Olympic sailing results

[bamamick]

Well, the Games are underway. Some finishes so far:

Yngling (four races); USA 10th, GBR 1st, AUS 15th, NZL 9th. We were favored to win a medal in this class. Had a second in the first race, but most of the other finishes have been right around 10th.

Finn (four races); USA 13th, GBR 8th, AUS 9th, NZL 4th. GBR was winning the last race but either didn't finish or had a DSQ.

470 men (four races); USA 2nd, GBR 1st, AUS 9th, NZL 27th. Great regatta so far for both USA and GBR.

470 women (four races); USA 12th, GBR 9th, AUS 14th, NZL 5th.

Laser (only one race); USA 14th, GBR 3rd, AUS 2nd, NZL 9th. Too early to tell, but all of these countries are doing o.k. in the 42 boat fleet.

Europe dinghy (2 races); USA 10th, GBR 18th, AUS 3rd, NZL 8th.

Women's board (2 races); USA 16th, GBR 13th, AUS 8th, NZL 3rd.

Men's board (2 races); USA 23rd, GBR 17th, AUS 8th, NZL 10th.

Soooooo, as we stand now, the US is in medal contention in the men's 470 class only. Britain is in contention in the Yngling, the men's 470, and the Laser, and probably the Finn class. The Aussies are in contention in the Laser and Europe dinghy, and the New Zealanders are in the hunt in the Finn, women's 470, and the women's board.

Of course it is early, and from what I've seen it's blowing really hard. Conditions may change.

For those who are wondering, the Tornado and Star don't start until later, and the US is a medal possibility in both of those classes.

Mickey Lake

[Hans Friedel]

Swedens best results so far

Therese Torgersson and Vendela Zachrisson are in 4 th place in the womans 470

Kalle Suneson is in 4th place in the Laser.

In the Star we have Fredrik Lööf and Anders Ekström this years World and Euro champs should be interesting.

[George.]

Brazilians do well partly because we are good sailors :cool: , and partly because much of the training takes place on our Southeast coast, where high mountains close to the water wreak havock with wind direction and speed. Constant wind shifts and eddies. Sharpens your instincts...

[Peter Kalshoven]

Can't get the station that's showing the sailing venues :mad: but did see some capsizes on the tube this morning. Must have had some major gusts.

[brian.cunningham]

Keep meaning to post it.
An old classmate of mine from Boston University College of Engineering, Tim Wadlow, is sailing a 49er.

I wish him luck.

[Tim Diebert]

How DO we see coverage of the sailing events?
What channel? I have seen zero so far...

[Donn]

Down here, it's a recap, at midnight EDT, on Bravo.

[Tim Diebert]

Thanks Donn.....I have a buddy with satellite tv...maybe I can bribe him into recording some for me.

[Wild Wassa]

They certainly are having a bad time in Greece with the fickle winds. One of the New Zealand crews said that these Olympics were about, "floating not sailing." Perhaps when it comes to sailing at venues known for their fickle winds the teams should also include crews with a few inland sailors. I'm an inland sailor, half a knot to 2kts is hairy for me. Later in the day the winds are forecast to get as high as 11 kts.

In the 49er class race 4 is scheduled for today and races 2 and 3 are both rescheduled, :confused: . Maybe they are sill only up to race 2 ... but then I can't count in Greek.

The sailing venue at Aghios Kosmas on the west coast looks fantastic without boats. Photo from the official Olympic site. You don't want to spoil a good venue by filling it with plastic boats. This shot could be an important historic photo, the site might not ever look this good again.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid136/pa84b06a198cb467493bdc19e19eef1d6/f7609a33.jpg

[ 08-18-2004, 02:37 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

It looks like the Poms are teaching the world how to sail, again. They are leading in three classes and are second in a 4th. Greece and Spain appear to be sailing well. It is very embarassing for those nations still sailing on past glories. The Tornado and Star Classes are still to take to the water things might change.

I don't think that I'd like to race in the 49er Class. The 49er's races take less than half an hour.

The Official Olympic site has an excellent sailing section, with a good progressive update table. The IOC and ISAF need to include half a dozen wooden boat classes in the Beijing sailing programme ... the plastic things don't even photograph well.

Warren.

[ 08-18-2004, 05:40 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[brian.cunningham]

From Boston Globe article (http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/olympics/sailing/articles/2004/08/20/us_pair_view_gold_on_horizon/)

One of the greatest challenges sailing off the Greek coast with its highlands and mountainous islands is shifting wind. When yesterday's seabreeze filled and matured, it took a 30- degree shift to the left, favoring the boats on that side of the course.

"Usually when it shifts that greatly it comes back again," said Foerster. "But not yesterday. It never went back and we got pinned on the wrong side of the course."also


Foerster, a 42-year-old mechanical engineer from Rockwall, Texas, and Burnham, 48, a yacht broker from Miami, are the oldest team in the fleet(470 class), and will count on their experience against the British team of Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield.
Hope to us old f@rts! :D

[Hwyl]

Originally posted by Wild Wassa:


I don't think that I'd like to race in the 49er Class. The 49er's races take less than half an hour.

Warren: This is from the Yachting World site.

quote Elsewhere on the Saronic Gulf the 49ers were proving once again just how difficult it is to win a race in this class, let alone more than once. In eight races there have been seven different winners. The only team to string two wins together, the Australians Chris Nicholson and Gary Boyd, are currently lying 12th, an indication of how varied the results are.

end of quote.

I remember one of the top guys in the RYA (Jim Saltonstall)saying back in about 1978, that it would take about 15 years for the U.K. to do well in the Olympics. I was insulted back then and half thought that they just had to put me in a boat. His solution was an aggresive youth squad, who would grow up and become the hot racers of today. What do you know his solution worked.

[brian.cunningham]

Sounds like a challenge, just what's needed at the Olympics.

BTW
My friend is currently 3rd in his 49er.

[Hwyl]

Originally posted by brian.cunningham:
[QB
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Foerster, a 42-year-old mechanical engineer from Rockwall, Texas, and Burnham, 48, a yacht broker from Miami, are the oldest team in the fleet(470 class), and will count on their experience against the British team of Nick Rogers and Joe Glanfield.
Hope to us old f@rts! :D [/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]And they did, apparently they spent the final race sitting on the Brits, to make sure they were ahead.

Congrat's guys (by the way, public radio called it the "four hundred and seventy sailboat")

[George.]

Brazil won the gold on Laser, and is leading on Star!

Love those fickle Greek winds... ;)