September 20, 2000 - 470 Race Day One
September 19, 2000 - Race One Eve
September 19, 2000 - Opening Ceremonies
September 11, 2000 - Final Preparations

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9/20/2000 - 470 Race Day One

Today was the day we have been working towards for four years, or at least most of the field. JJ and Pease chose the short course, accelerated version and are showing everyone that they had the right idea. More on that later.

The 470s were blessed today with the best racing conditions since the Games began four days ago, and we made the most of the opportunity getting two excellent races in the ocean on course E. We left early for the long tow to the ocean through a windless Sydney Harbor. The forecast was for 12 – 14 kts from the south arriving at noon on a dry front and moving left all day, but we were wondering. The forecasters were right on. The breeze arrived suddenly and immediately built to nearly 18 knots before settling in at around 13 for the race. The men were up first with an outer loop course. After the obligatory general recalls, Paul and Bob got an excellent start at the pin and worked left, but didn't make the full commitment. Portugal went all the way to grab the lead with Paul and Bob arriving at the weather mark in a tight group in about 5th. The group was a little too tight and they just missed crossing the Israelis and found themselves doing a 720. They managed to foul the Kiwis while doing their second circle and had to do two more. Ouch! They finally got going after losing ten or more boats and began to grind back to the front. They had very good speed, went the right way, and finished 8th. A very nice recovery. Portugal won with the defending Gold Medalists from Ukraine in second.

JJ and Pease had a fine start near the pin, but were not the fastest. They held on in bad air going left eventually becoming the furthest left, and found themselves third at the top. They lost a bit on the run, but got it back on the second beat, but there was a tight pack close astern. They got in a defensive struggle with the Italians and eventually lost three boats to finish 6th. The Australians won with Greece second and Denmark third. The 6th was far better than the OCS that JJ got in race one in Barcelona in 1992. That memory had been haunting her for 8 years and she was delighted to finally put it out of her mind.

The breeze dropped off quickly after race one. After a short break we began a series of postponements and aborted starting sequences as the breeze moved thirty degrees further left. It was beginning to look like we might not get a second race when the breeze suddenly shifted left another 10 degrees and built to around 11 knots. The committee did a good job getting things going quickly and we were off. After one general recall the fleet got away on a right favored line with a strong motivation to go left. Paul and Bob started a few boats up from the pin in a tough group. They didn't get off too well and got shot out the back. They did their best to work left, but it was difficult from the second row. They got to the top in 14th in a tight pack. It took a while to work through the crowd, but they finally got it done and moved up to 9th at the finish. The Australians won this race passing the French on the second run. Paul and Bob had to work hard for their every point today with the penalty turns and a poor start in race two, but the good news is that they are fast.

Today we saved the best for last. JJ and Pease had a great start near the pin and simply blew away everyone around them. They were first to the left and got to the weather mark first with a small lead over the Kiwis and many top teams way back. They maintained control around the course and eventually extended to a comfortable lead and went on to win. It was an great moment for both JJ and Pease, but it was particularly sweet for Pease. After so many years of Olympic class competition in 470s and Tornados she finally has an Olympic race win. This was also the first win for JJ and Pease in a major event and it couldn't have come at a better time.

After day one JJ and Pease are leading by a point over Italy with Germany and Greece two points further back. It's very early to look too hard at the scores, but is certainly nice to be leading. There are a few very good teams who are already in some serious trouble with two drops.

Paul and Bob are tied for 7th with Portugal leading, Australia second, and Ukraine third. They aren't too happy in that spot and are determined to do something about it tomorrow. We go to Course E once again for another ocean experience.

The rest of the team is doing well. The McKee's had a big day with a 5,1,5 to move into second in the 49ers. The Madrigali, Healy, Jordan team had two seconds to bring them up to fourth in the fleet portion of the Soling competition. Lasers and Europes also started today and had two races on course B. John Myrdal had a great first race, but struggled in race two. Courtenay Dey had a bit of a rough start, but she will rally tomorrow. The boards had two races on D. Lanee had two solid races to improve her standing, while Gebi had two finishes near tenth.

Stars and Finns haven't started yet and the Tornados had the day off.

THE GAME IS ON AND WE GOT GAME!!! STAY TUNED.

September 19, 2000 - Race One Eve

If there is one thing you can count on at a major event it is the near certainty of atypical weather. The wind has been on vacation since the opening ceremonies. The 470s have missed the frustration so far, but we start tomorrow. The forecast is for more of the same with a weak front scheduled at mid day and little promise of good sailing conditions. All of the classes that have started are now behind schedule, and many of the favorites have struggled in the fluky conditions. The 49ers didn't race today because many of the supplied spinnakers were ripping. It seems that the giant county flag graphics have reduced the elasticity of the cloth causing many failures. There has been a huge worldwide search to find enough new spinnakers. The fleet is expecting new chutes in the morning, but no one is certain that they will actually make it in time. The McKees had two solid races on day one and are in the lead group.

The Tornados have had three consecutive days of very light air. They got no races today and are now two behind. Our guys are hanging tough and eagerly waiting for some real wind. They are off tomorrow. The Solings have had a see-saw experience with two good races and two stinkers. They are still qualifying easily, but it has been nerve wracking.

The boards are also behind by two races after three days. I n the men's competition, none of the pre-event favorites are in the top five. Gebi is in a good position to make a run at the front with several good finishes and no big drops. Lanee has been hot, but lost a tough protest and a great finish. She is taking it in stride and has the confidence and ability to medal. She will move up substantially with the first drop.

Meanwhile the 470s had a practice race today in the best wind available. We sailed on course B near the Opera House in a 5-10 knot Northeasterly. The ladies started first and JJ and Pease got a GREAT start. (It turned out to be just a little bit too good and they were OCS) They had great jets, too. After establishing an early lead and consolidating towards the middle, they lost a bunch of boats on the left, stepped left to join them, then blew them away. They were whistled for kinetics on the second beat for unknown reasons, did their 720 and still lead by a nice margin. They were going great! The ladies are confident and very well prepared. Look out world!

Paul and Bob also had a great start, consolidated back to the middle, but didn't re-establish contact with the left and rounded around 12th. They did great job to get back to 6th. They were going just fine, but lots of boats are quick in that condition. Speed isn't enough to win. You've got to race well, and Paul and Bob are the best racers out there.

I can't wait for tomorrow! We are going to Course E out in the ocean. Terrific! What a great Olympics. Never before have the sailors been challenged with inner harbor racing one day, then confronted with open ocean conditions the next. Those who stand on the podium in 11 days will have to prove themselves in everything.

September 19, 2000 - Opening Ceremonies
Hello race fans,

Apologies for the long pause between reports, but this Olympic preparation stuff seems to take priority.

Training went very well in the days leading up to opening ceremonies. The final race days were very successful for Paul and Bob. They were playing with their competition. The ladies took some time off, but were awesome every time they made an appearance.

The conditions continued to amaze with westerly after westerly and lots of velocity. I think everyone was wondering how long the great wind would last. With the conclusion of the third practice series on the 13th, organize scrimmaging ceased, but we were able to arrange some small scale racing with continued success. We went through measurement over two days with minimal dramas. This was a pleasant contrast to the last two Olympics.

Opening ceremonies were the 15th and I was very fortunate to get a ticket at the last minute from Pease. After a short session on the harbor, I took the catamaran ferry to the Olympic Village for the first time. It was a pleasant ride up the harbor and definitely preferable to the stop and go Sydney traffic. I had a quick dinner at the dining tent in the village. It is HUGE. There is an amazing array of food from every corner of the globe and it is all available instantly. Pretty nice.

The Opening Ceremonies were incredible. After several days of measurement the 470 team was more than happy to relax a bit and enjoy the spectacle. The performance had many memorable moments, but seeing Korea march in as a single competitive entity was really moving. I had the good fortune to get a great seat behind the stage. The show was incredible. I was so close to the torch that I cold feel the heat. If you saw the Ceremonies on TV, you may recall that the torch got stuck for about a minute. It was only a few meters below us at that time and was really pumping out the BTUs. It was a moving experience.

Leaving the ceremonies was much more difficult than arriving. The ferry wasn't running at that hour, so we had to take the train. The crush of people trying to get to the train was almost frightening. 110,000 people funneling into one train station simultaneously is a unique experience that I don't need to repeat. Thankfully, everyone was in a good mood. We finally got back to the team house around 2:30 a.m.

The next morning the women's triathlon marked the real opening of the games. The TV helicopters were only about two miles away while the beach volleyball was only a few miles in the other direction on Bondi Beach. The Games are all around us. The Swiss triathletes took the Gold and Bronze in an upset with the US just out of the medals in fourth and fifth. This won't be the last surprise.

September 11, 2000 -- Final Olympic Preparations 
Opening ceremonies are now only four days away. The first boats have been through measurement and the remaining practice sessions can now be counted on one hand. It's almost time and we are ready. After all of the hard work here and in Europe it is hard to imagine that we could squeeze more blood out of the stone, but we have. Both teams have made significant strides in the last few days. The endless strong westerlies have given us opportunities to refine our heavy air, flat-water technique. The final tweaks to our sails have been very successful as well. We have new jets!

We measure on Wednesday. It should be smooth sailing after all of our careful preparations, but one never knows. Stay tuned.