Cambell and Tunnicliffe Headed for Pan Am Games
Brown Wins 2.4mR Class, Skud 18 Dominated by Lewis,
Doerr Speeds to Sonar Championship
NEWPORT, RI (Oct. 15, 2006) – Laser sailor Andrew Campbell (San Diego, CA) and Laser Radial sailor Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, FL) triumphed at the Pan American Trials earning themselves slots at the prestigious 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The Rhode Island Sailing Foundation hosted the Trials along with the Paralympic Pre-Trials on two race course in Newport and Middletown, RI.
Partners with the RISF included Sail Newport, New York Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club and U.S. Sailing in running the four-day event. On the Laser/Laser Radial Course off of Third Beach, conditions overall were spectacular and the wind was a steady southwesterly 16-18 knots.
On the inshore circle, Paralympic Classes tended to more difficult conditions of 14-knot shifty westerly-southwersterly coming off the Jamestown coast in Potter Cove.
Other sailors to watch include the top Paralympic finishers which included 2.4mR winner Tom Brown (Northeast Harbor, ME), Mark Lewis (Hingham, MA) and Crew Maureen McKinnon-Tucker who dominated and won the Skud 18 class with three firsts in the seven-race series, and Sonar Championsh Rick Doerr (Clifton,NJ) Timothy Angle and Bill Donohue who scored a perfect “picket fence” of all firstplace wins on the scoreboard after one second-lace drop.
Top sailors in Laser, Laser Radial, Skud 18, 2.4mR and Sonar classes will return to the same venues in October of 2007 for the Olympic Trials.
NEWPORT, RI (Oct. 14, 2007) - Olympic hopeful sailors continue to test their mettle in spectacular but challenging conditions today at the 2006 Olympic Pre-Trials and Laser/Laser Radial Trials.
The south-southwesterly breeze started at 8 knots and built to a steady 18. There were some slight shifts but conditions grew steadier later in the day. The Newport Race Committee recorded gusts up to 23 knots.
For Sonar, Skud 18 and 2.4mR classes, the inside/outside Trapezoid course was located between Rose and Goat Islands outside of Newport Harbor. The Skud 18 sailors take the outside loop and the 2.4mR and Sonars share the inner loop.
Rick Doerr (Clifton, NJ) continues his winning streak in the Sonar class with three more first place finishes for a stunning total of five wins in five races. Doerr is sailing with Timothy Angle and Bill Donohue.
Top place finishers in other classes also continue to hold on to their leads. Mark Lewis (Hingham, Ma) and crew Maureen McKinnon-Tucker stay out front with a first and second place today. Afar opting out of the last race today, the Lewis team is still in a comfortable lead four points ahead of David Schroeder (Miami, FL) who is in second place with eight points.
The 2.4mR single-handed class is being dominated by Tom Brown (Northeast Harbor, ME) who took three first-place wins today keeping him at the top of the class with only five points overall. Bruce Millar (Richmond, BC) however, is only three points behind after scoring a third and a second place finish with eight total points overall.
On the Middletown, Third Beach course headed by Principal Race Officer Tom Duggan, pure adrenalin is fueling the very competitive women’s Laser Radial Fleet. Rival sailors Paige Railey (Clearwater, FL) and Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, FL) are carving each leg of the race in a spectacular duel for first place.
After today’s racing, both were tied for first place with ten points each. After a tiebreaker, Railey emerges as the leader with only one day of racing left.
This is a particularly rewarding regatta for Railey who has been sick for over a month and had looked forward to a relaxing event. “I thought we would have light air up here,” she said, delightfully amused by the breezy conditions.
Nevertheless, Railey has risen to the challenge and says she is just taking one race at a time and is happily surprised at the outcome so far.
“It’s been a fight for me, I’ve been on the couch for the last month but it’s testing my skills and I am having a great time,” she said.
The same competitive spirit is present in the men’s Laser Division with only a one point spread between the first and second-place finishers. Andrew Campbell (San Diego, CA) is in first place overall with 12 points and Brad Funk (Plantation, FL) is just behind Campbell with 13 points in the series.
A relatively large gap separates the third place sailor in the men’s class. Clay Johnson (Toms River, NJ) is in Third Place with 32 points. The gap is due to a costly over early penalty Johnson took in Race Four on Friday. Nevertheless, he is in contention for a top medal if he can hold off Kyle Rogachenko (Collegeville, PA) who is a close two points behind Johnson.
NEWPORT, RI – (Oct. 13, 2006) The 2006 Paralympic Pre-Trial Regatta started today after a lengthy delay and wind shifts through every quadrant. The Race Committee started the first race only after a 2 p.m. breeze fill in for each of the 2.4mR, SKUD 18 and Sonar classes.
The single-handed 2.4mR helmsman sailed a Windward/Leeward course twice around. The SKUD 18 boats with two crew members sailed an outer loop Trapezoid Course once around and the three-person Sonars sailed the inside loop on the same circle similar to the 2.4mR boats.
The weather today in New England was a brilliantly sunny and clear fall day but crisp for sailors. The air temperature only reached a high of 55 degrees. South-Southwesterly wind velocity during racing ranged from 6-12 knots with occasional gusts to 14 knots.
The second race had the most consistent breeze except for a right-shift trend. The Race Committee, headed by Principal Race Officer Ron Hopkins (Barrington, RI) lengthened the final race of the day both in distance and in additional legs with an upwind finish toward Newport Harbor.
Sonar helmsman Rick Doerr (Clifton, NJ) shot out front early by winning both races today. Doerr credits the strong performance to a long summer of practicing in different conditions to be ready for the New England fall sailing.
Doerr said, “When the breeze finally came in, we were ready for it.” Although sailing conservatively at first because of a new bowman, “We dialed it in pretty fast, eventually we got the rhythym and it worked well," he added.
Doer also said he focused on the basics, “We kept the boat flat, the crew was careful at mark roundings and we protected our lead. It felt good.”
Racing continues tomorrow for the three Paralympic classes between Rose and Goat Islands outside of Newport Harbor. The best of seven series is scheduled to be completed on Sunday.
Racing also continues tomorrow for the Laser and laser Radial circles off Third Beach in Middletown. The Laser and Laser Radial also completed two races today.
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