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Alison, Icyda and Leech Prepare for SPA Regatta in Holland Betsy Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech of Team Challenge US have moved into the #1 spot for Ynglings in the latest International Federation of Sailing rankings. The trio has been campaigning on the European spring circuit since the completion of the US ranking system in Florida in February. The international field is deep with talent, and is THE place to be in order to fine tune speed and improve boat handling techniques. Many of the sailors in this new Olympic keelboat discipline for women have migrated to the Yngling from other fleets, some fresh off Olympic campaigns in the Europe and Women's 470, others from the match racing circuit. One thing is for certain, the competition is tough and the stakes are high as many countries have yet to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Team Challenge US has already completed two major events here in Europe: one in Palma, Spain and the other in Hyeres, France. Those events were a mere tune up for what is yet to come. Next Wednesday, the SPA Regatta begins here in Medemblik, Holland with all 11 Olympic classes in attendance. For many of the European teams, this regatta is one of several qualifying events for a berth to the Pre-Olympics in Athens in August. For others, like Alison and company, it is a training event that allows the three to match their skills against the best the world has to offer, and to use the regatta as an opportunity to test new developments in a competitive environment. Team Challenge US is sailing a brand new Abbott built Yngling powered by North Sails San Diego. That combination has been a successful one for the team. Lee Icyda, Team tactician and downwind trimmer enthusiastically stated, "Bill Abbott is producing one of the finest products out there right now, and we have the utmost confidence in our boat in all conditions. It is absolutely essential to know that you have the best equipment out there, that there are no excuses in terms of performance." Foredeck teammate Suzy Leech said, "Being able to adjust the rig and accurately shift gears in all wind speeds is a high priority for us at the moment. Our coach, Espen Stokkeland, has been helping us make more seamless transitions, and encouraging us to think outside of the traditional box." Alison concluded, "We look forward to a strong performance here in Holland. SPA is typically a big breeze regatta and we are psyched to apply what we have learned from Palma and Hyeres." Alison, Icyda and Leech are now training in Medemblik for the week prior to the event. They are actively embarked on an Olympic campaign to represent the United States at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. You can follow their progress and support their effort by checking out their site at http://www.challengeus.org.
TEAM CHALLENGE US IN 5TH PLACE AT SPA REGATTA After the first two days of racing at the SPA Regatta in Medemblik, Holland, Team Challenge US is currently in 5th place with 16 points, tied for 4th with the top Australian team. With four races completed, the fleet in now entitled to a discard of their worst finish so far. Leading the Yngling pack is Shirley Robertson and her team from Great Britain with finishes of 2,1,1,(20). Second place is held by the Dutch crew led by Janneke Hin 12 points, followed by Team Cronin with 13. Carol Cronin and teammates Liz Filter and Bridget Hallowell from the USA had the best day today with finishes of 2,1 to vault them up in the standings. The racing has been close on a double windward leeward course shared with the Star class, with winds Wednesday 12-15 and 7-12 knots today. Team Challenge US has spent the better part of the last week training here in Holland. Under the guidance of coach, Espen Stokkeland, Alison and company have made great strides forward in rig tuning and speed through the water. Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech have been concentrating on setting up the rig well for the variety of conditions, and testing mast components. The trio has been training primarily in winds in excess of 20 knots, sometimes in three on-the-water sessions per day. “The time we have been spending on the water here in Medemblik has been invaluable. As a team, we are maturing into a single unit, not three individuals. Our crew work especially in the extreme conditions is coming along quite nicely,” said Betsy Alison. “As we move forward in this campaign, we are realizing how valuable dedicated one-on-one coaching is. Having a coach that we enjoy working with allows us to move forward in directions that we have not yet fully explored.” The conditions for Friday are looking to be breezy. It will be a great opportunity to shake up the standings. The SPA Regatta continues through Sunday in a 9 race series for the Yngling Fleet. There is a lot more racing to come as the best international teams battle it out for top honors. Stay with us at www.ChallengeUS.org for the latest news from Medemblik. We certainly appreciate your constant support and enthusiasm as we move forward to Athens.
Team Challenge US Moves Up To Second Place At SPA Regatta Day three of the SPA Regatta in Medemblik, Holland was a good one for Betsy Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech. The team had finishes of 3, 4 in the two scheduled races, finishing just behind regatta leader Shirley Robertson of Great Britain in both. Being consistent in their finishes so far in the series has moved the Team up into second overall in the standings. Robertson had another great day, solidifying her lead in conditions that ranges from 14-20 knots of breeze; very good speed in the upper wind ranges is a trademark for Robertson, and that has been apparent here in Holland. But, the teams that had the best performances of the day were the Dorte Jensen of Denmark and the German team of Wagner/Hoell/Lochbrunner. The addition of an offset mark at the top of the windward/leeward course eliminated a lot of confusion as boats turned the corner to go downwind. Several incidents and collisions on earlier days of racing precipitated the change for safety reasons. With only three races left in the series, competition among the leaders is intense. The lighter winds forecast for Saturday should shuffle things around a bit, making the racing interesting as it comes down to the wire. Team Challenge has been here in Europe since the beginning of April both training for and competing on the European regatta circuit. Alison, Icyda and Leech have been working with coach Espen Stokkeland to develop better boat control and speed. Their performance over the past three events has shown a marked improvement in both these areas, and has allowed the Team to get their heads “out of the boat” and focus more on the racing itself. Confidence in their sailing gear is one key to the continued success of the Team out on the water. “We know that highly engineered gear is less apt to fail in a critical moment – our Harken ‘carbo’ hardware is light and incredibly reliable,” said Suzy Leech after another breezy day. “When you have to continually make minute adjustments under high loads, it is so nice to have the blocks and cars running smoothly all the time.” Team Challenge US is powered by North Sails. North Sails One Design is on the right path for Yngling sail design. Betsy Alison mentioned that, “Being able to work with knowledgeable people on sail shape and development is great. We are really happy with the service and support that North provides us with, and know that a big part of our consistent speed is having the right sails on board.” Ongoing development of the sails in this new Olympic class is critical as the sailors come to understand the boats more and more. Small changes in sail shape can translate into big gains out on the race course. With detailed input from the Team, North has been producing some very quick sails for the Yngling. After the regatta winds up here on Sunday, the Team flies back state side for the Boat US Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, MD. That Grade 1 Match Racing event will serve as a cross training platform for Team Challenge US as they move forward with their Olympic effort. Stay tuned for more after the completion of races 7 and 8 on Saturday, May 24
TEAM CHALLENGE US TAKES LEAD AT SPA REGATTA Alison, Icyda and Leech Dominate Light Air Day On the fourth day of racing here in Medemblik, Team Challenge US posted finishes of 1 and 2 to take the lead at the 19th SPA Regatta. The conditions were light and variable, making the decision making process a difficult one. Betsy Alison and team mates Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech showed excellent speed around the windward/leeward courses in spite of the lack of wind, and now have a 4 point lead going into the last race of the series. Previous leader, Shirley Robertson (GBR) had a disappointing day with an 18 and 19 to drop back into third place. Dorte Jensen and her Danish team have now moved into second. Consistency has been critical to the success of the leaders here in Holland. They have seen everything from 25+ knot breezes to virtually nothing on the water. Sunday’s final race will determine who will take top honors. After the first light air race on Saturday morning, Icyda decided to strap on some water skis and buzz the fleet – it was full entertainment value for everyone on the Yngling and Star race area. Though she came back to the boat a little wet and colder, her unusual wind dance brought the breeze in and both fleets got a second race in. If a final race is completed on Sunday, all teams will be able to discard a second score. Team Challenge US is sitting in a pretty comfortable position at the moment – they cannot finish worse than second for the series. They need to finish within three places of Jensen or force her to finish 7th or worse to take the overall title. It’s off to the race course for the final day. Wish us luck and keep the positive vibes coming! Stay tuned for the final report after Sunday’s race. |
