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For Immediate Release
Contact: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro 401.225.0249 on site
Weather Steals
Show at Rolex Miami OCR
Foreign
Competitors Make Strong Showing
 MIAMI, FLORIDA (January 27, 2004)
-- The first day of the 2004 Rolex
Miami OCR was cut short for most of the 11 classes competing when a rain
squall bearing high, shifty winds rolled down Biscayne Bay at mid-day.
With six racecourses utilized in six different areas, some classes were
affected more drastically by the surprise
conditions than others. "The water was foaming," said US Sailing Team
Coach Skip Whyte, who was on the 470 course where several of the boats
purposely capsized to avoid wind damage to their rigs and one signal
boat reported a waterspout hitting it. "The gusts felt like bowling
balls coming at you."
Nevertheless, scores tallied --
even if it was for one race --
were important for all 11 Olympic and Paralympic classes
competing here. The Rolex Miami OCR, in its 15th year, has attracted 503
sailors representing over 35 countries. It is one of the largest
regattas of its kind in the U.S. and is serving as a qualifying event
for some countries in their determination of their
2004 Olympic and Paralympic representatives to
Athens. In other cases, the event is serving as elite-level practice for
athletes already chosen for the Olympics.
One sailor who falls in the latter category, along with Sweden's Fredrik
Loof and France's Xavier Rohart, is Great Britain's Iain
Percy, who had an "untroubled start" in the Star class's single race and
led Mark Reynolds (San Diego, Calif.),
the 2000 Star Olympic gold medallist, around
the course to win. "Those are the easy races, when you're out in front,"
said Percy. "We're happy with our boat speed." When a 40-degree wind
shift forced the race committee to abandon the second race halfway
through the first beat, Percy was sitting in 15th. "That was going to be
the hard one," said Percy, conceding that winning in this fleet, with 58
entries, will be no cakewalk. "Being in Miami for this event is a
no-brainer," he said, with a nod to the many world champions competing.
"Because of the quality competition, you have to be here, and most of
the Star sailors from around the world come here in mid-December and
stay through the winter."
The Finn sailors, on the same course as the 470 and 49er sailors, got to
their last downwind leg in the second race before half the fleet
capsized. Denmark's Jonas Hoegh Christensen, a defending champion here
and his country's leading contender for an
Olympic berth, had worked his way to third after handily winning today's
first race. The 1996 Finn Olympic Gold medallist,
Mateus Kusznierewicz from Poland, follows in
second overall.
Topping the Tornado fleet today was
Argentina's Santiago Lange after posting finish positions of 1-3. Close
on his heels is Lars Guck (Bristol, R.I.) with
Jonathan Farrar (Miami, Fla.), only one point behind in total
points. This fleet, too, is deep with talent, with Lange having finished
top-five at the 2003 Tornado Worlds.
Great Britain's Olympic representative Leigh McMillan
is 19th after today, and Germany's
Roland Gaebler holds third. Roman Hagara, who
recently won the Tornado North Americans, is in sixth after today, while
Johnny Lovell (New Orleans) and Charlie
Ogletree (Kemah, Texas),
the USA's two-time Olympians
who finished second at the North Americans, are seventh.
Racing continues through Friday, January 30. Regatta Headquarters are
located at the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove. Other Hosts for the
event are the Coral Reef, Key Biscayne and Miami Yacht Clubs; the
Coconut Grove Sailing Club; and Shake-A-Leg Miami.
For full results, click
here
(end)
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