US Star Olympic Trials Wrap Up

by VanFalk

Paul Cayard and crew Phil Trinter clinched the US Olympic berth in the Star class. Paul and Phil have worked very hard and held nothing back in pursuit of their goal. In successfully winning the Trials, they have raised the bar in what a team must do in order to go to the Olympics, and have met the challenge laid forth by the British for professionalism on and off the water. Success was a result of a team effort, and every lesson learned from their prior Olympic, AC, and Whitbread campaigns was applied. In addition to Paul and Phil, kudos should be given to John Craig, their coach, and Sam, their fitness guru. An excellent example of how well this team functioned was when they had to change out the damaged mast on Day 4. There was no panic, everyone was calm and knew exactly what they had to do. No debate, just implementation. Perfect.

I hope that this puts to bed the controversy that surrounded the team following their early departure from the Bacardi Cup. The Bacardi and Trials are completely opposite regattas. One is short course, the other long course. One is small fleet, the other big fleet. One is friendly and easy going, the other is rigorous and brutal. While there is a very strong argument about finishing what you start, there are also risks. Eric Doyle/Brian Sharp sailed the entire Bacardi series and ultimately lost use of their boat for several days while it had to be repaired. Team Cayard made the right decision to stay on target once they accomplished their personal goals in the first few races at the Bacardi.

Also noteworthy are the performances of George Szabo/Mark Strube and Andy Lovell/Magnus Liljedahl. Andy and Magnus worked their way back into second overall after a disastrous dismasting in the first race. The team was able to put that mishap behind them, focus on their sailing and show what they are capable of. George Szabo and Mark Strube were the quiet competitors. Their performance was all about consistency and hard work. The team was always in the mix of things and never gave an inch. While I am sure there may be some disappointment in not going to the Olympics, these teams should hold their heads high for doing a great job.

Day 5 (Layday)
Most of the teams took the layday easy. After a few breezy days of racing the guys used the opportunity to rest up and take stock of their performances in the first 7 races. I noticed that everyone dropped their rigs to verify the rigging hadn't stretched and to clean the various parts and extrusions. We also went through all of our running rigging and hardware to check for chafing or damage.

Day 6 (Race 8)
The forecast for Day 6 was 18-22. Storms were expected to move in off the ocean with occasional squalls with 30 knot winds. It was cold, rainy, and windy. Most guys were so convinced that racing would be postponed that some left to run errands or get breakfast and have their coach/support team call once a final decision was made. Therefore, several sailors were surprised to find out that there would be no postponement and had to rush back to the Sailing Center to launch. The decision to head out was the most controversial of the regatta. Highlighting this is that a squall moved in with 30+ knot winds just as some boats were launching creating utter havoc in the Sailing Center. Once on the water, all 22 teams made the start, but the 22 knot winds quickly built to 32 knots. As could be expected in such conditions, the butcher had a bill that included five teams. Two broke masts, a third broke a spreader bracket, the fourth broke their tiller assembly, and the fifth went in to inspect their equipment after surviving a pitchpole-pirouette that lifted the rudder clear out of the water. After witnessing the carnage that had been unleashed, the RC wisely decided that they should call it a day after that one race and sent everyone back in. Unfortunately, the wind was still smoking as the teams sailed in and chaos once again reigned supreme on the docks.

The actual racing was survival conditions and each team had a different approach on how to handle the tricky downwind runs. Most interesting is that George Szabo and Andy Lovell, sailing with super crews Mark Strube and Magnus Liljedahl, took completely opposite approaches to going downwind. Szabo/Strube decided to try to avoid jibing altogether. They sailed their boat DDW, with the pole out, hoping that the breeze could keep them planning over the waves and if they could keep working down, they could lay the mark without a jibe. Lovell/Liljedahl ran tight reaches sans whisker pole, and tacked rather than jibe. Both approaches were very successful, however, I suspect that Szabo's approach may have had some white knuckle moments while Lovell's was certainly a fun ride. Howie Shiebler/Will Stout sailed the runs in a more traditional manner, and screams of happiness could be heard with each successful jibe.

Day 7 (Races 9 & 10)
We all showed up at the Sailing Center with battered bodies, bruised egos, and apprehension after the previous days experience. Unfortunately, Day 7 looked to be an identical repeat to Day 6. Winds on Biscayne Bay were blowing 35 knots with squalls moving in that at one point were recorded up to 42 knots. The forecast was for the wind to die down to 18-20 knots in the afternoon, but as that was the previous days forecast we had zero confidence in that. The RC opted not to take a chance and delayed us on the dock for several hours. In the mid-afternoon they gave us the go ahead and we headed out to the start in 22 knots of breeze. Unlike the previous days, the forecast did actually pan out and racing commenced in 18-22 knots. A 25 knot squall came through during the last run in race 10, but as the wave conditions were relatively flat it turned out to be an incredible ride for most of the teams. We pulled the boats at dusk and many teams were working well after dark. Another very long day.

Day 8 (Races 11, 12, 13)
For about five or six days straight the managers have been promising that the next day would be a three race day. The weather hasn't cooperated to allow that to happen, and they seem to be trying to force the issue. The forecast was for 12-17 knots, but once again we found that there was more wind than forecast and ended up sailing in 16-22. It was actually very pleasant sailing, and given the blowouts on most of the other days, the lower pressure was most welcome. One boat did break a rig, but other damage was minimal. Racing in 20 knots seems almost tame now that we have all gotten used to strong breezes.

Day 9 (Races 14, 15, 16)
Cayard/Trinter seem almost certain to win the regatta. The RC are again trying to force 3 races in and Paul only has to get an 11 or better in one of them to win the regatta. Conditions really calmed down, and we raced in 6-12 knots. The RC set course W3 for the final day and Paul would go ahead and close the deal in the first race. In the second most controversial decision of the regatta, the organizers kept the sailors out there for a third race. I can only speak for myself, but I do know many competitors were unhappy with the decision. As one put it, "What were they thinking?" Indeed. Many teams were still putting their boats away after 10 PM and I know several had to skip the awards ceremony/dinner because of the ultra-late conclusion to the regatta. One sailor summed it all up - "The last day, of an 11 day regatta, shouldn't be the longest."

Postscript
Overall, the regatta was a big success. The CRYC did a great job on the race committee, despite very trying conditions and circumstances. Noteworthy is that this being an Olympic year, CRYC has hosted a large cadre of international sailors full-time since November. The presence of these sailors has placed stress on the resources of the club, yet the club has been very receptive to these interlopers. CRYC and the volunteers really do deserve a pat on the back for their hard work this winter. The judges were perfect in that they established their presence, kept a vigilant eye on everyone, but were generally hands off leaving the competitors the option to self-police themselves on any minor infractions.

The hardest part of the entire process was actually saying good bye to everyone. I have been in Florida full-time for four months and it is hard leaving knowing that I have to drive back to California to get back to work on April 5. At this point, most guys are returning home to rejoin the real world, others are keeping the endless summer alive by traveling to the Spring Championships in New Orleans or the World Championships in Italy in the next few weeks. I wish I was with them.

03/29/2004