19 16 14 16 7 6 94.00 11
12 175940 Michael Schraber 31/DNF 12 11 5 1 16 31/DNF 107.00 12
13 131382 John Briggs 17 16 15 12 18 20 9 107.00 13
14 178836 Pat Flood 12 6 27 25 21 14 4 109.00 14
15 161027 Casey Ray 13 21 18 13 10 17 20 112.00 15
16 180075 Rob Lovell 22 8 24 17 8 18 18 115.00 16
17 161913 Patrick Ray 19 18 26 26 9 8 14 120.00 17
18 174308 Charlie Young 15 26 22 19 15 15 8 120.00 18
19 100689 Eric Milliman 18 7 9 3 28 31/DNS 31/DNS 127.00 19
20 138771 Steven Varnum 20 23 28 9 13 13 21 127.00 20
21 170671 Jason Massaroni 7 15 19 15 20 26 26 128.00 21
22 134840 Dan Tosch 23 24 12 21 14 23 25 142.00 22
23 24040 Bill Babel 10 22 13 23 22 31/DNS 31/DNS 152.00 23
24 172904 Patrick Gerber 29 30 20 24 24 19 11 157.00 24
25 162025 Don Zeilstra 21 17 17 20 25 31/DNS 31/DNS 162.00 25
26 144117 Andy Ray 26 25 21 27 27 21 17 164.00 26
27 50061 Ned Lockwood 27 27 23 30 26 22 15 170.00 27
28 61018 Allen Northcutt 24 20 25 28 23 27 24 171.00 28
29 158173 George Peet 25 28 29 22 29 24 23 180.00 29
30 25859 Michael Barboza 28 29 30 29 30 25 22 193.00 30

Notes
- Scoring System is ISAF Low Point 2001-2004
- Finishes in [brackets] denote throwouts

Information is provisional and subject to modification

Principal Race Officer: Eric Lind
Jury Chair: Eric LInd
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Version 4.0.2: Regatta scoring by JavaScore, an Open Source project available at http://www.gromurph.org/javascore

US Olympians Day 2

A fresh "Meltemi" breeze cooled things off today at the Agios Kosmas Sailing Center where the Olympic Regatta is being held, but the action heated up for the 400 sailors competing there. The 18-20 knot winds, with gusts to 25, gave the Finn, 470 (men and women) and Yngling classes a solid second day of competition and the Europe, Laser and Mistral (men and women) classes an action-packed start to their series.

Improving their position from third yesterday to second today was the 470 Men�s team of Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.). Their boat speed blazed in race one when they crossed the fleet shortly after the start and sailed to a second-place finish to move into the fleet lead. The duo encountered difficulties in race two, however, fouling the Germans twice and having to do 720-degree circles as penalties for their infringements.

"We tried to pass them and didn�t make it, so we had to do our spins," said Foerster about the first incident, one minute after the start. "We caught up with them again after passing three or four boats, but then we set our spinnaker, and we just didn�t see them and hit them again.

"These were tough conditions. The leading medal team capsized and so did several others. We were just happy to finish. If it had been flat it would have been no problem, but there were swells that made the wind shift. It was totally different than what anyone has seen here."

The 470 Women� team of Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.), also started out strong today, finishing third in the first race and then taking 12th in race two to move to 12th overall. "With a Meltemi, the race is never over," said McDowell. "Our third is a keeper." The team was in sixth for much of the race and then passed three boats on the last downwind leg. "We were in a great spot; being behind, you can attack." In the second race, the team� downfall was going right when a "big lefty" came in. "We weren�t set up properly. It was really shifty, but not a rythmic shift. We blew out the spinnaker and did the last run wing-and-wing. We didn� lose any boats, though, and up to eight boats capsized."

Like his 470 teammates, Laser sailor Mark Mendleblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) made a grand opening statement with a second-place finish in his opening race, then followed it with a 14th. He is in good position with a sixth overall and nine races to go. "I feel pretty good," said Mendelblatt, who is sailing in the largest fleet at the regatta with 42 entrants. "I just try to sail fast."

Finn sailor Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.) didn�t mind today�s conditions, only his positions in two races that counted after two were abandoned. "The racing was very exciting but I would have rather kept the first half of the day than the second half," said Hall, who was in third and first when the race committee called things off. "Then I had two not-so-great races." Hall stands in 13th overall.

Yngling sailors Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.) had a rough day, taking a 16th in the first race after starting off more favorably. "We can�t really attribute it to any one thing," said Cronin. "We just didn�t have very good downwind speed today. We basically just tried to sail too deep and wiped out." A tenth in today�s second race dropped the team from fifth overall yesterday to tenth today.

Europe sailor Meg Gaillard posted a 9-11 today to finish the first day of her series in tenth overall. "Sometimes I felt super smart and other times I felt like I had cotton in my head," said Gaillard, who added that she is calm about tomorrow�s racing, which is expected to be conducted in more high winds. "A lot of people will have ups and downs; there�s no point in stressing about it now. It�s only the first two races and it�s a long series."

Mistral sailors Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) and Peter Wells (La Canada/Newport Beach, Calif.) are in 16th and 23rd overall, respectively. Beashel posted finish positions of 13-16 while Wells turned in a 25-21.

Over the course of the 15-day Olympic Regatta, all events will sail two fleet races on each day of the scheduled competition except the 49ers, which will sail three. To complete the series, all events will sail 11 races except the 49er class, which will sail 16 races.

What�s Next: Racing continues tomorrow, Monday, August 16, for Europe, Finn, 470, Laser and Yngling classes, while the 49ers begin their series and the Mistral sailors take a day off. On Tuesday, August 17, Europes and Lasers continue sailing, Mistral sailors resume their series and Finn, 470, 49er and Yngling take reserve days.

Current Standings of U.S. Sailors: (for full results http://www.sailing.org/olympics2004/)

Europe:
10. Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.), 9-11; 20

Finn:
13. Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.), 11-6-13-17; 47

470 Men:
2. Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.), 1-8-2-15; 26

470 Women:
12. Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.), 12-16-3-12; 43

49er:
(has not raced) Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.)

Laser:
6. Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 2-14; 16

Mistral Men:
23. Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.), 25-21; 46

Mistral Women:
16. Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), 13-16; 29

Star:
(has not raced) Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.)

Tornado:
(has not raced) John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.)

Yngling:
10. Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.), 2-10-16-10; 38

US Olympians Day 1

-- After a long night last night for the athletes attending Opening Ceremonies at the Olympic Games, the Olympic Regatta kicked off with racing in three of the nine classes competing here: Finn, 470 (men and women) and Yngling. Today�s best performance -- third overall -- for the U.S. squad was the 470 Men�s team of Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.). Both are Olympic silver medallists whose maturity in age -- Burnham, 47, is the oldest on the 18-member team and Foerster is 40 -- parallels their seasoned boathandling skills and sage-like decision making.

Foerster and Burnham handily won the first race, leading at all marks after a clean start. Great Britain, which finished second, was the U.S. team�s main concern, as the wind increased enough from an original 6-8 knots to favor the setup of the other boat. "With that team increasing their speed and the wind the way it was, we just had to send them to the right to keep our advantage," said Burnham. "We did that and we�re satisfied that we won. In the second race our speed was good but we had a bad start, got rolled right away and we ping-ponged back and forth. Then the cover of the spinnaker halyard separated from its core and we couldn�t cleat it. Considering all that happened, we�re pleased how we ended up. There are nine more races to go, so there will be a lot more action." Great Britain finished second in the first race and third to the U.S.A.�s eighth in the second race to move to the top of the scoreboard.

In Ynglings, the team of Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.) also started out strong with a second-place position in race one that was established from the first mark rounding and maintained throughout the race. Ahead of the U.S.A. was Denmark while behind was France. Those, too, were positions maintained from the start and held to the finish line.

"In the first race, it was flatter, so it was easier to keep the boat going," said Cronin. "We had a good combination of speed and tactics, and there were not a lot of big surprises. We were launched to third right away, and it was a three-boat race. Last night, we got less sleep than we�re used to, but we wouldn�t have missed the Opening Ceremonies for the world, and believe it or not we started out fresh today in spite of that." The team finished tenth in the second race and currently sits in fifth overall.

"In both races we had good starts," said Cronin, "but we didn�t feel like we were pressing the line. I was surprised how shy people were today. Maybe it was first day jitters. We only get one drop and to be over early can be expensive." Cronin added that a Meltemi breeze is expected over the next few days. "It�s a major regatta so you have to have some major weather!"

The 470 Women�s team of Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) stand 13th overall today after finishes of 12 and 16.

"We did not have good speed," said McDowell. "We were forced the wrong way, which meant we were getting away from our game plan to stay with a left phase." Greece leads with finishes of 1-2 today.

Finn sailor Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.) finished 11th in his first race and 6th in his second for a seventh overall. "I feel lucky to be here, I just wish I�d had slightly more luck out on the water," said Hall. �I�m looking forward to the rest of the regatta." Poland posted a 3-1 for first position.

Also held today were practice races for the Europe, 49er and Laser classes. All events will sail two fleet races on each day of the scheduled competition except the 49ers, which are scheduled to sail three races each day. To complete the series, all events will sail 11 races except the 49ers who will sail 16 races.

What�s Next � Racing continues tomorrow for the Finn, 470 and Yngling classes, while sailors in the Europe, Laser and Mistral classes begin their series. On Monday, August 16, racing continues for Europe, Finn, 470, Laser and Yngling classes, while the 49ers begin their series and the Mistral sailors take a day off.

Current Standings of U.S. Sailors:
(for full results http://www.sailing.org/olympics2004/)

Europe:
(has not raced) Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.)

Finn:
7 (t). Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.), 11-6; 17

470 Men:
3. Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.), 1-8; 9

470 Women:
13. Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.), 12-16; 28

49er:
(has not raced) Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.)

Laser:
(has not raced) Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

Mistral Men:
(has not raced) Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.)

Mistral Women:
(has not raced) Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)

Star:
(has not raced) Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.)

Tornado:
(has not raced) John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.)

Yngling:
5. Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.), 2-10; 12

Local Notice to Mariners

Notes for West Michigan Sailors

LAKE MICHIGAN � Muskegon Lake � Conservation Club Channel � Shoaling � Chart 14934

Significant shoaling has been reported in the middle of the marked Conservation Club Channel. All mariners are advised to use caution when transiting the area. [30/04]

LAKE MICHIGAN � Grand River � Possible Shoaling � Chart 14933

The Coast Guard has received a report of possible shoaling on the Grand River in the vicinity of Buoy 3A (LLNR 19000), and Temporary Buoy 3B. A survey taken by the army corps of engineers on June 1st indicates depths as shallow as 14.5 ft. All mariners are urged to use caution while transiting the area. [31/04]

Olympic Preview Part III

The final three classes we'll preview are the high performance 49er, the Tornado catamaran and the nearly 100 year old Star.

The 49er is a fast, tippy skiff sailed by 2 men both on trapezes. It made it's Olympic debut in 2000.

The US team of Tim Wadlow and Pete Spaulding have had a steady build up to the Olympics with a pair of Top 10's in the worlds. Their current status as the 2nd ranked team shows that potential for a medal certainly exists.

Fin Thomas Johansson who was the 2000 Gold Medallist returns with a new crew. Recent results have not been on this level, however.

Great Britain's team of Draper and Hiscock's have been 1st and 2nd at the previous world championships. Hiscock won a silver medal in this class in 2000.

The current 49er world champions are Iker Martinez and Xavier Fernandez of France. Notably the 2004 worlds were sailed in Athens.

The Tornado is the only catamaran sailed in the Olympics. The 2 person crews now fly a spinnaker off the wind.

The US Tornado team of John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree are contesting their 3rd Olympics together. Ogletree has helped them developed an edge in sail technology. Their 2nd at the 2004 worlds points out their strong medal chances.

Winners of the 2004 worlds were the Argentinean team of Santiago Lange and Carlos Espinola. Both are previous Olympians having sailed Mistral board and Lasers.

Australia's Bundock and Forbes were 2000 Silver medallists. They are consistently at the top at international regattas.

The 2000 gold medalists from Austria return. The team of Hagara and Steinacher has remained top 10 sailors.

The Star was designed in 1911 and 1st appeared in Olympic competition in 1932. This years Star entry has 6 Olympic medallists and 8 teams that have been world champions.

The US team of Paul Cayard and Phil Trinter has many strengths including preparation and experience. Winning a medal would tick of one Cayard's bigger goals, to go with his round the world wind and America's Cup success. A medal from this team would be no surprise.

Freddy Loof from Sweden is one of several ex Finn sailors who have had tremendous success in the Star class. With Crew Anders Ekstrom Loof is the current world champion.

Skipper of the British team is Iain Percy also an ex Finnster. With crew Steve Mitchell Percy was the 2002 World Champion. Especially in heavy air they are tops.

Peter Bromby and Lee White are the Bermudian Entry. This is Bromby's 4th Olympics.

Other veteran skippers include Brazil's Torben Grael, Australia's Colin Beashel and German Alexander Hagen.

While none of the American teams in these classes can be named favorites, they all are medal contenders. I'd expect at least one medal from this group and medals in all 3 classes would not surprise.

Tornado Sailor named Team Captain

Quiet confidence. That is what the U.S.A.'s 2004 Olympic Sailing Team is exuding just a day before Opening Ceremonies. Most of the 18'person squad have been in Athens for weeks and feel comfortable with their surroundings, despite the intensifying Olympic electricity' a combination of public spirit, media hoopla and desire to let the friendly but fierce international Games begin. Though tomorrow's Opening Ceremonies, to be held at the Olympic stadium, will mark the real beginning for the Games, today's practice races in the Mistral (men ' women), 470 (men ' women), Finn and Yngling classes helped drive the message home that it is the competition that will matter most.

Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) won their 470 Women's race after disregarding the superstition of practice race leaders bailing out for good luck before crossing the finish line. Their lead over the fleet was substantial. After racing, McDowell reflected on what will be her first Olympic experience. Four years ago, this (Agios Kosmas Sailing Center) was a parking lot and now it's an amazing venue. It's really no different than another regatta, though. The area where we sail is one mile by one mile. It's all sailboat racing in the end. McDowell considers their team's toughest competition to be the Russians, French and Danish, and feels that equipment preparedness will count as will each decision on the racecourse. We'll have to know when to take risks and when to play conservatively.

470 Men's crew Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.) also had a fine day on the racecourse. All's good. The boat's totally ready, and we had good speed in the practice race, said Burnham. Rounding second to last at the weather mark, Burnham and skipper Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) began picking off boats, passing 20 or so to climb into fifth. The class is just so deep in talent. Literally, there are 10'15 teams that can win gold. I will stake my life on it that the regatta will come down to the last race.

Burnham believes the winds on the Saronic Gulfsometimes a northerly offshore Meltemi flow and sometimes an onshore seabreezewill play a huge role in deciding medals. There is no rhyme or reason when the wind shifts it's a unique place to sail. When it's the Meltemi, say your prayers, because there's rarely a leader around the first mark that wins. The breeze sometimes is so close to you, but you can't get to it. And you can keep your eyes peeled, but the wind drops in on you. The seabreeze, even, is capable of 30 degree shifts.

About tomorrow's Opening Ceremonies, Burnhama three'time Olympian and two'time medallist says he wouldn't miss them for the world marching in them is a highlight of the Games and an athletic career. In Savannah I watched them on TV and felt I was missing something. In Barcelona, marching in them almost overshadowed my winning a medal. I will remember it the rest of my life.

Laser skipper and Olympic newcomer Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) likened his experience here so far to a large'scale version of the Pan Am Games. Even though we're separate from the other sports here, you still get the feeling that it's something special. His chances for a medal are good if I sail close to what I'm capable of. Winning would be an extra bonus. Mendelblatt says he doesn't worry too much about the wind conditions. That's one thing that is out of my control.

For Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), skipper of the three'woman Yngling making its Olympic debut, control is the name of the game. Training here for two weeks has her feeling settled in and very well prepared. I expected to be more nervous by now, but I suspect Opening Ceremonies will be the deciding moment in that respect, she said, adding that she feels her team's medal chances are good. Traditionally the U.S. medals in keelboat classes, new classes and women's events. We have a strong tradition of women's events in the U.S., and our team jumped on the bandwagon early when this new class formed. Cronin's crew Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) goes farther to suggest a gold medal is certainly within reach. I would not have taken time away from my family and job like this if I didn't believe that. Sailing with Cronin and Filter is Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.).

Charlie Ogletree voted Team Captain. Tornado crew Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas) was elected Team Captain by his teammates for the 18'member U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. The distinction allowed him to vote, with the 27 other Team Captains from the 2004 Olympic Team, to determine who, among the 531 athletes competing, will carry the flag for the U.S.A. in the Parade of Athletes at Friday's Opening Ceremony. This will be Ogletree's third consecutive Olympic Games sailing with skipper Johnny Lovell (New Orleans, La.).

Kevin Hall Finishes Second to Flag Bearer ' Kevin Hall (Ventura, Calif./Bowie, Md.) was voted 2nd in the Flag Bearer elections held among the Team Captains on the 2004 Olympic Team. The honor allows him to move to the head of the pack in this case the U.S. delegation at the Parade of Athletes in Friday's Opening Ceremonies. Bestowed with the high honor of carrying the U.S. flag for the 2004 Olympic Team will be WNBA veteran and two'time Olympic gold medallist Dawn Staley (Philadelphia, Pa.). Hall will be close behind, followed behind by Ogletree and other Team Captains, then the different groups of athletes representing the 28 Olympic sports. Hall is a first'timer here at the Olympics.

Racing for the nine Olympic sailing classes (11 disciplines) will be staggered throughout the 15 days of the Olympic Regatta. The first race day is Saturday, August 14, for Finn, 470 and Yngling. Sailors in the Europe, Laser and Mistral classes will begin their series Sunday, August 15.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Archipelago Raid. Melges 24 worlds. Cowes Week

News In Athens. GBR out of Cup?. US Medal Outlook. You need a sponsor. Sailor has rowing mentor. Mendenblatt trains up

Great Lakes Captain wanted

New Zealand Olympic Outlook

With less than 24 hours until the Olympic Games Opening ceremony in Athens the New Zealand Sailing team are well prepared. The official sailing regatta gets underway on Saturday 14 August.

New Zealand is represented by 12 Olympic sailors who will be competing in 8 different classes. The schedule of sailing in which New Zealand is competing can be downloaded from the Yachting New Zealand website by clicking the link at the top of this page.

For Olympic sailing legend Barbara Kendall this is her fourth Olympic Games. She is sailing in the Women’s Mistral boardsailing class against 26 others from around the world, 10 of whom have attended previous Olympic Games. Her strongest rival is Sydney 2000 Gold medallist, and 2004 World Championships winner, Alessandra Sensini of Italy. Kendall won Gold in 1992, Silver in 1996 and Bronze in 2000.

“I seem to be going pretty fast, time will tell. The good news is I reckon I feel in better shape than I have ever been,” Kendall says.

19 year-old Thomas Ashley from Devonport Auckland is our kiwi hopeful in the Men’s Mistral class. Ashley has had some impressive results in recent years winning the 2002 ISAF World Youth Championships and placing 7th in the 2004 Mistral World Championships. There are 34 total entries in the Men’s Mistral class.

Racing starts for both board sailors on Sunday 15 August and concludes on Wednesday 25 August.

New Zealand has 3 competitors sailing in single-handed disciplines. Hamish Pepper is sailing against 42 others in the Laser class which has been contested at the Olympics since 1996. Pepper’s strongest recent result was 4th at the 2004 World Championships. In Athens he comes up against 7 time World Champion Robert Scheidt, who won Olympic Silver in 2000 and Gold in 1996.

Well known New Zealand sailor Dean Barker is turning his hand to Olympic sailing in a return to the Finn single handed dinghy. The fleet is made up of 25 sailors of which an impressive 14 have previously competed at Olympic level. Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand team mate, Ben Ainslie from Britain has been showing excellent form and is considered favourite for the event.

Sarah Macky is New Zealand’s representative in the single-handed women’s dinghy class known as the Europe. Macky has had some consistent top ten results in Grade One International regattas over recent years and she placed 9th in the Sydney 200 Olympic Games. The Europe fleet has a total entry list of 25.

Both of New Zealand’s double-handed dinghy entries are new comers to Olympic sailing and will be on the water on Saturday 14 August the day following the opening ceremony. Andrew Brown and Jamie Hunt pair up in the Men’s 470 class competing against 27 other teams. In the Women’s 470 Shelley Hesson and Linda Dickson line up in the 20 boat fleet.

The newest of the Olympic Sailing Class is the Yngling making its debut at the Athens Olympics. Many of the competitors, where teams are comprised of three women, have come from a variety of backgrounds into the Yngling keelboat. New Zealand's team is skippered by Sharon Ferris with Joanna White and Kylie Jameson as crew. The 17 entries in the fleet start racing on Saturday 14 August as do the 470 and the Finn classes.

In each class there are eleven races scheduled; two on each day of racing with the exception of the final day when only one race will be sailed. A race win earns one point, second earns two, and so on through the fleet. At the end of competition the winner is the sailor with the lowest score.

Depending on the number of races sailed the competitors poorest or two poorest performances may be excluded from the total. Four races are required to be completed to constitute a series.

Olympic Practice

The sailing venue in Agios Kosmas, Athens, came to life today as the first practice races took place in sailing areas B, C and D. Many of the top athletes decided not to participate but still, most took advantage of the chance to measure their abilities against fellow competitors.

The start of the races for the Mistral, 470 Men's and Women's, Finn and Yngling was at approximately 13.00. This is the time when the sea breeze tries to establish itself, meaning that the wind is still unpredictable.

Coming from 215 degrees, at a strength of about 8 knots, the breeze soon shifted to the left, at about 190 degrees, only to turn back to its initial direction. This was a rather upsetting situation for the rankings, as both sides were favoured for some time and it gave the competitors a good taste of what they should expect the following days. Most of them characterized conditions consistent with what they have seen in the previous days of racing.

As the athletes� intentions were not to finish a race but to practice, there were many drop-offs in the middle of the race. That was the case of the British crew of Shirley ROBERTSON, Sarah WEBB and Sarah AYTON in the Yngling class, who were leading the fleet after rounding second at the top mark, behind the Danish team of Dorte JENSEN, Christina BORREGAARD OTZEN and Helle JESPERSEN. That was a very good preview of what we expect to see the following days as the Yngling Class makes its Olympic debut.

In the 470 class, the Brazilian team of Alexandre PARADEDA and Bernardo ARNDT made a very good fist appearance followed by the Portuguese team of Alvaro MARINHO and Miguel NUNES. While the right hand side was favored at the start, the wind shifted and the leaders were left behind from those starting on the left.

The Korean team was also very persistent and soon found itself on the third place.

In the Women's 470, USA team Katie McDOWELL and Isabelle KINSOLVING had a comfortable lead over their opponents. The Greek crew of Sofia BEKATOROU and Aimilia TSOULFA decided not to race today, in order to rest.

In the Mistral class and the Finn, conditions were rather marginal as the wind was very light, so most sailors decided to drop off the race after the first two roundings.

Races will begin Saturday August 14, in course area C (470 men and women) and course area D (Yngling and Finn).

Olympic Preview Part II

On Sunday the 15th the two Mistral board sailing classes begin along with the Europe and Laser single handers.

The Mistral classes appear to be the US entries with the least chance for medals.
Women's rep. Lanee Butler Beashel is in fact the only women to represent the US in Olympic board sailing. Her past Olympic finishes have been 5th, 11th and 4th. However, recently she has been far in the double digits at the class worlds.

Defending gold medallist Alessandra Sensini appears in top form for another gold having won the most recent worlds.

Israel's Lee Korsz was the 2003 worlds winner and is ranked 8th.

From New Zealand Barbara Kendall is a veteran with an Olympic medal of each color. Recently she has finished 2nd in the past two worlds.

The USA's men board sailor is Peter Wells carries a ranking of 54th into the Olympics. This shows how long a shot he is for a medal.

Current world champ Julien Bontemps of France is also the #1 ranked men's board sailor.

Pole Przemyslaw Miacczysnki was the 2003 world champion and finished 8th at the 2000 games.

No medallists return in this class so Aussie Lars Kelpich, 4th in 2000, is the top returning finisher. He is ranked 27th and finished 12th at the 2004 worlds.

Home country sailor Nikos Kaklamanakis was the gold medallist in 1996 and has had success sailing in Athens.

US Laser sailor Mark Mendenblatt enters the games with confidence. He was 2nd at the 2004 worlds to go along with a 6th at the 2003 worlds. A Mendenblatt medal would be no surprise.

7 time world champion Robert Schedit is also a two time Olympic medallist. He is a Micheal Jordan like figure and anything less than a gold medal would be a surprise.

Australian Michael Blackburn has a long string of podium finishes in international events and won the bronze in 2000.

South Africa's Gareth Blanckenberg is ranked 4th, although his results at the worlds have been below that. Maybe his breakthrough will be worthy of a medeal.

Norway's Siren Sundby is the absolute favorite in the Europe. She shows no results other than 1st dating back to 2003.

American Meg Gaillard was 3rd at the 2003 worlds and 7th in 2004 tipping her as a medal possibility.

Argentinian Serena Amato is the only entrant with an Olympic medal. She won bronze in 2000.

Finn Sarei Multal is a past world champion and is currently ranked 3rd.

All 4 of these classes feature solo sailors. American chances are definetly better in the Europe and Laser where both sailors have top 3 finishes at the worlds. While neither are in the position of favroite certainly

Big Boat Series

From September 16-19 the St. Francis Yacht Club will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its Perpetual Trophy Series, better known as the Big Boat Series presented by Rolex. And, for the very first time since the regatta was created in 1964, it will utilize the IRC handicap formula. Racing takes place within viewing range of Pier 39 and the Marina District, between Treasure Island and the Golden Gate Bridge, with the finish line set off the St. Francis Yacht Club Race Deck. Over 100 boats are expected to compete in 10 one-design and handicap classes for class honors as well as a chance to take home one of six perpetual trophies ^ Richard Rheem, St. Francis, City of San Francisco, Atlantic, Keefe-Kilborn Memorial and the newly created Commodore,s Cup. Specially engraved Rolex timepieces also will be awarded to the perpetual trophy winners.

Over the past 41 years, the Big Boat Series has been cancelled once, in 2001 following the tragic events of September 11. Since its founding the event has always endeavored to be what Bob Keefe, the St. Francis race committee chairman credited with the concept of the regatta: A showcase of big boat yachting talent from around the world.

In keeping with the mantra to attract larger boats to the San Francisco Bay, the 2004 event will use the IRC handicapping. "IRC has proven to be very successful scoring boats sailing in strong tidal areas like the Solent, which is very similar to sailing in San Francisco Bay,? said Norm Davant, StFYC,s regatta developer. "It has always been StFYC,s goal to be on the leading edge of the sport and to provide the best racing for the participants. With the overwhelming acceptance of IRC internationally, StFYC made the choice to give competitors the opportunity to come to the Big Boat Series knowing the handicap system will provide fair racing for them.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club administers IRC, which was recently recognized by the International Sailing Federation as an International Rating System. The Rolex Commodores, Cup and Rolex Fastnet Race are raced under IRC.

In addition to IRC as well as all the other One-Design classes the premier class this year will be the Transpac 52 class. Nine TP 52s are expected to compete and this event serves as the TP52 national championship.

This year,s Transpac 52 race circuit includes the Newport-Bermuda Race; the Chicago to Mackinac Race, and concludes in San Francisco with the Big Boat Series. In the past 12 months, the Transpac 52 class has grown to include owners in China and Japan, the Mediterranean, the East and West Coasts of the United States, and the Great Lakes.

From the initial fleet of nine boats, to its present count of well over 100 entries, the Big Boat Series is credited with defining the West Coast sailing scene.

The first trophy ever awarded was the St. Francis Perpetual Trophy, then a 24-karat-gold treasure worth $10,000. Over the years additional perpetual trophies have been added and in 2004 StFYC Commodore Tom Quigg will unveil the Commodore,s Cup. It was created to stimulate and encourage competition among and between One Design fleet yachts.

The Big Boat Series will follow the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, to be held September 8-11 and hosted at the St. Francis Yacht Club.

Linky Sailing News

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Orange II on Stand By

The current record for this route, held since October 2001 by the American yachtsman Steve Fossett, is 4 days, 17 hours, 28 mn and 6 s.

Having left Lorient, his Atlantic base, on Tuesday, 3rd August, hardly had the ORANGE II maxi-catamaran time to reach New York, before she was ready once again to set out quickly to tackle the Atlantic record, which she may do if the weather conditions forecast by Team Orange's weathermen are confirmed.

- Orange Code: Bruno Peyron explained today that he had triggered the �Orange Code�, which means that he may set out from New York some time during the next 72 hours to make an attempt on the North Atlantic record between New York (Ambrose Lighthouse) and The Lizard (the south-westerly tip of England).

- Route planning: The weather conditions forecast by Bruno Peyron's weathermen confirm the appearance of a window of opportunity during the coming 72 hours. The Atlantic record attempt will be monitored both by the New Zealand weatherman, Roger Badham, and the Frenchman, Pierre Lasnier.

- Final training session: Orange II carried out a training session yesterday off Manhattan, under the watchful eye of the Statue of Liberty, in order to make some final adjustments before this high-speed crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.

- Crew: The crew currently on stand-by between New York and France should include 11 people, chosen partially from those that took part in the attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy this winter. The exact composition of the crew will be revealed by Bruno Peyron on the eve of his departure.

- The record to beat: The record time for the Atlantic crossing has been held since 10th October 2001 by the American Steve Fossett aboard his giant catamaran, PlayStation with a time of 4 days, 17 hours, 28 minutes and 6 seconds, at an average speed of 25.78 knots.

- Comments made by Bruno Peyron: " This will be the fifth time that I have had the privilege of getting a boat ready in New York and the magic is just as strong. Orange II in front of Manhattan was something that just had to be for this boat, the aim of which is very clear. The Atlantic record is considered to be the most important ocean record after the Jules Verne Trophy. Orange II cannot turn down this challenge, even if we are probably placing the bar too high with only a week on stand-by in New York. We will be aiming at living up to these ambitions. First of all by achieving the best performance possible on this mythical route. By attempting to beat the 24-hour record and getting close to covering 700 miles in 24h. Finally, by getting into a position, if the miracle weather situation develops, which would allow us to get close to the record or even beat the absolute record for this route. The boat is ready, even if we have to do in 2 days what would normally take a week. Constant progress has been made concerning her reliability. Sailing to New York was a very good test, as the boat sailed for 10 days upwind. The crew is extremely motivated and if the weather conditions allow, we won't miss the opportunity of achieving a great time for this route. Sailing here will in any case be a smashing training period before our ultimate goal of winning the Jules Verne Trophy this winter.

HISTORY: THE MYTHICAL ATLANTIC CROSSING RECORD
The first record time for sailing across the North Atlantic was established by the "Atlantic" schooner, a 56-m long three-masted vessel skippered by the famous American captain Charlie Barr in 1905, in more than 12 days. For 75 years this record was not beaten....

Eric Tabarly was to be the first person to smash it in 1980 aboard his trimaran Paul Ricard, cutting the time to 10 days.

Marc Pajot (Elf Aquitaine I), Patrick Morvan (Jet Services II), Lo�c Caradec & Philippe Facques (Royale II), Philippe Poupon (Fleury Michon VIII), then Serge Madec (Jet Services V) will each in turn reduce the time, the latter having achieved the crossing in 6 days 13h 3mn and 32s in June 1990 at an average speed of 18.42 knots.

This record was to remain in everyone's mind, as it stood for more than 10 years. We had to wait for the new generation of maxi-catamarans built for The Race for the record held by Jet Services V to be smashed. It was beaten on 10th October 2001 by the American Steve Fossett aboard his 38-m maxi-catamaran PlayStation in 4 days, 17 hours, 28 mn and 6s, at an incredible average speed of 25.78 knots.

BRUNO PEYRON'S ACHIEVEMENTS
Twice holder of the Jules Verne Trophy(1993 and 2002), Bruno Peyron has also held the North Pacific record on two occasions (Los Angeles - Honolulu in 1997 and Yokohama - San Francisco in 1998). Twice record-holder of the single-handed Atlantic crossing, which he was the first to achieve, (1987 and 1992) for the crossing between New York / The Lizard. He is only missing this record for the team East to West across the Atlantic, which he is attempting on this new challenge...

THE ORANGE II MAXI-CATAMARAN
With PlayStation, Orange II is one of the biggest ocean racing catamarans in the world. She has the following dimensions: length 36.80m - beam 18m � height of mast : 45m � Surface area of sails downwind: 1100 m2.

US Junior Singles and Doubles

It started with more than 400 young sailors across the country, sailing in local and regional regattas to qualify for a National Championship. Now, the list of competitors has been narrowed down to 60 sailors and they are all coming to South Dartmouth, Mass., in a few days to compete in two of US SAILING�s prestigious Junior National Championships. The U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship, sailed in Club 420s for the Bemis Trophy, and the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship, sailed in Lasers for the Smythe Trophy, will take place August 14 through 18 at New Bedford Yacht Club. Demonstrating its strong commitment to youth sailing, Vanguard Sailboats is providing brand-new boats for both events.

For many youth sailors, these Championships are the pinnacles of their
summer vacation, having trained for the event throughout the previous
months. Previous winners of these Championships have gone on to become
world-famous sailors, competing in the Olympic Games, Adult National
Championships, the America�s Cup, and many more. Two current members of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team competing in Athens have previously won a National Junior Championship: Peter Wells won the U.S. Junior Doublehanded
Championship in 1989 and Kevin Hall won the U.S. Junior Singlehanded
Championship in 1985 and 1986.

About the U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship
The winning team of the U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship will be
awarded US SAILING�s Bemis Trophy. The Bemis Trophy is named after F. Gregg Bemis who was best known for his work on the racing rules, which included a long tenure as chairman of the Appeals Committee. It was his leadership role in judging at junior and intercollegiate regattas that inspired a group of co-judges to donate in 1975 a trophy for doublehanded junior sailing.
Similar to the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship for the Smythe Trophy,
it is a ladder competition starting at the yacht club level.

About the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship
The winner of the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship will receive US
SAILING�s Smythe Trophy. Spurred by a growing interest in the Olympics,
particularly in singlehanded boats, in 1975 the junior championships were
expanded to include a national singlehanded championship with the donation
of a trophy in honor of a long-time chairman of the Sears Trophy Committee,
D. Verner Smythe. An active member of the Pequot Yacht Club at Southport,
Conn., Smythe also served as Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of the
North American Yacht Racing Union (now US SAILING) Championships.

Olympic Preview Part I

This article previews the Olympic sailing classes that have their first race on Saturday August 14th. These classes are: men's and women's 470, Finn, & Yngling.

The Finn is a single handed dinghy with a long Olympic history. Brit Ben Ainslie has dominated the class and is the favorite. Pole Matusz Kusnierwicz the 1996 Gold Medallist is back on form this summer. Belgian Sebastian Godefroid is a past Silver medallist but has been indifferent recently.

The American representative is Kevin Hall. Hall has a sailing resume that includes collegiate success, America's Cup campaigns and Olympic campaigns in several classes. Hall is not a medal favorite and did get a late start on his campaign. A medal for Hall would be synonymous with a fast finish.

Perhaps the most intriguing Finn sailor is New Zealand's Dean Barker. Currently he is best remembered for being the skipper of Team New Zealand as Alinghi crushed them. Olympic success would certainly enhance Barker's standing.

The USA's men's team of Paul Foerester and Kevin Burnham has one of the best expectations for a medal of any of the USA entries. Both have won Olympic medals with Foerester the silver medal skipper in this class in 2000. Past performance, experience and solid recent results mean a medal would be no surprise.

The Australian team of Wilmot and Page won the 2004 worlds after a 2nd in 2003, making them the favorites.

The British team of Glanfield and Rogers sports a strong record, 4th at the Sydney games and on the podium in recent world championships.

The 2000 bronze medallists Conte and De La Fuente of Argentina have not supported medal expectations recently so qualify as a darkhorse for a 2004 medal.

In the women's 470 fleet 2000 Gold Medallists Armstrong and Stowell have a strong chance to become double Olympic winners.

The home standing Greek team of Bekatoru and Tsoulfa were world champions in 2003, but have suffered injury troubles recently. No telling if home Olympic magic will strike.

The Netherlands team of Westerhoff and Matthijsse could use Matthijse's pair of Silvers in the Europe dinghy as a platform for success in 2004.

The US pairing of Mcdowell and Kinsolving is young but improving as in top 10 at the 2004 worlds. In the past 4 Olympics the USA has won medals 3 times (1 of each color of medal). This years the USA's medal chances may seem lower but this could be another fast finish nets medal situation.

The Yngling keelboat makes it's Olympic debut. The USA's 3 women team of Cronin/Filter/Haberland brings a pair of world championship 3rd places and a come from behind trials win to Athens.

The Danish team skippered by Dorte Jensen has had success in the Yngling and also are accomplished match racers.

For British skipper Shirley Robertson this will be her 4th Olympics. Her prior three were in the Europe class in which she was the 2000 gold medallist.

Of these classes the Finn should be the most interesting full of well known, world class sailors. The 470 men's class has the US team with the best chance at a medal. The 470 women's class could see a home team win while the 1st Olympic's for the Yngling should be unpredictable.

I'll with specific predictions for the Americans. I'll predict a 2nd and silver medal for Foerester and Burnham, a 6th for Kevin Hall in the Finn, a 5th for Maxwell and Kinsolving in Women's 470 and a 4th for the Yngling trio.

Tommorrow we'll look at the 4 classes that start racing on the 15th.

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2004 Independence Cup

Chicago, IL (August 10, 2004) � High winds made for an exciting final day of
racing in the 2004 Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup (IC/NACC) on Monday, following two days of light winds. The event is a US SAILING National Championship sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A.

In the 2.4mR class, Nick Scandone, of Fountain Valley, Calif., held on to
his lead from the previous two days� racing to sail to victory in the
singlehanded division with a total of 10.7 points. Finishing second in the
division with 14.7 points was fellow Californian David Trude (Oxnard,
Calif.), who was competing in his second U.S. Independence Cup/North
American Challenge Cup.

�It is a very good event, I had a great time and hope to do it again,� said
Scandone, who was competing in the IC/NACC for the first time.

In Freedom Independence 20 class competition, the team of Karen Mitchell and
Kerry Gruson took the championship title for the second year in a row in the
doublehanded division with a total of 9.7 points. The winning pair, who hail
from Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Miami, respectively, beat out Allen Fiske
and Joseph Cook (Miami, Fla., and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) respectively for the
title. Fiske and Cook had a total of 13 points.

�We had a rough start, but it all came together in the end,� Mitchell said.
�This event is highlight of our summer; we look forward to coming to Chicago
to compete with great anticipation all year.� Mitchell is hoping to become
the first woman to represent the USA in sailing in the 2008 Paralympic Games
in Beijing.

Kerry Gruson has been sailing partners with Mitchell for years and is very
proud to be her crew. She believes the able-bodied assistants (AB�s) at the
event did an exceptional job, �We loved our AB�s,� she exclaimed.

�It is an honor for the Chicago Yacht Club to put on this event for disabled
sailors in North America,� said Roland Rayment, chairman of the IC/NACC
Committee of the Chicago Yacht Club. �I am certainly pleased with the level
of competition we had over the course of the entire weekend.�

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U.S. Junior Women�s Championship

In her young sailing career, 17-year-old Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) already has an impressive list of championship titles to her name, including Youth World Champion in the singlehanded class and two-time National Champion. And today she has done it again. For a third time, Railey has won US SAILING�s U.S. Junior Women�s Singlehanded Championship, sailed in Laser Radials, and the Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy. Railey beat 66 competitors from throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The Championship was hosted by Bay Head and Mantoloking Yacht Clubs in New Jersey and sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats.

Fresh back from several months of racing in Europe, Railey took a commanding
lead on the first day of racing. She did not relinquish that lead throughout
the Championship and finished with a total of nine points after ten races
and two discards. With this win, Railey has earned her third consecutive
trip to the Youth World Championship, to be held in South Korea in 2005.
Asked how she was celebrating her win, Railey replied, �I�m doing homework
for school right now because classes started a few days ago.�

The real thriller for the day was the battle for second and third place.
When the sailors hit the race course this morning, only eight points
separated the competitors who were in second through fifth place, with three
races left to go. In the end, it was Case Hathaway-Zepeda (Pasadena, Calif.)
who was able to manage the northerly 13 to 14 knot winds and finish second,
while Leah Hoepfner (Corpus Christi, TX) held onto a well-earned third
place.

Complete results, photos, and daily reports are available on the event
website at www.ussailing.org/leiter.

Water Level Update

Below you'll find water level info that pertains to Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Reference Point- Measurements in Inches

Difference from Chart Datum +13
Difference from last month 0
Difference from last year +12
Difference from long term average for August -9
Difference from Record High -41
Difference from Record Low +23
Forecast for 6 September 2004 +0

Click for information on other lakes.

Genuine Risk Goes Foreign

Entries from both ends of the size spectrum continue to arrive at the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) for this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts on 23rd October.

The most recent forms to be filed are from Silk II a BH41 owned by Masci Filippo, Nisida Seiwa a GY 51, skippered by Dario Boochi and the latest super-maxi on the block, Randall Pitman's Dubois-designed Genuine Risk.

The 90-foot Genuine Risk, built by McConaghy Boats, was launched in late April this year and sailed a day later. This advanced state-of-the-art racing yacht is a result of an intensive full year of research and development; the design employs a canting keel and fore and aft rudders (canards). The Dubois team, along with Andy Claughton and Clay Oliver utilized the Wolfson Unit at Southampton University as the research centre. Initial sailing trials in Sydney Harbour confirmed the boat's high performance potential, which was proven by Genuine Risk's recent line honours win in the Chicago-Mackinac Race.

Currently, Genuine Risk is expected to line up against another 90 footer, Alfa Romeo unbeaten for Line Honours in 70 starts and fastest yacht around the Middle Sea course in 2003, the maxZ86 Morning Glory, the 85 foot Judel Vrolijk designed UCA owned by Dr Klaus Murmann and skippered by Jorn Bock, plus the Reichel/Pugh-designed Black Dragon - sistership to Enigma, handicap winner in the 2003 race.

At the smaller end of the fleet, the experienced local yachts have come forward in strength. Arthur Podesta will compete in his 25th race aboard his Beneteau 45f5 Elusive. Alfred Manduca has entered his Beneteau 47.7 Allegra, Julian Cleave's Commanche Raider returns once more under the leadership of Jonas Diamentino. RORC Vice Commodore Chris Bull will participate on his highly successful J-145 Jazz. Two former winners of the Middle Sea Race Trophy will also be on the start line - David Frank's J-125 Strait Dealer (2001) and the J-109 Jammin (2002 as Market Wizard) of Andrew Calascione & John Ripard. Making his race debut is RMYC Commodore George Bonello DuPuis with the Prima 38, Primadonna.

Entries currently stand at 24 with yachts representing Malta, USA, the UK, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.

Linky Sailing News

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US Team in Athens

It's official. The 18 members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team winners, respectively, of the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 11 sailing events are now Olympians after completing the U.S. Olympic Committee (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Team Processing held this past Saturday at the American College of Greece. The U.S.A 2004 Sailing Olympians will now always be Olympians,as ex, past- and former- do not apply to the title these sailors have worked years to attain.

While most of the sailors have been in Athens for several weeks, and in some cases several months, they have spent the last few days together living in the Athlete Village and moving boats and equipment into the Aghios Kosmas Sailing Centre to begin the final leg of their Olympic journey. The USOC Team Processing which included briefings, photo opportunities, credentialing and uniform distribution was all precisely coordinated to prepare the sailors to represent the U.S.A. at the 2004 Olympic Regatta.

The sailing venue located in Glyfadha, an upscale suburb to the south of Athens officially opened for the Games on August 1. For the next week, the sailors will make the final adjustments to their equipment and go through the measurement process before the first official practice races begin on August 12. Laser sailors, competing in the only event that utilizes equipment provided by the organizers, participated in their draw for boats yesterday.

Sailing 2004 Olympians: Meg Gaillard (Jamestown, R.I./Pelham, N.Y.) in the Europe+ADs- Kevin Hall (Bowie, Md./Ventura, Calif.) in the Finn+ADs- Paul Foerster (Garland, Texas) and Kevin Burnham (Miami, Fla.) in the 470 Men+ event+ADs- Katie McDowell (Barrington, R.I.) and Isabelle Kinsolving (New York, N.Y.) in the 470 Women+IBk-s event+ADs- Tim Wadlow (San Diego, Calif.) and Pete Spaulding (Miami, Fla.) in the 49er- Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.) in the Laser Peter Wells (Newport Beach/La Canada, Calif.) in the Mistral Menevent Lanee Butler Beashel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) in the Mistral Women event Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio/Port Washington, N.Y.) in the Star+ADs- John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas/Columbia, N.C.) in the Tornado+ADs- and Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Liz Filter (Stevensville, Md.) and Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, Md.) in the Yngling. (Complete bio information for each athlete, along with detailed information on each event, is available at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicGames/2004)

The support staff for the U.S.A. 2004 Olympic Sailing Team: Team Leader Fred Hagedorn (Chicago, Ill.)US SAILING Olympic Director Jonathan Harley (Middletown, R.I.) Boatwright Carl Eichenlaub (San Diego, Calif.) Head Olympic Coach Gary Bodie (Hampton, Va.)+ADs- US Sailing Team Coaches Luther Carpenter (New Orleans, La.) and Skip Whyte (Warren, R.I.) - and coaches Jay Glaser (Long Beach, Calif.), Pierre Jeangirard (Bishop, Calif.), James Lyne (Warren, Vt.), and Tony Rey (Portsmouth, R.I.).

Olympic Diary: Jonathan Harley, US SAILING+IBk-s Olympic Director, will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the sailors+IBk- Olympic experience through his Olympic Diary. Now attending the Olympic Games for the sixth time in his 24-year career, Harley first provided daily reports from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney that drew a regular audience of sailors and non-sailors interested in a glimpse at the daily challenges of the Games. Follow the story from Athens at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicGames/2004

Program the TIVO: Television coverage of the sailing events will be hosted by Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.), with race reports scheduled to air every scheduled race day on the Bravo cable channel beginning August 14, and continuing through August 26. The planned coverage will rotate classes every day and will feature one or two races each day, often with on board cameras. The non-featured classes will have some, but not complete, daily coverage. The half-hour of programming will air between midnight and 1:00 a.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones. Viewers in the Central and Mountain time zones will follow the Eastern time zone (i.e. 11:00 p.m. Central+ADs- 10:00 p.m. Mountain). On August 28, CNBC will show two hours of Olympic sailing coverage from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Eastern and Pacific. Check local listings as this schedule is subject to change and may be affected by the performance of the athletes.

The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad will run from August 13-29, 2004, with sailing taking place on the waters of the Saronic Gulf. News and photos of the U.S. sailors throughout the Games will be online at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicGames/2004/

Stamm Out of Vendee Globe

Bernard Stamm, winner in the 60' class in the last Around Alone, 2003 FICO
Lacoste Champion and a favorite to win the next Vend�e Globe on his Open
60 Chemin�es Poujoulat-Armor Lux, has withdrawn from the race.

Stamm's boat suffered catastrophic keel failure in mid-June during The
Transat. A rather miraculous salvage mission found the upturned hull
(Stamm had been rescued and taken to Nova Scotia), which was towed back to
France.

Stamm's builders have informed him that it would take a minimum of 12
weeks to repair his new boat, and while an offer was made by Pindar to use
the ex-Hexagon, that boat's designers stated that it would need a new keel
and that would take 10 weeks. Out of time, Stamm has thrown in the towel.
The Vend�e will be diminished race without his presence.

British win in Commodore's Cup

Light winds and powerful spring tides in the Solent made for testing conditions for competitors and the RORC race management team alike at the 2004 Rolex Commodore's Cup. With 11 three boat teams taking part including four from Britain and three from the defenders, France, this year's event was the most competitive in the 12 year history of the series.

The week got off to a light overcast start with the breeze failing to stabilise enough to hold any races on day one and only one on day two. "From race one when there was a whole day of not enough wind to get people started - every Race Officer's nightmare - it picked up," commented RORC Racing Manager Janet Grosvenor. "The atmosphere and the co-operation of the competitors were brilliant."

Once racing began, the Irish team favourites, comprising the DK46 Fidessa Fastwave of Chris Brown and Peter Harding, the Ker 39 Flying Glove and Eamon Crosbie's Ker 32 Calyx - The Voice and Data People, moved into first place and this position they proceeded to consolidate over the course of the week.

Star of the Irish team was Colm Barrington's Flying Glove, which put in some exceptional performances winning all but two races in Class 2 and in the longer races finishing well up the Class 1 fleet on elapsed time. "The boat has been well-designed, well-thought through and, is well sailed," summed up her skipper. "We find that with the rating we have some difficulty upwind against longer boats but downwind we seem to take off."

Similarly successful over the week in Class 1 was the Grand Soleil 44 Holmatro the Dutch big boat, winning four races during the event. Skipper Hans Horrevoets, sailing with two of his fellow crewmen off the Whitbread Round the World Race entry Brunel Sunergy, but otherwise with a young Dutch crew, attributed much of their success to navigator Peter Tans.

"Peter does boat to boat tactics and the small shifts and he put a lot of work into the preparation, sail development and rating - that's paying off now," said Horrevoets. "We also did some studies and we thought we should optimise the boat for between eight to 13 knots of breeze and that is what we had for the whole week."

Suspense was maintained until the conclusion of the RORC Channel Race, the longest and, with two points per position, highest scoring race in the Rolex Commodores' Cup. Going into this, Ireland was leading on 44 points ahead of the GBR Red and Black teams, both tied on 47.5.

In this climax to the event, GBR Red, comprising Kit Hobday and Tim Louis' Farr 52 Bear of Britain, Jerry Otter's IMX40 Exabyte II and Jonathan and Lisa Goring's J/109 Jeronimo sailed consistently as a team, each taking second place in their respective classes. A disappointing seventh place for the Irish small boat in the Channel Race, was enough to put the GBR Red team ahead on points winning the Rolex Commodores' Cup on 59.5 points with France Blue moving up to second place on 65 and the Irish in third on 66.

"The feedback I was getting at the prize giving is that the competitors had had a really competitive, good week," commented RORC Racing Manager Janet Grosvenor. "The feeling is that we had had a successful event and that people will be back next time."

The next Rolex Commodores Cup is scheduled for the summer of 2006.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Etchells worlds

News Admirals Cup announcement. Laser preview. Olympic boatwright. Coutts thoughts

Great Lakes Dreyer ends Superior swim. Ontario ferry bomb threat

Mac WX Look Back

The general weather out look for this years's Chicago Mac race-that a high pressure would stall and make for a slow race- was correct. However, in speaking with those who sailed it wasn't that simple.

Seeking answers to questions I had about certain aspects of how the weather played out I was able to ask Mark Rudiger who navigated 1st to finish Genuine Risk a few questions. Rudiger brought two successful trips around the world to Lake Michigan and it's weather.

Prior to the race I suspected the Michigan side of the lake would be best. Feedback indicated it might have been dicey. Rudiger said: "Our weather models and local knowledge said go right for shift and pressure."

I heard that boats that played the beach, ie sailed real close to the sandy Michigan shore did not do well. About this Rudiger said, "We went within 5 miles of shore the 1st night and tacked from a NNE wind to a NE wind and good pressure."

Comments from the course indicate that the 5 mile distance was important. A point such as this is where boats may have benefited from a combination of the gradient breeze and the breeze off the land. The benefit is that the two mix and combine and create a breeze better than the individual components.

Further Rudiger said, "Esmerelda and Windquest followed us and made it work well as they compressed into us when the wind died half way up the lake." Along with Rudiger's Genuine Risk these were the top 3 boats overall, so perhaps the Michigan side did pay after all.

On Sunday as Genuine Risk continued north, "We also positioned ourselves close to the shore for the sea breeze the following day."

Finally, I was curious about the sources Rudiger used to dial in his weather. Of this he said, "We were working more on real time observations up the coast than satellite pics. There is not enough resolution for the lake."

Boat Smart: Advice from Jim Dreyer

On July 4, 2003 seven people drowned in one afternoon near Warren Dunes State Park, Michigan. Great Lakes marathon swimmer Jim Dreyer reflects on the drownings while offering life-saving advice. But first let�s review the conditions that led up to the downings.

Mike Terrel, manager of Warren Dunes State park, estimated there were 20,000 park visitors that day and half appeared to be in the lake. �The drownings at the park occurred around 3:30 p.m.. Water conditions were such that we continued to fly the red warning flag and announce warnings over loud hailers every fifteen minutes,� said Terrel.

When word first reached me regarding the drownings and after reading the National Weather Service message calling for severe weather, I concluded that heavy surf overpowered the victims. Not so. The drownings occurred in 3-4 foot swells, not heavy breaking surf, and long after the storm had rumbled over the dunes.

Thousands of swimmers entered the water that day between New Buffalo and Manistee, Michigan, the north and south boundaries that the National Weather service set for the 9:15 a.m. EDT severe marine warning. Yet, oddly, along that 200 mile span, with thousands of swimmers in the lake, seven people drowned within a three mile stretch. Arguably, more people accessed the lake near Warren Dunes State park than did people from beaches to the north. With Chicago a short two hour drive away thousands could readily reach the pristine beaches near Warren Dunes State Park, apparently a popular destination for city folks. Five of the seven people that drowned, hailed from the windy city.

So did the law of averages play out? Or was it city folks unaccustomed to rip-tides and currents that swept the lake that morning, stirring up truculent weather? Although sheer numbers, inexperience swimmers, and turbulent waters may have contributed to the downings, Jim Dreyer feels there is more to it than these factors.

I figured if anyone could provide insight into the seven drownings it would be Dreyer, who has swam across all the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, a swim he had to abort due to cold-induced leg cramps. I tracked him down at Orchard State Park, Manistee, Michigan in late September 2003. He graciously invited me into his home on wheels, a RV manned by a husband and wife team overseeing his Lake Michigan marathon swim. Three days earlier, while swimming between Little and Big Sable Points, he told me he confronted the worse Great Lakes conditions he ever encountered, including Lake Superior. �This lake can down anyone at any time,� he said.

At one point during the swim, he was so far out into the lake that he spotted a large motor vessel between himself and shore. From atop 20-foot swells it was like looking out a second floor window. He told me, lake currents near the Manistee river outlet spun him around distorting his sense of direction. He swam to a nearby beach and fired off a flare to beckon his support team.

I explained my reason for the visit. Aware of the drownings, he said, �If you�re not familiar with water, the tendency for humans when experiencing panic is to flee by standing vertical and running away. Unless conditioned otherwise, a person in the water will do what comes naturally and go vertical to flee danger. Doing so places their entire body broadside to the current. You must think horizontal when caught in a rip tide or current and swim or float on the surface to reduce current affect. And don�t panic.�

�Don�t panic,� may sound glib coming from a swimmer in Dreyer�s class, but if anyone understood panic it�s Dreyer, who nearly drowned at age three after stumbling off a pier into a lake near his folk�s cottage in Byron Center, Mich. His near-death experience occurred in early spring; an older sister snatched him from the frigid water. The experience caused such a phobia of water that washing his hair would spark panic attacks. He didn�t begin swimming until 1996, at age 32. Eight years later, on October 7, 2003, he completed the 340-mile Lake Michigan swim at the base of the Mackinac Bridge in Mackinaw City.

For Dreyer, Great Lakes marathon swimming offers an opportunity to promote a heart felt crusade�raising money for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America mentoring program. Jim Dreyer can be considered a mentor in his own right, his wise advice regarding open water survival in currents and riptides can be summed up in two words: �think horizontal.�

Other water-wise advice

► Do not swim alone.

► Have ready at hand a heaving line attached to a flotation device so you can toss it to a swimmer in distress.

► Parents should never take their eyes off the kids.

► Do not swim near breakwaters or piers. Under tows and wave backlash can overcome the best swimmer and jagged rocks that line breakwaters and piers can inflict lacerations, broken bones, and head injuries.

► Pay heed to red warning flags or pennants that warn of dangerous surf conditions. Watch the weather.

► Stay within designated swim areas.

► Many beach communities do not have beachguards so be prepared to take action-have ready a rescue plan. Carry a whistle to draw attention.

► Watch out for sandbars; they can abruptly drop off into deep water.

► Do not allow kids to float out into deep water on rubber rafts or inner tubes, especially in heavy surf. If they separate from the flotation device, they could find themselves in deep water. During August 2003, a mother nearly lost her 11-year-old daughter after she became separated from a three-man raft off a Ludington beach. If not for the heroic actions of a 16-year lad who fought through 4-foot seas to reach the floundering youth, the child would have drowned.

► If your child can�t swim have them wear a lifejacket when in the water

► Never turn your back on Lake Michigan, but if you do make sure someone is covering your back.

Note: On July 18, 2004 a 25-year-old male drowned off Washington Park beach, Michigan City after stepping off a sandbar into deep water.

1979 Fastnet Remembered Alternatively

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the infamous and disastorous 1979 Fastnet Race. 15 sailors lost their lives during this race. Appropriately their are several commerative events taking place.

Looking back this tragic race-like the 1998 Sydney Hobart- got sailing some unwanted attention.

At the time Daniel Schorr the veterna newsman was involved in the start up of CNN. In his autobiography Schorr writes: "I arrived in Denver to address a dinner of cable tv people and was greeted with a news agency dispatch reporting that Ted Turner was mssing in a storm during a yachting race off Ireland."

As we know Turner made it back safely and In fact Turner sailing the S&S design Tenacious was the race winner. CNN went live in 1980 and Schorr is still broadcasting.

Linky Sailing News

Racing Etchells worlds

News Maxi Yawl. Oly WX. In praise of Coutts. Finn Oly Preview

Great Lakes Milwaukee Sailing Center expands. Appledore goes foreign

July Weather Report

For the second straight month summer in Muskegon was below average at least as far as temperature goes. July had a monthly average temperature of 68.3 degrees, 1.6 degrees below normal.

High temperature for the month was 87� on the 21st. Twice, on the 9th and 24th, the low temperature of 51� was recorded.

Also below normal was precipitation. 1.71 inches fell, .61 inches below normal. In fact, over an inch of the rain came on the 3rd and 4th of the month. This meant just .65 inches of rain fell the rest of the month.

While those indicators were off Muskegon did have 15 days rated clear, 11 partly cloudy and only 3 were officially cloudy.

Wind for the month averaged 7.6 knots. Windiest day was the 14th when the average was 13.1 knots. Least windy was a few days prior when the average was 4.6 knots.

After 2 consecutive cool months year to date Muskegon temperatures are just .57 degrees above normal.

Looking ahead August has been seen above normal temperatures for the part 4 years. Perhaps the summer will close on an up note temperature wise.

100 Miler

The annaul MMYC 100 Miler race started in a 10 knot south westerly. Immediately after the start Mackinac section winner Twister lost rudder control and withdrew from race.

Colt 45 want thru Horseshoe Island at 1233 after a 0920start and finished @ 1430. This is almost certainly a course record.

Not surprisingly Bantu won her class.

Shortly after Colt 45s finish the wind started to die to the west of Chambers Island. Finishes continued until after 2200.

Corrected time class winners were: Colt 45, Noble Buffalo, Bantu, and Superior Attitude.

Friday the annual Fritz Dubruq regatta was sailed. 3 races were sailed with Sadie Hawkins the winner of all 3.

Harbor Springs Winners

Here are the top 3 boats by class in the Annual Harbor Springs regatta sponsored by Little Traverse Bay YC

J 105 Snake Oil, Wind Czar, Exit Strategy
Class H Trisore, Solution, Wind Czar
Melges 24 Flying Toaster, Hot Tuna, USA 46
Class F Insaitable, Epic, Northern Light
Class E Merlin, Hot Ticket, Bounder
Class D Pterydactyl, Drumbeat, Skye
Class C Detente, Eagles Wings, Whiplash
Class B Natalie J, Victrix, Saturn
Class A Bright Star, Equation, Stripes

Results by Division

Overall Results

Linky Sailing News

Racing Britain wins Commodore's Cup. Baird over Coutts

News Loan to TNZL. Olympic Europe Class preview, USA rep is Meg Galliard. Ainslie thinks Athens

Great Lakes Level 35 Top of the Lakes. Kerry to ride ferry.

Level 35 Top of the Lakes Regatta

Level 35 Top Of The Lakes Regatta
Series Standing - 6 races scored
Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results saved: Sunday, August 1, 2004 10:09:38 PM EDT

Division: Level 35 (12 boats) (top)
Pos Sail Boat 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
Points Pos
1 42968 Wild Ride 1 4 2 1 3 2 13.00 1
2 35234 Aftershock 3 1 3 2 5 3 17.00 2
3 43828 Falcon 2 2 5 4 12 1 26.00 3
4 25770 PDQ Express 5 5 4 3 9 6 32.00 4
5 32776 Touch Of Grey 4 8 7 5 6 4 34.00 5
6 32980 Brettwalda 8 3 1 7 10 7 36.00 6
7 32851 Bozo's Circus 6 11 6 10 7 5 45.00 7
8 42525 Night Train 10 7 8 9 4 9 47.00 8
9 41445 Sociable 7 9 10 6 8 10 50.00 9
10 40054 Bad Dog 11 6 11 11 1 12 52.00 10
11 42763 Major Detail 9 10 9 8 11 8 55.00 11
12 40937 Time Machine 12 12 12 13/DNS 2 11 62.00 12

Notes
- Scoring System is ISAF Low Point 2001-2004
- Finishes in [brackets] denote throwouts

Information is provisional and subject to modification

Principal Race Officer: Eric R Lind

Britain Wins Commodores Cup

Irish and British teams have been waiting on tenter hooks throughout the night for the definitive outcome of the 2004 Rolex Commodores' Cup. This morning, following strong performances by all three of their boats in the Channel Race, the highly scoring finale of this regatta, GBR Red have been proclaimed the overall winners. Following the Channel Race, the Irish team, who have led this regatta throughout the week, dropped to third overall behind France Blue.

Despite their good time, Kit Hobday and Tim Louis' Farr 52 Bear of Britain were beaten in class one in the Channel Race by the well-sailed Dutch Grand Soleil 44R Holmatro, skippered by Hans Horrevoets, who finished almost an hour ahead of the British boat on corrected time.

In class two Colm Barrington's invincible Ker 39 Flying Glove once again showed her impressive form finishing first in class two by three and a half hours. Significant in class 2 for GBR Red was the result of Jerry Otter's IMX40 Exabyte 2, with match racer Paul Campbell-James at the helm, who put in their most critical score of the regatta to finish second on corrected time.

The leaders in class three did not finish until this morning after their second night at sea. This saw a solid win on the water by GBR Red's J/105 Jeronimo, skippered by Jonathan and Lisa Goring. She was knocked into second place on corrected time by a top result for Erwan Dubois' tiny JPK 9.60, Guyader L'esprit de la Mer in France Blue. The Irish Ker 32 Calyx The Voice and Data People could only manage a seventh place.

While Ireland went into the Channel Race with a 44 point lead over GBR Red on 47.5, the British team scored 12 points to the Irish team's 22 in this final race to take victory on 59.5 points to 66. This pushed the Irish team down to third overall behind the 2002 winning French team led by Gery Trentesaux on 65.

For the small boats the light winds and strong tides in the Channel Race proved highly challenging for the crews. "There were a lot of highs and lows and we didn't believe until we crossed the finish line that we were going to win the race," said Kevin Sproul, navigator on Jeronimo.

On two occasions the class three boats found themselves with no wind going backwards on the powerful spring tide. To prevent this the boats had to kedge, throwing out an anchor into water often as deep as 50m to stop themselves being washed back up the course.

The first occasion was as they were rounding the RORC mark, the most southwesterly corner of the course. "We got to within half a mile of the mark and just missed the tidal gate," recounted Sproul. "We started going backwards and we ended up there for about five hours. We had Fair Do's VI and one other boat in our fleet around us and I was really worried that something had happened in the night and we'd lost it." Fortunately after the wind had filled in, effectively restarting their race, they discovered the Irish competition, Eamon Crosbie's Calyx The Voice and Data People, had rounded the RORC mark an hour astern of them.

Sproul believes they made their biggest gain sailing along the coast off Swanage Bay en route to the Needles Fairway buoy. "That was our big tactical gain in the race, otherwise it was just a war of attrition - keep going and never give up," he said. Jeronimo overtook John Shepherd's Fair Do's VI, the most successful class 3 boat of the week, just before they rounded the Ocean Safety mark for the second time. Here they were becalmed again, but on this occasion only for an hour before the wind picked up and they were able to round up and make for the finish line.

"We had a good plan before the start as a team and as it happens we ended up doing what we set out to do," summed up Sproul. "We knew the boat is fast offshore, we knew that Bear was dependent upon getting the tidal gates right, and the tricky one was the IMX40 and they pulled out all the stops and did brilliantly. So as a team it worked out really well."

Further information about the Rolex Commodores' Cup including a full team listing may be found at: www.rorc.org

NYYC Race Week

From July 17-25 the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex welcomed over 1,000 sailors from across North America for eight days of spectacular racing. The event's unique format - racing in IMS, PHRF, Classic and 12 Meter classes on the front end, an optional one-day distance race in the middle, and three days of one-design racing at the back end - allowed sailors to customize their racing experience.

Race Week came back stronger than ever this year, despite the fact that there are fewer sailing "race weeks" these days. Some have fallen to lack of sponsorship and others have dried up due to workplace trends that allow little time for indulging in hard-core competition over five consecutive workdays "just for the fun of it." The fourth biennial edition attracted 180 boats.

During the week, two competitors were rewarded for outstanding accomplishments with the ultimate prize, a Rolex timepiece. In the first half of race week, the Race Committee determined that the J/29 Dirty Harry, owned by John Lavin (Warwick, R.I.), had the "Best Overall Performance in PHRF," by winning six out of eight races. Masquerade, the winner of the 28-boat J/105 fleet in the second half, earned the title "Best Performing One Design Boat" and a Rolex timepiece for owner Tom Coates (San Francisco).

More Races Equals Happy Sailors

Over the course of the week, the NYYC Race Committee ran an astounding 167 races in eight days of racing. The weather was ideal, most days offering up a steady 12-18 knot wind. "This has to go down as the most successful Race Week in the history of the club," said Race Committee Chair John Mendez. "In the first four days we achieved 10 races for PHRF, 11 for IMS, and during the last three days of one design racing, there were 12 races."

Mendez further explained that the secret to keeping such a large fleet happy was the use of multiple racecourses. "We maintained a three-course configuration over the course of the week," he said. "That allowed us fewer classes on each course and prevented any long delays between races. We added a provision to the Sailing Instructions to be able to re-start a single class regardless of whether the other classes had completed their races. I believe we set a standard that will be hard to beat."

"It was a fantastic event," said Coates. "We did 10 races in three days! We typically do eight in a week, in Key West. I've always wanted to do shorter races. It keeps it exciting all day. By the time you establish your position on the race course, the race is over, and it is time to do it again."

Chris Larson, tactician aboard Stuart Townsend's (Chicago) Farr 40 Virago and a Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, summed up racing as "pretty incredible."

First half dedicated to IMS, PHRF, Classics and 12 Meters

The four-day "first half" of Race Week hosted 79 entrants. The diverse fleet, separated into eight classes, included everything from historic 12 Meter yachts, such as America's Cup winner Courageous, owned by Craig Millard (Newport) to high-performance racing machines like Dan Meyers' (Boston, Mass.) Farr 60 Numbers.

Numbers turned in an impressive eight victories over 11 races in win the IMS Class. "We lost our first race by three seconds to Blue Yankee and then won two races," said Meyers, explaining that Bob Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel/Pugh 66 Blue Yankee was his closest competitor going into the last day's races albeit with little chance of catching his team mathematically in the standings. "That's how close the racing was. I don't think there was one place where we were more than 30 seconds ahead or behind them." Serving as tactician aboard Numbers was Newport's favorite sailing son Ken Read, a multiple world champion and Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.

In PHRF racing, Dirty Harry edged out Firewater, the Cook 37 owned by Jesse Waters (New York, N.Y.). "We also won our division at Race Week in 2002," said Lavin. "Our crew has been sailing together for the past seven years. Racing was really fun for us and we're happy to come back here and win again."

NYYC Race Week also served as the second of three events in the NYYC Invitational Racing Series for Vintage and Classic Yachts, open to boats built before 1958. (The NYYC's recent 150th Annual Regatta served as the first and a classic yacht regatta in September will serve as the third.)

"We loved the experience," said Don Glassie (Newport), owner and skipper of Fortune, which won Class 2. "It was the first time the classics have sailed in Race Week and I think it was a good idea to include them." Fortune is a 54-foot antique staysail schooner built in 1926 and designed by B.B. Crowninshield.

Finishing in second was the classic beauty Bolero, a 73' yawl owned by Ed Kane (Concord, Mass.) and designed in 1949 by Olin Stephens as "the largest modern ocean racer of its time." A highlight of the awards ceremony was when Olin Stephens himself, now in his 90s, awarded Bolero with a special trophy for being the top boat designed by Sparkman & Stephens. The prestigious design firm coordinated an elaborate 75th Anniversary Celebration with Race Week, and the legendary S&S designed 12 Meters Columbia, Courageous, Intrepid and Freedom sailed in the event's first half.

The Distance Race

The traditional distance race that separates the two halves of Race Week was held on Wednesday, and 46 boats competed. The race committee had six optional courses to choose from, ranging in length from 20 to over 50 miles. With light conditions predicted for the day, the call went out for a race around Conanicut Island. Conanicut lies directly west in Narragansett Bay of Newport's home, Aquidneck Island. Originally planned as a circumnavigation, the race was cut short to half the distance (10.1 miles) due to light air.

The first boat to cross the finish line after just under two hours of sailing was Lightwave, the Transpac 52 owned by David Ford (Bristol, R.I./Waban, Mass.); however, Bob Towse's (Stamford, Conn.) Reichel/Pugh 66 Blue Yankee beat Lightwave on corrected time in IMS Class 2. Combined, there were five classes sailing, including one for IMS, three for PHRF and one for Classic yachts.

Ajax, the J/105 owned by Lee Drayton (Greenwich, Conn.) completed the course in just over two hours and 16 minutes and showed up on paper as the fastest finisher in the fleet on its corrected time (based on a handicap rating) of one hour, 54 minutes and change.

Second Half Dedicated to One Designs

The One Design portion of Race Week hosted 83 boats. Over 500 sailors competed for class championships in eight one-design classes: Farr 395, Farr 40, Swan 45, J/105, J/35, J/120, J/109 and Henderson 30.

Barking Mad returned to the podium as Farr 40 class champion. Owned by Jim Richardson (Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I.), Barking Mad won its class at the 2002 NYYC Race Week, and recently won the NYYC 150th Annual Regatta. Nine Farr 40s competed for the class' North American championship, including Gem, campaigned by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Virago, owned by Stuart and MarrGwen Townsend (Chicago, Ill.) finished second, with Jeff Siegal's (Portsmouth, R.I.) Appreciation in third.

Craig Speck's Vim won the nine-boat Swan 45 class. "I felt I could win," said Speck (Grand Rapids, Mich.) "But, Doug (Douglass, owner of Goombay Smash, the second-place boat) was always nearby, so we executed our plan and got some breaks. I'm thrilled by the outcome."

Overall winner Masquerade survived grueling competition in the 28-boat J/105 fleet, just beating Ed Cummins' (Corona del Mar, Calif.) Bold Forbes by 2.75 points. Hoss, the boat co-owned by Texans Glenn Darden and Reese Hillard, finished third.

For Some, One Half is Not Enough

Ten boats participated in the entire week of racing. Ajax, the J/105 owned by Lee Dayton (Greenwich, Conn.) not only competed, but also won its PHRF division and recorded the fastest finish time in the distance race. "Since we didn't have local knowledge, sailing among the rocks and waves was pretty exciting," said Dayton, who sailed in the area as a child but had never traveled up the scenic West Passage of Narragansett Bay.

Ajax continued its streak around Rhode Island Sound, the stretch of water separating Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, in the One Design portion, but finished a disappointing 24th out of 28 boats. Going into the second half, Dayton had reservations about competing in the portion serving as the J/105 North American championship.

Additional week-long competitors included Craig Albrecht's (Sea Cliff, N.J.) Farr 395 Avalanche, Gordon Donald's (Tinton Falls, N.J.) Farr 395 Spinal Shock, Andrew Fisher's (Greenwich, Conn.) Swan 45 Bandit, Jeffrey Gale's (Abaco, Fla.) Henderson 30 Beautiful World, David Johnson's J/109 Lorelei, Steven Clarke's (Portsmouth, R.I.) J/35 Ushuaia, and Henry DeGroot's (Wellesley Hills, Mass.) Farr 395 Wired.

Newport Bermuda Record

The WSSR Council announces the ratification of a new World Record.
World Record. Monohull Newport to Bermuda.

Yacht: Morning Glory
Sailed by: Hasso Platner and a crew of 15
Dates: 18th to 20th June 2004

Elapsed Time: 2 days 39 minutes 22 seconds.
Average speed: 13.09 kts

John Reed
Secretary to the WSSR Council