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5/30/07 School's Out for the
Summer... "Now that school is done, I have been fervently working to prepare for a string of Laser regattas in June. My first stop will be in Hyeres, France, for the Laser Youth European Championship. My bags are packed, and I am eager to sail in Europe for the first time. "This past weekend, I sailed the Laser Atlantic Coast Championship in Jensen Beach, Fla., at the US Sailing Center of Martin County. I was very pleased with my regatta performance. With a moderate breeze at 10-17 mph from the East both days, the race course was full of local puffs and shifts. The regatta affirmed that my tactics and strategy are strong and that my speed off the wind was very competitive. One area of my sailing that I am still struggling with is my upwind heavy air boat speed. I hope Hyeres proves to be light and tactically challenging because those are the conditions in which I excel. For the next two days, I will continue my workout routine and packing on the carbs and protein. France will be a huge learning opportunity and a chance to show my hard work and training from this past year. "Upon my return from France, I leave immediately for the Laser North American Championship in Hyannis, Mass. My goal at this event is to qualify for the Olympic Trials ? Sailing in Newport, R.I. this October. The North Americans will be a challenging event not only because of the number of sailors vying for a berth for the Trials, but because of the notorious windy conditions at this venue. Sailing the full rig at 160 pounds in a breeze over 15 mph is difficult against the taller and heavier competitors -- especially when the breeze is onshore creating a heavy chop. Despite the challenging conditions, I am eager to meet with the US SAILING medical, nutritional and fitness experts. Their guidance will be invaluable and accelerate my knowledge and expertise to reach higher levels of achievement. "After Hyannis, I am off for a couple of days until I drive to New Orleans, La. for my last US SAILING Youth Championship. This venue should complement my sailing strengths, which is why I have high expectations. This event will also mark my last Laser regatta for the summer. After Youth Champs, I will be training for five weeks in Miami, St. Petersburg and my home in Nokomis, Fla. in the Laser and Lightning to prepare for the Olympic Trials and the Lightning Youth North American Championship and the Lightning North American Championship in August. "This summer should prove to be successful in raising the level of my performance, maturity and experience before heading off to college in the fall -- and it will be loads of fun." "This is a huge step forward for Olympic Sailing in the U.S. For pictures and bios of the US Elite Youth Development Sailing Team members, please visit the Team web site: http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/EYDT/2007/team.asp Five US Teams in Top Ten at Breitling Regatta
2007 Upcoming Events June 1-9: Finn European Championship, Balatonfoldvar, Hungary
June 2-9:
Laser European Championship and Laser Youth European
Championship, Hyeres, France
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:
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
EYDT
and read their bios, please visit: |
