2003 Pan Am Games Team - Sailing
Singlehanded Sailors Ben Richardson, Sally Barkow and Jeff Linton

Name:

Ben Richardson

Class

Laser

Position

Skipper

Pan Am Games Team:

2003

US Sailing Team:

2000, 2003

Member of:

Eastern Point & Eastern Yacht Clubs

High School:

Waring School, 1993

College:

Harvard, 1997

Birthdate:

4 September 1975

Birthplace:

Concord, Mass.

Hometown:

Gloucester, Mass.

Sailing Since Age:

7
Ben Richardson says he was "off the radar screen" until the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Sailing when he finished ninth in the Laser class. Now he is truly an international force and considered a top contender for an Olympic berth.

Though he sailed on the Harvard College team, he was never an All-American. After college, however, he proved himself a versatile crew, finishing fourth in the 2000 Soling Trials, second at the ’02 Soling Worlds and fifth at the ‘00 Etchells Worlds.

"I’ve had a Laser for 15 years and have been gradually ramping up from a New England level to a U.S. level," says Richardson of his move to singlehanded sailing. "I graduated in ‘97 from Harvard, and my senior year I had pretty much decided I would do an Olympic campaign. I had no idea what I was getting into." Richardson is now a full-time sailor and "work" consists solely of fund raising for his Olympic campaign.

"The Pan Am Games are Olympic-like in that it is a multi-sport event and you have everything from opening ceremonies to team uniforms," says Richardson. "It is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when sailors like Robert Scheidt of Brazil will be there. But for me as a Laser sailor there is something more. There will be only 15-20 boats, which is a much smaller fleet than at a Laser Worlds where there are sometimes hundreds of boats, and it’s about the same size fleet that will be at our Trials. It’s an environment that requires a different strategy and one in which I seem to do better."

At the three-day Laser Pan Am Trials, that also featured a relatively small fleet, Richardson proved to be one of the faster sailors in a breeze. At the end of day two he had moved to second overall, and with one race on the last day, it was a numbers game -- which he won -- of putting points between himself and the leader.

"I would be very disappointed if I didn’t finish in the top five at the Olympic Trials," says Richardson. "There are four other sailors I compete against that on any given weekend any one of us could win. I don’t think there’s any of those guys that think they have better than a 25% chance of winning the Trials."

Richardson was an economics major in college and follows the world’s geopolitical and economic events closely. He is motivated by having his performance quantified: "Being a full-time athlete allows you to have that."

Name:

Sally Barkow

Class

Laser Radial

Position

Skipper

Pan Am Games Team:

2003

US Sailing Team:

2003

Member of:

Pine Lake Yacht Club

High School:

University Lake School, 1998

College:

Old Dominion University, 2002

Birthdate:

10 July 1980

Birthplace:

Waukesha, Wisc.

Hometown:

Pine Lake, Wisc.

Sailing Since Age:

5

Sailing Achievements:

Two-time ICSA All-American
Barkow will take a quick respite from her Olympic Yngling campaign (with crew Debbie Capozzi and Carrie Howe) to sail the Laser Radial at the Pan Am Games. In fact, come late July, she will return from sailing in Europe to her home in Wisconsin, only to head out again immediately to Santo Domingo.

Barkow began sailing at age five when her parents started her in a youth sailing program. Her four siblings (three older brothers and a younger sister) all sail as well and count among their high-profile sailing experiences an America’s Cup campaign, a Worrell 1000 race and collegiate competition.

"Striving to keep up with three older brothers has molded me into the athlete I have come," said Barkow. "It’s not easy, but in doing so I know I have become a better athlete and sailor."

Growing up inland and sailing on lakes, Barkow attained personal sailing goals and several championship titles in the X-boat, E-scow and Laser. A graduate of Old Dominion University, she completed four years of college sailing, counting victory (first overall and in A-division) at the 2002 ICSA Women's North American Dinghy Championship among her accomplishments. She also is a two-time ICSA All-American (’01, ’02).

Augmenting her college sailing, Barkow started a match racing career by winning the 2001 Rolex Women’s Match Racing Championship and continued to improve her boat to boat tactics and rankings by attending the UBS Match, Bermuda Gold Cup, Osprey Cup, and the US Women’s Match Race Championship. She was nominated for the 2002 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award.

At the Pan Am Games Trials, Barkow split the first two races of the series with another sailor, then followed with four first-place finishes to secure victory in the 14-boat Laser Radial fleet.

Barkow works out four to five times a week when she’s not sailing and nurses a lower back injury that stopped her from sailing for a period of time in college. For now, she is living her dream, committing to sailing full time and traveling the world to get the most sailing experience she possibly can.

Name:

Jeff Linton

Class

Sunfish

Position

Skipper

Pan Am Games Team:

2003

US Sailing Team:

2003

Member of:

 Davis Island Yacht Club

High School:

 Bayshore Methodist, 1981

College:

 Eckerd College, 1985 BS

Birthdate:

 2 May 1962

Birthplace:

 Missouri

Hometown:

 Tampa, Fla.

Sailing Since Age:

 7
Jeff Linton has been sailing since age seven and though he was born in Missouri, he has spent nearly his entire life in Florida, near Tampa, where he now resides. A partner in Masthead Enterprises, a sailing gear store and service loft for Ullman Sails in St. Petersburg, Linton feels his passion for sailing has an easy co-existence with work.

"I’m looking forward to the Pan Am Games," said Linton who is a five-time Sunfish National Champion (’93, ’94. ’95, ’97, 00), as well as the 2001 Lightning World champion. "Because of the changes afoot for the Pan Am Games, this may be the last time the Sunfish will make an appearance."

Linton beat out 35 other contenders at the U.S. Pan Am Trials and -- true to his competitive nature -- was disappointed that the defending champion was not there for him to measure up against.

Most inspirational to Linton’s athletic career is his father, with whom he grew up cruising the Caribbean aboard a "bare-bones" Morgan 24. Completely self-taught, his father, now age 72, is still single-handing his boat around the Caribbean -- despite a replaced shoulder, fused vertebra and being legally blind.

When he’s not sailing, Linton enjoys kayaking and salt-water fishing (including a new penchant for fly fishing). Depending on what boat he is getting ready to race, Linton tailors an aggressive workout to fit the occasion. He lifts weights twice a week, plays racquetball or basketball four to five times a week and sails at least a few hours each week.

"Sunfish sailing is an individual sport, but it’s impossible to improve without training partners. I’ve had the good luck to practice with a very competitive fleet of Sunfish sailors and get coaching from excellent local sailors like match-racer and past Pan Am competitor Ed Baird."