September 20, 2000, From:  Charlie Ogletree & John Lovell

Today is our reserve day after three days of racing. It is nice to have a little time off!

The first day of sailing was on course D which is just inside the harbor right between North and South head. We were postponed for several hours due to a lack of wind. Finally a light North breeze filled in and we sailed 2 short races. In both races the left side of the course was heavily favored due to a geographic influence. The wind was funneling around a large point. This made the start and first beat very important because there were very few passing lanes. We finished 6th and 8th.

On day 2 we were out in the ocean on course E. Once again we were postponed due to a lack of wind. After a while a light Easterly filled in and we sailed 2 races in very fluky conditions. It was very challenging and somewhat unpredictable. We did not have much luck on the first beats but we came back through the fleet to finish 5th and 8th. On day 3 we sat out under postponement all day, the wind never filled in and the race committee canceled the day.

Overall we are in a four way tie for 4th. We are closely monitoring the forecast and hoping for wind! Leading up to the regatta we sailed in great conditions for 3 weeks and hopefully the weather pattern will change for the end of the regatta!  Stay tuned!

September 19, 2000 – From: Michael Grandfield

Today the Tornado fleet was assigned Course "D". The weather was perfect... for a picnic. Cloudless skies, no bugs, a light breeze from the northeast. However, as on Sunday, the great mass of the North Head blocked this breeze from the left side of the course and nothing filled down the course from Manly. The Race Committee postponed at 12:00 and abandoned racing for the day just after 15:30. The Tornado fleet will have its Lay Day on Wednesday, the 20th and will resume racing on Thursday, the 21st.

That could be my entire report for today, but here is a little bit more.

The Olympics are being broadcast in Sydney by Channel 7. In addition to the main channel, they also broadcast on two cable channels: 7 Games and 7 Olympics. Collectively, these broadcasts have been the best sports broadcasts I've ever seen. The athletes and the events are the whole story; events are covered in their entirety, or nearly so; the commentators are highly knowledgeable, relaxed, and unrestrained in expressing their excitement; an athlete's accomplishment in an preliminary/elimination round is celebrated and respected; Bronze medal winners are heroes and heroines.

The television coverage of sailing has been unprecedented. Entire Tornado, 49er, and Mistral races have been covered from Start to Finish. The "on the water" camera work is gyro-stabilized; the overhead work is shot from a group of several helicopters; and the Tornados (on Sunday) and 49ers (on Monday) have raced with all of the boats carrying on-board cameras. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! They are really doing it right.

We are all hoping for more breeze on Thursday. John and Charlie are stronger in fresh conditions and could pull up in the standings.

September 18, 2000, From: Michael Grandfield

The Tornado fleet sailed on Course "E", which is the southern outside course. The weather was fair, but the wind was light and shifty. Two races were completed in 5-8 knot northeasterly breezes that trended right during the day to easterly.

Skip Whyte was the onshore coach today, and Liz Ogletree and I assisted. Our fellow spectators at McQuarie lighthouse included folks from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Puerto Rico, and Great Britain.

Initially, the light northeasterly was opposed by a westerly flowing down from the cliffs. The Race Committee postponed while the northeasterly established itself and the ragged holes on the course filled in. During the day, the pressure lanes established themselves in bands that extended across the course. So, it was possible to stay in areas of pressure for long periods of time on starboard tack, while boats sailed from band to band on port tack. The right side of the course was favored all day while sailing upwind.

Race 3: The Race Committee set a W3 course. The spotting team did not have any clear indication of the favored side on the first leg. It turned out to be the right side.

Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher (AUT) completely won the start, punching out at least two full boatlengths right at the gun. They, the USA team of Lovell/Ogletree, and most of the top boats went left. So, when the fleet converged at the top mark, the lead was in the hands of Brazil and Puerto Rico. at the first leeward mark (no gates today) Enrique Figueroa Suarez and Pedro Colon Hernandez (PUR) had established a dominating lead, which they maintained through out the race. They were followed at that gate by Darren Bundock and John Forbes (AUS) and Hugh Styles and Adam May (GBR, this team is sailing extremely well). The USA was completely in the tank (13th), but there was a lot of race still ahead.

At the second windward mark, Chris Dickson and Glen Sowry (NZL) had pulled up to 4th and Hagara/Steinacher were 5th. Team USA jumped 5 places to round 8th. At the second leeward mark, Hagara/Steinacher had moved up to 3rd, pushing Styles/May back to 4th. Hagara/Steinacher passed Bundock/Forbes on the 3rd windward leg, and Lovell/Ogletree sailed a great leg, moving up to 5th. At the finish, it was Enrique Figueroa Suarez and Pedro Colon Hernandez from Puerto Rico in 1st, Hagara/Steinacher (AUT) in 2nd, the impressive Brits Styles/May in 3rd, Bundock/Forbes (AUS) in 4th, and Lovell/Ogletree in 5th. A great race by the Puerto Rican team, but the Austrians are emerging as the dominant team in these conditions. The 2000 World Champion team of Roland Gaebler and Rene Schwall (GER) has been off the pace in the light airs.

Race 4: The Race Committee again set a W3 course.
The right side was again favored. Lorenzo Bodini and Marco Bodini (ITA), Hagara/Steinacher, Styles/May, and Bundock/Forbes lead at the top mark. However, the wind became spotty and then shifted right 45 degrees, so at the first leeward mark, the lead had been taken by Pennec/Guichard (FRA), Mauricio Santa Cruz and Henrique Pellicano (BRA), and Dickson/Sowry (NZL), while Hagara/Steinacher held on to 4th. However, by the time that the fleet competed its 2nd lap, Hagara/Steinacher had retaken the lead, followed by Pennec/Guichard, Bundock/Forbes, and Gaebler/Schwall. The Austrians simply crushed the fleet on the last windward leg, going hard right and extending their lead from 5 seconds at the beginning of the leg to a full minute at the windward mark... Hagara/Steinacher were also first at the finish. The French team of Pennec/Guichard held on to 2nd place. Santiago Lange and Mariano Parada (ARG) sailed a great last lap and finished 3rd, pushing Bundock/Forbes back to 4th and Gaebler/Schwall to 5th. The US team of Lovell/Ogletree finished 8th.

Austria now leads the event with 7 points. Australia is 2nd with 12 points.
Great Britain is 3rd with 20 points. France, Germany, and the United States are tied for 4th with 27 points. Seven races to go. More light air predicted for tomorrow.

P.S. In Race 2, Dickson/Sowry (NZL) actually led the Austrian team around the first mark, who had blown past the rest of the fleet. The Kiwis were passed down wind and the Austrians then ran away with the race.

17 September, From: Michael Grandfield
Olympic competition for the Tornado catamarans began today, on Course "D". After more than 3 hours of postponement (due to very unsettled wind conditions), the fleet completed two good races in 9-12 knot north/northeasterly breezes. And, as this excerpt from the press coverage attests, it was a great day for sailing:

**
Olympic sailing appears to have at last become a spectator sport, judging by the crowds that watched-free-the opening races Sunday of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games on Sydney Harbour and offshore. Hundreds of spectator craft, from "tinnies" (small aluminium fishing boats) through to luxury super yachts (both sail and power) watched the mistral men and women's sailboards and the tornado catamarans each complete two races on Sydney Harbour as the breeze finally picked up after long delays.

With the Tornados racing on the Sound, just inside the Heads, both North Head and South Head were packed with spectators-and for free.

John FORBES of Australia, president of the International Tornado Class Association, and crew for Darren BUNDOCK, was more ecstatic about the spectator fleet than their first race win. "At no time in my life have I seen so many people following a sailing race," FORBES said. "It is a great kick for sailing."
**

Well, I was on South Head, spotting with Brad Dellenbaugh, while John Farrar and Liz Ogletree spotted from Middle Head and we had a great time both working and meeting spectators and really knowledgeable racing fans from Australia, Italy, Great Britain, Russia, and the US.

Throughout the morning, a light northeasterly tried to get established on Course "D". However, the great mass of the North Head blocked this breeze and instead an unstable easterly flowed in between the Heads and over the Course. At 12 Noon, the Race Committee postponed. After 2 hours of postponement, a north/northeasterly pushed down onto the left side of the Course from Manly, but it took another hour before the remnants of the easterly gave up and fair racing conditions were established over the entire Course.

Race 1: The Race Committee set a W3 course (windward/leeward 3 times around). The strong consensus of the spotting teams was that the left side of the course was favored, and the fleet set up to get left right off the start.

Gaebler and Schwall (GER) fought with Lovell and Ogletree (USA) for the pin end of the line. Gaebler/Schwall took the pin, but Lovell/Ogletree had a clean lane just to windward and both boats got off the line with excellent speed. At the other end of the line, Bundock and Forbes (AUS) had the best start. For the first minutes, the front row ran out to the left. Only boats that were in bad air tacked away to the right. However, about half way out the left side, the windward pack, led by Bundock/Forbes sailed into a lift and sheared away from the boats to leeward. At the windward mark Bundock/Forbes lead, followed by Hugh Styles and Adam May (GAR). These two boats dominated all the way around the course and finished 1/2. The fight for 3rd was settled on the last leeward leg, where Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher (AUT) sailed both low and very fast, passing Pierre Pennec and Yann Guichard (FRA).

Race 2: The Race Committee set a W4 course (windward/leeward 4 times around). The left side of the course remained favored, although the breeze had strengthened on the right and the strongest gusts were in the right-middle of the Course.

Lovell/Ogletree again had a clean start from the leeward half of the line. The early lead looked to be held by Chris Dickson and Glen Sowry (NZL), but Hagara/Steinacher who started at the leeward end of the line ripped to the front of the fleet. Demonstrating a skill for which they are well known, Hagara/Steinacher dialed in a very tight groove and sailed both very high and very fast, climbing to windward on several boats above them and punching out at the same time. When they tacked to port to come over to the layline for the first windward mark, they had taken the lead. They extended their lead on every leg, and won the race going away. Dickson/Lowry tenaciously defended their 2nd place throughout the race... they are emerging as a real factor in this regatta. Bundock/Forbes battled throughout the race with Gaebler/Schwall, finally putting away the German boat on the last leg to take 3rd place. Lovell/Ogletree had excellent speed, but one tactical error on the first windward leg put them back in the fleet... they sailed smart
from there on and finished 6th.

Here are some key bits of information:
- Rushcutter's Bay Sailing Venue:
http://www.olympics.com/eng/venues/RBM/index.html?/eng/venues/RBM/home.html
- The Race Courses: http://www.sailing.org/olympics/maps/oly1.html
- Day 1 Results:
http://www.olympics.com/eng/sports/SA/SAX406/result_SAX4068uu.html
- The Competitors:
1. Argentina - Santiago Lange and Mariano Parada
2. Australia - Darren Bundock and John Forbes
3. Austria - Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher
4. Brazil - Mauricio Santa Cruz and Henrique Pellicano
5. Denmark - Stig Hansen and Helen Hansen
6. France - Yann Guichard and Pierre Pennec
7. Germany - Roland Gaebler and Rene Schwall
8. Great Britain - Hugh Styles and Adam May
9. Italy - Lorenzo Bodini and Marco Bodini
10. New Zealand - Chris Dickson and Glen Sowry
11. Portugal - Hugo Rocha and Nuno Bareto
12. Puerto Rico - Enrique Figueroa Suarez and Pedro Colon Hernandez
13. Russia - Konstantin Emelianov and Alexandre Ianine
14. Spain - Fernando Leon and Jose Luis Ballester
15. Sweden - Martin Strandberg and Magnus Loevden
16. USA John - Lovell and Charlie Ogletree

P.S. The controversial Bundock/Forbes trampoline:
The trampoline was an made with an open mesh, which results in lighter weight and less drag when being hit by waves from below. While the size of the open mesh was small enough to be legal, the configuration of open mesh was secured by "laminate" coating. Under the Class Rules, this coating was ruled illegal.