| MIAMI, FLA. USA-(26-1-2005) Only one lead change took place today at
the Rolex Miami OCR when Carol Cronin’s Yngling team outpaced Sally Barkow
’s to take second in a single race. Extremely light breezes in the
morning died in the afternoon, causing cancellation of racing in two
Olympic classes (Tornado and Laser Radial) and completion of less races
than desired in the other seven. Both Paralympic classes, however,
managed three races apiece. The Rolex Miami OCR, in its 16th year, is an
ISAF Grade I world ranking event and the largest Olympic and Paralympic
classes regatta in the country. Over 320 sailors, representing 26
countries, began racing Monday and will continue through Friday.
 Cronin, who sails with fellow Jamestown, Rhode Islander Jamie Haines and
Kate Fears of Washington, D.C. capitalized on a nice start with Barkow
beneath her. “Sally didn’t pull the trigger in time and had to tack off
to the right to clear her air. We went on to round the top mark in third
with a pack of leaders.” Cronin worked up to second place at the finish
while Barkow settled for sixth, breaking the tied point score they shared
after yesterday’s racing. “We’ve done lots of sailing here in these kinds
of conditions, so we feel really comfortable,” said Cronin, who has shown
good speed in the light breezes that are expected to repeat tomorrow.
In Lasers, the largest fleet with 46 boats, a single race allowed Andrew
Campbell (San Diego, Calif.) to close in on leader Brad Funk (Plantation,
Florida) in overall scoring. Campbell, a two-time College All-American,
won the race after leading from the start. “Things just fell into place,”
he said.
Funk, also a two-time College All-American who finished third at the Laser
Olympic Trials last year, didn’t much care for the light conditions but
was satisfied with his third-place finish today. Both Funk and Campbell,
like many sailors at this regatta, have announced their Olympic campaigns
for 2008 in Beijing. “Right now I’m mostly training in the gym,” said
Funk, who weighs 168 pounds and needs to put on 12 more before the Laser
Worlds. “I’m going to be a body builder, so that I’m the first guy to
loosen his outhaul to power up in a big breeze.”
Canada’s Christopher Cook, who has led the 26-boat Finn class since the
regatta began, was surprised to get in two races today. “I prefer a
breeze because you don’t have to worry as much about other competitors,
but any wind is good,” he said. Cook, a three-time North American and
Canadian National Champion who finished second at his country’s 2004
Olympic Finn Trials, added that he is mostly watching runner-up Kevin Hall
(Bowie, Md.), who represented the USA in Athens in this class. Cook
contends, however, that Bill Hardesty (San Diego, Calif.), in third
overall, is “coming on strong.”
Cook also believes the Rolex Miami OCR’s expansion to five days from four
aligns it more with other Grade 1 events in Europe. “In the grand scheme
of things, I’ve always treated this as a very important event,” said Cook,
who has competed in this regatta three times in the Laser class and four
times in the Finn. “It’s the first big Grade 1 event of the season. You
have to establish yourself as a player, and sponsors love it if you do
well here.”
Other Action
In Paralympic sailing, Sweden’s Stellan Berlin is leading the 2.4 Metre
class, while Great Britain’s John Robertson and crew Hannah Stodel and
Steve Thomas still top the Sonars.
With two races each today, respective leaders in the Star, 49er and 470
Men’s and Women’s classes are: Andrew Horton and Brad Nichol (Newport,
R.I./Hanover, N.H.); Morgan Larson and Pete Spaulding (Capitola,
Calif./Miami Beach, Fla.); and Sven Coster/Kalle Coster (NED) and Amanda
Clark/Sarah Mergenthaler (Shelter Island, N.Y./Matawan, N.J.).
Tonight’s shoreside activities for competitors feature a special dinner
sponsored by Nautica, which is a sponsor of the regatta and the US Sailing
Teams. Other sponsors of the event, in addition to Rolex, are Sperry
Top-Sider, Team McLube and Zodiac. Regatta Headquarters for the 2005 Rolex
Miami OCR are at the US Sailing Center, with classes hosted by the US
Sailing Center; Coral Reef, Key Biscayne and Miami Yacht Clubs; the
Coconut Grove Sailing Club; and Shake-A-Leg-Miami.
For more information, including the latest results and photos, visit the
event web site at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR. Video
produced by T2P TV can be viewed after 9 p.m. Eastern tonight and for each
of the remaining days of the event at www.t2p.tv.
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