Olympic sailing events!

[bamamick]

A fairly decent start for the US in the Olympic sailing events, with both Mark Mendleblatt and Paige Railey logging top ten finishes. Zach Railey, who won a bronze in Qingdao, is entrenched in the mid-teens in the Finns. The US Laser guy is struggling mightily at 39th, and Anna Tunnicliffe, who many thought would medal in the women's match racing, is in the middle of the pack after four heats.

I guess the biggest surprise of the whole thing is that Ben Ainslie isn't winning the Finns. He's in third after four races, with six and a medal race left to sail. Of course, there are a lot of races left to sail, but not the number we have had in some previous Games. There's still time to make a move for the Finn and Star guys, but it's getting time if you are going to make one.

Mickey Lake

[bamamick]

A good day for the US on the water, including a win in the 49er class. Mendleblatt is in 6th, Zach had two top ten finishes and moved up some in the standings, though he is well out of a medal. Anna won both her matches and is tied for 3rd heading down the stretch. Paige Railey had a tough day and has dropped to 9th overall. Annalise Murphy from Ireland has won all four Radial races!

The Brits and Aussies are doing well, just as they have the last two previous Games. Ian Percy is winning the Stars pretty convincingly. The Dane does have a 10 point lead over Big Ben in the Finns and has dominated overall, but it is hard to think that Ainslie won't pull it out somehow.

I was driving home yesterday thinking about the fact that this may be the Olympics where the US doesn't medal. Given the situation with our fund-raising and our 'national team' system (which is barely existent, as far as I can tell) I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone. A friend of mine who has done this gig told me not long ago that it should surprise us when an American DOES medal, not that we don't.

Mickey Lake

[obscured by clouds]

Due to my enforced inactivity I've been watching the sailing since it started. The coverage is fantastic, with live action of the races been held, with aerial shots, tracking and graphics to show progress [a bit like the AC cats series].

Ainslie is struggling to read the shifts and does'nt have upwind boat speed in the current conditions 15knots and a lumpy sea. He's hanging in there but the Danish guy has the edge in boat speed and reading the conditions. Ainsle can pull it out the bag but needs to get his game together and hope the dane has a run of poor luck. I think it might be silver this time for Ben, but I hope I'm wrong.

Percy in the Star seems to be controlling the regatta but Scheidt [Brazil] is'nt that far behind so it could go any way.

the Irish girl has got the conditions and course wired in the lazer radial 4 from 4 aint bad! The UK's wild card entry seems to be getting a grip on things with 2 2nd places today [4th overall]. Not bad for your first Olympics. Hope she keeps the standard up.

[rbgarr]

Lots of photos here; many are of the sailing events-

http://www.london2012.com/photos/lat...lifts-the-69kg

[bamamick]

Paige and the 49ers are both in 7th, and Anna split her two races today, winning over EnZed and losing to Russia. The boarders are both in the teens. The Finns and Stars had their laydays today, and the 470's haven't started. Oh yeah, and the US Laser guy is now 32nd, so he is creeping up the lists a little.

Pretty good international sailing event. The guy from Cyprus leading the Laser fleet is a pretty cool story, and there is plenty of time left for drama to develop.

Mickey Lake

[Ian McColgin]

Locally we're watching the 6's with Tunnicliffe, Capozzi and Vandemour as the latter's grandfather (in-law) is a past Hyannis Yacht Club Commadore.

[kpenokie]

How identical are the boats? I know they are measured and weighed etc..., but is their room for variations that would favor one over another in certain conditions?
I have watch Annalise Murphy totally destroy the field and am wondering if, in addition to excellent sailing, her boat has a turn of speed for the conditions the others may not.

[bamamick]

The Lasers and Radials are supplied by the Olympic committee, so they are about as identical as you can get them. Finns were once supplied but I don't believe that's the case now (I am about 99% sure of it). In the case of Ms. Murphy I don't think it's the boat. Sometimes you just get locked into a groove and no one can beat you. Not that that's ever happened to me, of course. Maybe a couple of mini-grooves over the years, but not a full on 'sail like you belong there' kinda groove.

Mickey Lake

[David Geiss]

Great reports....I am strictly OTA with my television.
Is there a decent stream online for the sail competitions?
Best, David

[Thad]

As far as I can tell, no online access unless you pay.

[David Geiss]

I don't mind paying.....interested to know what the group thinks in terms of best feed.
Best, David

[kpenokie]

This from Sailinganarchy:

Don’t Pay Per View

It blows our minds that, in this day and age, the Olympics isn’t available for the whole world to watch free on the web, supported by advertising. The IOC is about as backward as a body can be, deep in bed with TV networks instead of paving the way for technology that will share the games with tens of millions more than will watch on TV or TV-linked sites. The maze of national regulations, IP-specific viewing bans, and subscription TV-requirements for viewing on the web isn’t worth going into here, but we can tell you that it is absolutely possible to watch the Olympics live on your computer for free, no matter where you live.

Wanna know more? Take a few minutes to read the Olympics thread – instructions are right in there.

Here is the URL: http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/ind...c=137356&st=25

[bamamick]

Big Ben cut the lead on Christiansen to about seven points counting the throwout, but with only two races left I can't see him ( the big Dane) tanking enough to fall out of first. The weather gods were with him from the first race, it would appear.

My friend who is with the US team said in a Facebook post from Weymouth that it was just too breezy for the American team. This is a lot different venue from Qingdao and a lot of the Americans were more geared towards lighter air. Not that that's any kind of valid excuse, because it's not. It's just sort of a testimony to how shallow the pool of American sailors is that are willing to give their lives to Olympic sailing. It's a very tough gig. Especially if you are a grown-up and have student loans to pay or a mortgage or essentially, any kind of bills at all.

All in all this is a much cooler regatta than China, but it ain't going to go down as a successful one for Team USA.

Mickey Lake

[kpenokie]

I wonder if finishing in the top 10 against the best sailors in the world is a failure or a success?

[bamamick]

Well, you know that the sailors all want to do well but really only they know whether it was a good regatta for them or not. In the 49er, for instance, if those guys finish Top 10 they may have achieved their goal. Zach Railey in the Finn may feel that a top ten for him, in those conditions, was not a disaster. People like us, though, ARE going to be disappointed with an Olympics where NO US team medals. Maybe Amanda Clarke can get it done in the 470's. We will see.

Mickey Lake

[bamamick]

470 men - 4 races sailed - GBR, AUS, AUT. USA 11th
470 women - 2 races sailed - GBR, NZL, ISR. USA 5th
49er class - 10 races sailed - AUS, NZL, GBR. USA 14th
Women's match racing - 9/10 races sailed (10 races finish it off, not everyone is finished yet) - AUS, RUS, ESP. USA 4th
Finn - 10 races sailed - DEN, GBR, NED. USA 12th
Laser men - 8 races sailed - AUS, CYP, CRO. USA 26th
Laser women - 7 races sailed - IRL, BEL, NED. USA 8th
RX men - 6 races sailed - NED, GER, POL. USA 18th
RX women - 6 races sailed - ESP, POL, ISR. USA 20th
Star - 10 races sailed - GBR, BRA, SWE. USA 6th

Of course, some of these fleets have a long way to go yet, but that's five podium poisitions for the mighty Brits, who have have dominated the last two Games, and four spots for the Aussies, who have also done very well the last two times out. Hard to believe that such powerhouses as Israel and Poland will take home more medals than the Americans, but it's likely.

Mickey Lake

[StevenBauer]

Here's a little bit of Olympic Sailing comentary. Language warning!

http://www.thatvideosite.com/v/5852

[JimConlin]

That makes it all clear.

[rbgarr]

Thanks, Steven. That was high-larious hyumah.

[kpenokie]

Briliant commentary. Now I understand it all.

[bamamick]

Well, with Anna down to Finland 2-0 it looks probable that the US is going to get shut out of the sailing medals for the first time ever! The women's 470 team is tied for 5th with two races left and then the medal race, but as of right now this team will return home without a medal!

I guess we will see how USSA feels about this in the next few months. When I was a Dragon class officer I spoke with some people about the Olympics and the feeling that I got from most people was that USSA is just too torn between promoting beginning sailing and all that that entails and trying to support International and Olympic class sailing. I don't believe that being a member of our national team gives you the benefits that most of the established sailing countries give their team members, but we will see. Essentially, a lot of people think that it is not the mission of our national governing body to support a national sailing team. Rather, it IS the mission of USSA to support SAILING in this country, whether it's elite off-shore racing or kids in Opti's.

What do you think? I know that a lot of our guys get frustrated with trying to make the Olympic games and what you have to do personally to get there (I am talking about off of the water stuff). It is a tremendous financial burden with very little return expected or even hoped for. And as a member of the sailing community in general, how often do you even worry about the Olympics? Two weeks every four years?

As sailors always do, a bunch of us were sitting around talking during a delay one time, and this topic came up. Would you rather win the AC as a helmsman, a world's in one of the major classes, or a medal in the Olympics? Geez, what an easy one: the medal, my friends. I would rather win the medal. Even though winning a world's in a class like the Star or Finn would or should be a lot tougher, you win those for yourself and your crew or support people, your family. Whatever. A medal you win for your COUNTRY, and the emotion that comes when that hits you has to come down on you like a ton of bricks.

Mickey Lake

[skuthorp]

Sailing medals usually favour the host nation, home waters etc., so it's interesting that such a spread has been achieved.
The argument re more participation vs elite support is, as usual, beginning here again as well.

[rbgarr]

I think I'd rather win a Worlds than an Olympics as far as an accomplishment in sailboat racing is concerned. The Olympic sailing events are almost always distant from the Olympic Village and the opportunities to watch other athletes' competitions and performances in so many different sports. I'd find it frustrating to be so close but separated from all that.

[johnw]

Well, with Anna down to Finland 2-0 it looks probable that the US is going to get shut out of the sailing medals for the first time ever! The women's 470 team is tied for 5th with two races left and then the medal race, but as of right now this team will return home without a medal!

I guess we will see how USSA feels about this in the next few months. When I was a Dragon class officer I spoke with some people about the Olympics and the feeling that I got from most people was that USSA is just too torn between promoting beginning sailing and all that that entails and trying to support International and Olympic class sailing. I don't believe that being a member of our national team gives you the benefits that most of the established sailing countries give their team members, but we will see. Essentially, a lot of people think that it is not the mission of our national governing body to support a national sailing team. Rather, it IS the mission of USSA to support SAILING in this country, whether it's elite off-shore racing or kids in Opti's.

What do you think? I know that a lot of our guys get frustrated with trying to make the Olympic games and what you have to do personally to get there (I am talking about off of the water stuff). It is a tremendous financial burden with very little return expected or even hoped for. And as a member of the sailing community in general, how often do you even worry about the Olympics? Two weeks every four years?

As sailors always do, a bunch of us were sitting around talking during a delay one time, and this topic came up. Would you rather win the AC as a helmsman, a world's in one of the major classes, or a medal in the Olympics? Geez, what an easy one: the medal, my friends. I would rather win the medal. Even though winning a world's in a class like the Star or Finn would or should be a lot tougher, you win those for yourself and your crew or support people, your family. Whatever. A medal you win for your COUNTRY, and the emotion that comes when that hits you has to come down on you like a ton of bricks.

Mickey Lake

I grew up thinking that the real hard one to win was the Star worlds.

[skuthorp]

49's about to start, Aus already is assured of gold so the race will be amongst the others for silver and bronze. Light winds, 4.8-5.3kts.

[bamamick]

Oh, it would be more difficult, no doubt, but it would mean more to me to medal.

Heck, I was on a team who came fairly close to qualifying for the Pan Am games once, and we were very excited that, and disappointed when we didn't make it, I can tell you. I also qualified for the Olympic Trials at Savannah by finishing second in the Gulf Coast Champs in Stars, but didn't go, and I still to this day wish that I had, even if I had gotten as waxed as I know I would have been.

Mickey Lake

[skuthorp]

Aus, NZ, Den.

[The Bigfella]

Yep, two sailing golds to Oz so far.

[bamamick]

Braggarts!



Mickey Lake

[htom]

I'd like ... to circumnavigate. Take a couple of years, Spice, others as they wanted to accompany us and we have room. No medal needed. Probably not going to happen, since I still don't really even know how to sail! Dreams are important, though.

[skuthorp]

World Moth Championships are due to start Aug 12th. http://www.mothworlds.org/campione/
GBR. 27 competitors
Aus. 20
USA 3
??
I can only presume that foiler moths are not a popular class in the US.

[bamamick]

You presume correctly. Our kids don't grow up sailing performance dinghies, so they aren't ready for it later on in life.

Mickey Lake

[Hwyl]

Well, with Anna down to Finland 2-0 it looks probable that the US is going to get shut out of the sailing medals for the first time ever! The women's 470 team is tied for 5th with two races left and then the medal race, but as of right now this team will return home without a medal!

I guess we will see how USSA feels about this in the next few months. When I was a Dragon class officer I spoke with some people about the Olympics and the feeling that I got from most people was that USSA is just too torn between promoting beginning sailing and all that that entails and trying to support International and Olympic class sailing. I don't believe that being a member of our national team gives you the benefits that most of the established sailing countries give their team members, but we will see. Essentially, a lot of people think that it is not the mission of our national governing body to support a national sailing team. Rather, it IS the mission of USSA to support SAILING in this country, whether it's elite off-shore racing or kids in Opti's.

What do you think? I know that a lot of our guys get frustrated with trying to make the Olympic games and what you have to do personally to get there (I am talking about off of the water stuff). It is a tremendous financial burden with very little return expected or even hoped for. And as a member of the sailing community in general, how often do you even worry about the Olympics? Two weeks every four years?

As sailors always do, a bunch of us were sitting around talking during a delay one time, and this topic came up. Would you rather win the AC as a helmsman, a world's in one of the major classes, or a medal in the Olympics? Geez, what an easy one: the medal, my friends. I would rather win the medal. Even though winning a world's in a class like the Star or Finn would or should be a lot tougher, you win those for yourself and your crew or support people, your family. Whatever. A medal you win for your COUNTRY, and the emotion that comes when that hits you has to come down on you like a ton of bricks.

Mickey Lake

It's about follow through, the US has got Opti'sa nd 420's down just a little more effort would see a premium in medals. US Sailing trots out the same names again and again, they no longer reflect the egalitarianism of the sport (if they ever have). Anna Tunnicliffe was a breath of fresh air 4 years ago, but now she has got sucked into the poised to fail system

[bamamick]

One of the most decorated yacht clubs in America is the Southern YC in New Orleans. Southern has supplied several sailors for the US Olympic team over the years (Dane, Lovell, Friedrichs), and historically they have always had a very strong Opti program. Once kids matriculate through the Optis they move into 420's, but by the time that happens probably 75% of the kids who started out have drifted away to other sports (or no sports at all). After they age out of 420's there is only Flying Scot sailing to look forward to, unless you go out on your own into a class not sanctioned by the Gulf Yachting Association, and in our area there are only very small fleets of J/22's, J/24's, Lightnings, R19's, and Fish. Not exactly training boats for international success.

When Johnny Lovell and Charlie Ogletree were among the world's best in Tornadoes they were one of two boats within a thousand miles of each other. When John Dane was on the road to representing the US in Stars in Qingdao he had to come over to Mobile and sail against four or five of us so he could qualify for major events. Zach Railey can find Finn friends to race against, IF he is willing to travel from Clearwater to either New Orleans or California, but even then almost all of the competition are guys who qualify to sail in the Master's events. The US hasn't had a legit 470 fleet in years, and I don't think we have EVER had a 49er fleet.

I think that if nothing else we will see some change to the leadership of the national team program. I know one of the senior coaches and the team boatwright and I hope their jobs are safe, but I think that anyone can see that some new ideas and a new approach is needed.

Mickey Lake

[Hwyl]

Offer Jim Saltonstall some real money http://www.pplmedia.com/speakers/saltonstall.htm

[bamamick]

Yeah, Gareth. That would be the smart thing to do, or at least hire someone who has worked with the British program in the recent past, but I imagine that what whomever they hire will find is a deep-seated establishment that is not pre-disposed to be told what needs to happen by an outsider or someone whose blood isn't quite a blue as theirs. Maybe that's being unfair, but that's what's perceived by most of us.

Personally I think that the United States is just too big with too many people sailing too many different kinds of boats. The fact that even most of the sailing community in the US couldn't tell you who represented us in the Games in London says a lot, and I really don't know how to change things. The strangest thing about it all, is that even our top sailors don't want to sail the Olympics, or aren't willing to do what it takes to get there. Guys like Bela Gulari, who sails foiler Moths and Melges 24's and such, are not involved in our national program in any way that I know of.

Well, I guess Freddy Loof won the last Star gold that will ever be awarded, and the next time cats will be back (and so will those stupid kite-boards). As the keel boats and larger dinghies are phased out so are American chances for medals, it would seem. We will see. Maybe new leadership is the answer? We'll see.

Mickey Lake

[Thad]

Looking at the video of the Finns and thinking about IOC decisions, it all looks more like athletics than sailing. Not altogether a surprise with the general Olympic tone. I do not hope the IOC makes decisions favorable to the USA, I hope the IOC make decisions favorable to sports.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Well, I guess Freddy Loof won the last Star gold that will ever be awarded, and the next time cats will be back (and so will those stupid kite-boards). As the keel boats and larger dinghies are phased out ...

Who on this blue planet is making these idiotic decisions? ISAF? IOC by themselves?

The up side of Australia not getting mega gold in the pool, and bringing hope a swag of gold from Weymouth (we'll be getting the 470 and Elliot 6m golds baring disaster) is that (I hope) more people will be encouraged to take up sailing. Particularly after the plug Iain Jensen gave the sport after the podium appearance. I'm expecting a pile more people to show up to our club's sailing day on Sunday.

[skuthorp]

One would hope that their decisions are aimed at bringing more nations into the sailing competition by having cheaper entry boats, and attracting young people to the sport. New sports like BMX and Kite Surfing are spectacular TV and that is important to the IOC if somewhat overplayed. I'm sure that if the venues were available world wide Surfing would have been on the programme years ago.

[skuthorp]

470's. Aus gold, Brit silver, didn't catch bronze, Argentina?

[purri]

I'd be concerned abt kitesurfing/sailing events as from observation it requires winds of greater strength than what many venues will provide with any certainty.
Perhaps the IOC/OSC need to revise the classes thus widening the appeal to potential participants across the globe.

[Hwyl]

Good article http://www.sail1design.com/airwaves/...ter-zach-brown

[bamamick]

For clarification's sake, I have nothing whatsoever against the catamarans being in the Olympics and never have. Kite-boarding, though, is not sailing. It is kite-boarding, and should never have been considered as a place-holder amongst the sailing events. That is nothing but pure bullshyte.

When you look at the ahtletes in other sports and what fantastic physical condition they are in, I can see why the Games have evolved away from Dragons and metre boats, and even the Soling. I can see why the dinghies are the preferred classes now. But it doesn't make me happy about it all. I would really like to see some sort of 'senior games' where people >35 years of age can compete and celebrate health, sport and athleticism, especially in this day and age of obesity and rising health problems. The fact that the Olympic sailing event is now, officially, a young man or young woman's game exclusively, I would think, will serve to discourage more people from sailing rather than do the opposite.

So maybe, just maybe, USSA has it right and has had it right all along: encourage sailing, not international racing. Maybe for the health of the sport in general, at least in the US, that's the wiser course?

Mickey Lake

[Duncan Gibbs]

Well! That's it! I'm out in The Mighty Pippin on Sunday come whatever!

Looking like 15 to 20 at this stage!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Mickey, I think the opposite may be true in Australia, and for what, I think, are pretty obvious reasons. Usually the pool is where we tend to get the gold medals. And now the bulk of the gold medals are being won by our sailors. We have 75 YO dinghy sailors in the club, which is only just over a year old. But I do expect our juniors to really grow. If you look at almost all our successful sailors, they've all come from a dinghy background, maybe except Jessica Watson. And in a very young club like ours, on a river dominated by jet skis and ski boats I'm really hoping that this kind of result at Weymouth will be the philip that we need to really establish ourselves.

I think the key is to have a whole range of boats and be as visible as possible.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Oh yes... Bring back the Dragons!

[rbgarr]

I read that the decision to have kite-boards was rumored/perhaps a result of language translation difficulties during the class selection voting process. Some of the countries reps may have misunderstood what classes they were voting for and against, but a pdf linked in this article goes over the process, decision and aftermath: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/sport/...tm_medium=feed

[marlenemarlene]

Here's a little bit of Olympic Sailing comentary. Language warning!

http://www.thatvideosite.com/v/5852

That was hilarious!

[RFNK]

Anything that gets people out on the water without fuel is great in my opinion. I look forward to seeing kites in the Olympics, along with cats, dinghies, whatever. There's no downside to these developments. All the dinghy classes develop their boats to unaffordable levels and this counts out too many young people and families. Even Laser sailors have to fork out for new boats every second season - that's ridiculous. Sailboards, kites etc. are dirt cheap in comparison, require great skill to be competitive, and leave everything else for dead in terms of performance. Value the old and appreciate the new, I think. As a young guy, I had to put up with old goats shaking their heads at my new-fangled sailboard gear etc. Now, as an old goat, I still love sailboarding and dinghy sailing and sailing yachts. I admire the young people blasting around on their kites and wish I could do that too.

Rick

[Robbie 2]

470 Women.............NZ Gold, Great Britain Silver and The Netherlands Bronze.