FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int’l for Rolex, 401-849-0220,
barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com;
Marlieke de Lange Eaton, US SAILING, 401-683-0800,
MarliekeEaton@ussailing.org
US SAILING's
2008 Rolex Miami OCR
Perfect Score by Scandone/McKinnon-Tucker
Miami, Fla. (January 29, 2008) – After postponements due to light wind,
369 Olympic and Paralympic sailors from 34 countries basked in sunshine and
steadily increasing breezes on Biscayne Bay, completing day two of US
SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR. Ynglings, Lasers and 2.4mRs have now completed
five races, while the Laser Radials, Stars, SKUD-18s and Sonars have each
completed four. The regatta, as important for establishing a sailor's world
ranking as it is for providing a warm-weather elite training option for
Europeans, has this year attracted dozens of teams selected by their
countries for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Regattas, set for
August and September, respectively, in Qingdao, China.
One of those teams is Nick Scandone (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and Maureen
McKinnon-Tucker (Marblehead, Mass.), the USA's Paralympic representatives in
the SKUD-18 class and the only ones at this regatta with a perfect score.
With four points overall, they are eight points ahead of fellow US Sailing
Team AlphaGraphics members Scott Whitman (Brick, N.J.)
and Julia Dorsett (Boca Raton, Fla). The duo has turned in
significant margins of victory in the 10-boat fleet, including a two-minute
lead at the finish of race one today.
"So far so good," said Scandone, who has perhaps the most SKUD-18 sailing
experience of all competitors here. "We're going real well and playing the
shifts correctly; our extra time in the boat has paid off." The SKUD-18,
because it is built in Indonesia and did not have an established class
before it was chosen to make its Paralympic debut in 2008, has been
difficult for teams to acquire. US SAILING bought the first handful built,
and Scandone bought his own only after the progression of his ALS (Lou
Gehrig's) disease, diagnosed in 2002, made it impossible to sail his initial
Paralympic boat of choice, the 2.4mR.
"You have to be rated a 'one' (the highest level of disability) to skipper
the SKUD-18," said Scandone, who was rated a 'three’ when he was named US
SAILING’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in 2005 for his 2.4mR prowess. "Four
years ago at this regatta, I was a 'six' (seven being the lowest level)."
While many Paralympic athletes here began sailing after they became
disabled, Scandone's experience goes back to his childhood and continued
through college where he was an ICSA All-American--a history that sailors
think will bode well for him at the Paralympics.
"It's all about China," said Scandone, "making sure I'm healthy enough to
attend." After dealing with more immediate adversity just before the
regatta--Scandone's father-in-law died and McKinnon-Tucker's two-year-old
son underwent brain surgery--Scandone says it has also been about putting
those distractions, however sad and difficult, aside: "Stay in our game; do
our best to bring home the Gold."
According to skipper Paul Callahan (Newport, R.I./Cape Coral, Fla..), who
currently sits in seventh in the Sonar class where Germany's Jens Kroker
leads, "today's gently oscillating seabreeze proved to be more challenging
as the day went on. As for the competition here, it's deadly if you make a
mistake."
There is more of the same, weather- and competition-wise, in store for
tomorrow when fleet racing resumes. It continues through Friday for all
classes, with the top-ten from each Olympic class staying on for medal races
on Saturday.
About the Rolex Miami OCR
Established in 1990 by US SAILING, the Rolex Miami OCR annually draws elite
sailors Olympic and Paralympic medalists and hopefuls from around the world.
In non-Olympic years, the regatta is especially important as a ranking
regatta for sailors hoping to qualify for the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics,
which annually distinguish the top three sailors in each Olympic or
Paralympic class. The 2008 Rolex Miami OCR consists of five days of fleet
racing from Monday January 28 through Friday, February 1, and one day of
top-ten medal racing (for Olympic classes only) on Saturday, February 2,
replicating the new Olympic format that will debut in Qingdao.
Regatta Headquarters are at the US Sailing Center, where the Laser classes
also will be located. The Stars will be hosted at Coral Reef Yacht Club, the
Ynglings at Key Biscayne Yacht Club, and all Paralympic classes at
Shake-A-Leg Miami’s facilities. The City of Miami has also joined to support
the event.
In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR is
also sponsored by: AlphaGraphics, Nautica, LaserPerformance, Gill, New
England Ropes, Sperry Top-Sider, Extrasport, RIBCRAFT, Nikon, Harken, Team
McLube, and Trinity Yachts.
On-demand video will be available after 9 p.m. each evening starting
Thursday, January 31, at
www.RolexMiamiOCR.org, where complete results
also can be found.
(end)
US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR Top-Three Results
Day 2
Laser (24 boats) -- 5 races
1. Maciej Grabowski (POL), 2-1-[6]-4-2, 9
2. Kyle Rogachenko (Collegeville, Penn., USA), 1-4-1-[24/OCS]-6, 12
3. Marcin Rudawski (POL), [11]-3-4-2-4, 13
Laser Radial (39 boats) -- 4 races
1. Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla., USA), 1-4-1-1, 7
2. Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla., USA), 3-1-3-2, 9
3. Penny Clark (GBR), 6-2-6-9, 23
Star (70 boats) – 4 races
1. Rick Merriman/Brian Sharp (New York, N.Y./Franklin, Mass., USA), 1-4-2-1,
8
2. Eivind Melleby/Petter Morland Pedersen (NOR), 6-2-1-5, 14
3. Hamish Pepper/Carl Williams (NZL), 1-3-7-7, 18
Yngling (28 boats) -- 5 races
1. Sarah Ayton/Sarah Webb/Pippa Wilson (GBR), 6-6-1-[23]-1, 14
2. Ekaterina Skudina,/Diana Krutskikh/Natalia Ivanova (RUS), [19]-2-3-3-9,
17
3. Monica Azon/Sandra Azon/Graciela Pisonero (ESP), [16]-3-2-2-13, 20
2.4mR (25 boats) -- 5 races
1. Damien Seguin (FRA), [4]-2-1-3-1, 7
2. Stellan Berlin (SWE), 2-[7]-2-4-2, 10
3. Paul Tingley (CAN), 1-9-[26/OCS]-2-4, 16
SKUD-18 (10 boats) -- 4 races
1. Nick Scandone/Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Fountain Valley,
Calif./Marblehead, Mass., USA), 1-1-1-1, 4
2. Scott Whitman/Julia Dorsett (Brick, N.J./Boca Raton, Fla., USA), 5-3-2-2,
12
3. John McRoberts/Stacie Louttit (CAN), 3-2-3-4, 12
Sonar (11 boats) -- 4 races
1. Jens Kroker/Tobias Schuetz/Siegmund Mainka (GER), 1-3-2-2, 8
2. John Robertson/Hannah Stodel/Steve Thomas (GBR), 6-2-1-5, 14
3. Bruno Jourden/Herve Larhant/Nicolas Vimont Vicary (FRA), 2-4, 6