Diary
August 19, 2007
Another day of no wind halted racing for all classes today, as sailors waited for a breeze that never arrived. As Tornado sailors Johnny Lovell and Charlie Ogletree wrote, “The 2007 Good Luck Beijing International Regatta is proving to be anything but lucky for us, but all we can do is wait for the weather to improve.”
“It’s tough, mentally, when all we want to do is race and gain some ground after our slow beginning to the regatta,” they wrote.
Yngling sailors Sally Barkow, Debbie Capozzi and Carrie Howe detailed their fruitless day on the water Sunday:
“We took the 9:00 am bus to the venue, weighed-in, prepared the boat, attended a weather briefing with our coach James Lyne, and Jennifer Lilly, the team weather expert, and then lowered the boat into the water and towed out of the harbor.
That’s when the routine was interrupted. While turning the corner at the breakwater our Yngling was almost sliced into two pieces by a 20-foot mark boat heading at full speed back into the harbor. We’re still trying to figure out why he was coming back when he was supposed to be out setting marks. It got our adrenalin pumping but soon after we were corralled back into the harbor after the Race Committee decided that the windless, flat, sloppy conditions were not fit for racing.
Finally at 12:48 pm, the shoreside postponement signals were lowered, class by class. Course D for the Finns and Ynglings was the last to get the green light. After our 30 minute tow we arrived at the course area and hoisted sail to test the breeze. James headed off in the coach boat to check on the tide values around the course and the Race Committee politely tells us to "Stay close by!"
We did our best but we were beginning to vanish off upwind on the swift ebbing tide. We just couldn’t keep up with the anchored committee boat. Quick decision. We dropped sails and grabbed a tow line offered by the coach boat from our Canadian Finn friend Chris Cook. James got back and surveyed the fleet of 40 Finns and Ynglings but, without our sails to identify us, couldn’t find us. He thought we were gone, swept off downtide! I think we add a few grey hairs to his head each day. Usually though, it’s for our racing tactics.
Finally at 3:00 pm, the committee hoisted the AP over H flag sequence, spelling the end of any hope of racing for the day. Tomorrow, they are planning an early start and three races. Hopefully things will improve. We have only four days remaining in this regatta and so far we’ve only sailed four races.”
Dean Brenner
Chairman, US Olympic Sailing Program
Team Leader, 2007 Olympic Test Event