5/09/07

For US Sailing Team members Tim Wadlow (Beverly, Mass.) and Chris Rast (Wake Forest, N.C.), a meticulous sense of detail is crucial for a successful Olympic campaign. After winning fifth place at the 2004 Olympics in the 49er class, Wadlow has some tricks up his sleeve for the 2008 Games. US SAILING caught up with Wadlow on a brief pit stop in Massachusetts before leaving to train in Cascais, Portugal. Read our interview and learn what it takes to be an Olympic caliber sailor.

10 Questions for 49er Sailor Tim Wadlow 

You and your crew, Chris Rast, started 2007 with a bang at US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR in January. Were you happy with your fourth place result in the 49er class?
The top 24 out of 25 teams came this year, so it was a strong, international fleet. When the top teams from Britain and Spain show up, everyone else follows. It becomes the place to be. We definitely sailed really well -- and with the exception of the Medal Race, we could have easily won the regatta. We're much further along than where we thought we'd be in our development.

You got fifth place at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. How is this Olympic campaign different than your last?
I have a different partner this time, Chris Rast, who I have known for a long time. This campaign has a much different feel to it. The last campaign was much longer because it was the full four years. This time around, we jumped in a little late, so we're more focused and more efficient. We know what we need to do and what we don/t need to do. Chris and I have enough racing experience; we need to get better at sailing the boat.

How has Chris changed the way you race? What have you learned from him?
Sailing with Chris has been great. He just converted from skipper to crew about 12 months ago. He brings a very high standard of perfection. He's very meticulous about equipment preparation -- everything has to be absolutely perfect on the boat. When our boat is in perfect shape, we know we will show up at the starting line with the advantage.

What is the toughest aspect of an Olympic campaign?
The toughest part is probably paying for it. When you're training and going to the gym five days a week, it's hard, but those are fun challenges. Raising the money can be really tough. Chris and I have done a lot of fundraising. In addition to our sponsor, SECORA Consulting, we have received donations from 50 to 100 individuals. Southwestern Yacht Club in San Diego has been very good to us -- last weekend was opening day, and they raised some money for our campaign.

How much do you spend in one year?
During this 12-month period from October 2006 to October 2007, we're going to spend around $80,000.

Chris lives in Switzerland and you live in Massachusetts. Where do you and Chris train?
Last week we spent 10 days sailing in San Diego, training for the Olympic Trials (to be held in October 2007). We're getting used to San Diego, where the ocean swells make it a different place to sail. You need a different set of skills for ocean sailing: boat handling, how you sail the boat in the waves, and the power level you have in the sails changes all the time. It makes everything a lot harder.

When you're not sailing, how do you train off the water?
Chris and I both go to the gym, run outside and lift weights. We're one of the smaller teams so we don't have to worry about gaining weight.

What sets you apart from other athletes?
I have an excellent work ethic.

What's next for you and Chris?
Next week, we'll train in Cascais, Portugal for the ISAF Combined World Championship. We will train with a coach, Thomas Johansson, an Olympic gold medalist, and two other foreign teams. After that, we will compete at the Holland Regatta in Medemblik.

What are your goals for the upcoming World Championship? 
We are setting up ourselves to peak at the Olympic Trials, with our equipment selection, fitness and skills. The Worlds in Cascais will be a great benchmark -- we will try our best and see where we stand. But at the end of the day, the Trials are the most important event for us this year.

2007 Upcoming Events

May 23-27: Holland Regatta, Medemblik, The Netherlands www.hollandregatta.org/2007

June 1-10 : 470 European Championship, Thessaloniki, Greece

June 1-9: Finn European Championship, Balatonfoldvar, Hungary

June 2-9: Laser European Championship and Laser Youth European Championship , Hyeres, France

June 5-15: RS:X European Championship, Limassol, Cyprus

June 14-17: Laser North American Championship, Hyannis, MA, USA

June 16-30: Kiel Week, Kiel, Germany
www.kieler-woche.de/eng/englishdefault.htm

June 28-July 13: ISAF Combined Olympic Class World Championship in Cascais, Portugal (first Olympic Qualifier for all classes) www.cascaisworlds2007.com

About the Teams
The 2007 USST consists of the top three-ranked sailors in each of the nine classes (11 events) selected for the 2008 Olympic Games: Finn (men); 470 (men and women); Laser (men); Laser Radial (women); Neil Pryde RS:X (men and women); 49er, Star, Tornado (all open); and Yngling (women). For a complete list of the 2007 USST and their hometowns, please visit:
www.ussailing.org/olympics/2007/team.asp

The 2007 USDST also consists of the top three ranked sailors in each of the three classes chosen for the 2008 Paralympic Games: the 2.4mR, the Sonar, and SKUD-18. For a complete list of the 2007 USDST and their hometowns, please visit:
www.ussailing.org/olympics/paralympic/2007/team.asp

Newly launched in 2007, the Elite Youth Development Team represents the country's top youth sailors in the Laser and Laser Radial. To help the athletes gain more sailing experience at the highest levels, members of the Team will travel to major international regattas worldwide and be supported by elite-level coaches. To meet the members of the 2007 UYDT and read their bios, please visit:
www.ussailing.org/olympics/EYDT/2007/team.asp

Sponsors of the 2007 US Sailing Teams are: Rolex Watch U.S.A., Vanguard Sailboats, Nautica, Gill, Sperry Top-Sider, RIBCRAFT, Harken, New England Ropes, Extrasport, Nikon and Team McLube.  

Contact:
Marni Lane
Press Officer, US Sailing Teams
US SAILING
617.671.8332
401.683.0800 x671
MarniLane@ussailing.org