| COCONUT GROVE, FL. USA-(25-3-2004) With both Star sailors and organizers anxious to resume racing after yesterday+IBk-s layday, the Race Committee sent an observer out on blustery Biscayne Bay to take wind readings after early-morning reports came in at 15-22 knots. Armed with the information that the observer never recorded anything in excess of 18 knots, the fleet competing in the 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Sailing headed out to the course where half an hour before the noon start, winds ranged from 13-18 knots. Under conditions acknowledged as +IBw-excellent for Star sailing,+IB0- the course was set for W-2 (windward-leeward twice around). However, by noon the winds had increased to 18-21, and by the time the lead boats had completed the first two legs, winds had increased from 22-25 knots +IBM- with gusts as high as 32 +IBM- resulting in a decision not to run additional races for the day, once the race in progress was completed.
With their win of the only race sailed today, George Szabo (San Diego, Calif.) and Mark Strube (West Palm Beach, Fla.) have improved another position in the overall scoring. They have been steadily improving their placement over the course of the series, and today+IBk-s win, their second thus far in eight races, puts them 12 points behind series leaders Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil Trinter (Lorain, Ohio). Cayard and Trinter finished fourth today and now stand first overall with 14 points.
Vince Brun and Mike Dorgan (both San Diego, Calif.), dropped back one place to third overall after adding a 10th-place finish to their scoreline. With 34 points, they trail Szabo and Strube by eight points.
Posting an 11th-place finish didn+IBk-t cost Eric Doyle (San Diego, Calif.) and Brian Sharp (Norwalk, Conn./Franklin, Mass.) anything in the overall scoring. In fact the two moved up from fifth to fourth on the strength of 45 points. Rounding out the top-five in the overall scores, one point behind Doyle and Sharp, are John MacCausland (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Brad Nichol (Sunapee, N.H.) after finishing eighth today.
Racing continues tomorrow, Friday, March 26, through Sunday, March 28. The Race Committee will plan for three races each of the remaining competition days in an attempt to complete the planned 16-race series. For bios and full results visit: www.ussailing.org/olympics/OlympicTrials/2004/.
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