Olympic and Paralympic Teams

2012 Youth World Team Announced

dpaxton — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:03:08 +0000

Sailors Named to 2012 US Sailing Development Team

Portsmouth, R.I. (February 20, 2012) – Eleven youth sailors have qualified for US Sailing’s 2012 Youth World Team, and will receive invitations to represent the United States at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Youth World Championship in Dublin, Ireland, from July 12-21. The U.S. Youth Worlds Team members were selected based on first-place finishes in their respective classes at US Sailing’s two 2012 ISAF Youth World Qualifier events, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Jan. 14-16, and hosted at the Tradewinds Regatta, Jan. 13-15.

“This team represents the best of youth sailing in the U.S.,” said US Sailing’s High Performance Director/Head Coach Kenneth Andreasen (Tampa, Fla.). “The majority of our 2011 Team aged-out of youth competition and transitioned to our Olympic development classes. Having a structured pipeline is crucial to our future medal potential, and I am truly excited at the level of talent coming up the ranks. We now have a focused effort and have closed the gap between youth sailing and Olympic sailing.”

The members of US Sailing’s 2012 Youth World Team are:

Laser Radial (boy’s one person dinghy): Mitchell Kiss (Holland, Mich.) �
Laser Radial (girl’s one person dinghy): Nikki Medley (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
International 420s (boy’s two person dinghy): Harry Koeppel (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) and Charles Bocklet (Waccubuc, N.Y.)
International 420s (girl’s two person dinghy): Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick (Darien, Conn.) and Abigail Rohman (Larchmont, N.Y.)
29er (open high performance dinghy): Quinn Wilson (Ojai, Calif.) and Dane Wilson (Ojai, Calif.)
RS:X Boys: Lucas Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.)
RS:X Girls: Margot Samson (Belleair, Fla.)
Multihull: Jeremy Herrin (Sarasota, Fla.) and Sam Armington (Sarasota, Fla.)

Mitchell Kiss and Kenneth Andreasen credit Tovi Kiss

Mitchell Kiss, 17, is the only returning member of the 2011 Youth Worlds Team. His impressive sailing resume includes Laser Radial wins at the High School National Singlehanded Championship and Orange Bowl regatta. A member of the US Sailing Development Team since 2008, Kiss is in his final year of youth eligibility and is determined to bring home a medal in 2012. “I’m really excited about going to Worlds and going for the win,” he said.

The Youth Worlds Team members are also named to the 2012 US Sailing Development Team. The team, which is annually named by US Sailing, is comprised of the country’s top sailors in the classes selected for the ISAF Youth World Championships and the Olympic classes.

For more information on the 2012 US Sailing Development Team selection: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Selection/2012_US_Sailing_Development_Team.htm

For more information about the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF World Championship in Dublin, Ireland, please visit the event web site: http://www.isafyouthworlds.com/

About US Sailing’s Youth World Team and US Sailing

US Sailing annually supports the U.S. Youth World Team, which represents the United States at the ISAF Youth World Championships. The team members must qualify for the team each year, based on their on-the-water results at a pre-determined qualifying event.

As a significant event in an Olympic-hopeful’s career, the ISAF Youth Worlds’ champions list includes US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics athlete and 2012 US Olympic Team member Paige Railey, a two-time Youth World champion (’03, ’05) in the Laser Radial and Andrew Campbell, 2008 Olympian and Youth World champion (’02) in the Laser.

The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. For more information, please visit us at www.ussailing.org.

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Contact: Dana Paxton, danapaxton@ussailing.org, 401-683-0800 x615

At the Helm – February 2012

dpaxton — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:06:15 +0000

I’m writing this from London, England. Kenneth Andreasen and I are here for a week’s worth of meetings with the USOC to plan for the Games later this year. We’re now at 169 days from the Olympics and 202 days from the Paralympics, as of tonight. And with most of our Teams chosen (all except our three women’s match racers), our preparation takes two distinct tracks.

One track is the Performance track, where our coaches (led by Kenneth) prepare our sailors for the Games and personal best performances. The second track is the Support track, where we (led by me for the Olympic Games, and Lee Icyda who will serve as Team Leader for the Paralympic Games) will manage all the other distractions that are part of the Games. Success at the Games can be dictated by lots of things, and a big one is that ability of the team to manage all of the distractions that come along with the Games. On one hand, you want to treat it like any other event. But on the other hand, it’s NOT like any other event. The additional things (more media, more sponsor involvement, more friends and family, more rules, more drug testing, more security concerns, more everything…) need to be carefully managed so that we fulfill our responsibilities and some of the expectations, but at the same time, keep our eyes on the real goal of sailing well.

Kenneth and, I and all the other Summer Games team leaders, spent the entire day today in a presentation from USOC on all aspects of the Games, and there is a lot that goes into this event. It’s a pretty impressive project challenge and from a USA perspective, it is managed brilliantly by the USOC.

We’ll cover all of this in more detail in the coming months, but the important thing for you now is the knowledge that our Games effort starts long before the Opening Ceremonies. The proper Games effort begins months in advance by making sure that all the “other stuff” is handled in such a way that the sailors almost do not even know what is going on around them.

Things are looking good for the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. Strong performances in Perth and in Miami clearly show that we are on schedule in many events. It’s the end of the day here, so we now are down to 169 days until the Opening. Every day counts.

We hope you are following along, and as always, sail fast.

Dean Brenner
Team Leader
US Olympic Sailing Team

2011 Awards Dinner

dpaxton — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:59:49 +0000

LtoR: Deb Capozzi, Molly Vanemoer, Anna Tunnicliffe, Rob Crane, Charlie Leighton, Zach Railey, Paige Railey, Bob Willis, Amanda Clark, Bob Billingham

Portsmouth, R.I. (February 7, 2012) – At the 2011 US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics Awards Dinner, the U.S. Olympic Sailing Committee presented the “Charlie Awards” to the 2011 USSTAG athletes who achieved excellence in the following categories: Breakthrough Performance, Most Improved Fitness, Best Teammate, Best Individual Performance, Best Team Performance, Commercial Award, and Outstanding Service to the Team. The awards were presented Jan. 28 in Miami, Florida, following US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR, where USSTAG won five medals in SKUD-18, Finn, Laser Radial, Women’s RS:X and Women’s Match Racing.

“The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics ‘Charlie Awards’ are named in honor of our dear friend Charlie Leighton, who is the driving force behind our Team’s Medalist Donor Program,” said Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.), the Chairman of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program. “We have a terrific team of athletes of which the OSC and staff are extremely proud. There were many great moments in 2011, with the highlight of naming our Olympic and Paralympic Teams.”

The following awards were presented:

Breakthrough Performance: Rob Crane
This award is presented to the athlete who, over the previous 12 months, has begun Olympic or Paralympic Class competition for the first time, or switched to a new event, and achieved notable performance on the water.

Rob Crane

Rob Crane stunned the international Laser fleet on the final day of the ISAF 2011 Sailing World Championships by winning the 9th race and finishing a close second in the 10th. His commanding final day’s performance earned him the top American position (14th) in the Laser (men’s singlehanded dinghy) and with it, the selection to the US Olympic Team.

“We put in so much effort trying to do this and I’m so proud that I accomplished my goal,” said Crane the day after Olympic Team selection. “Without the support of my family I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

The award was presented by USSTAG High Performance Director/Head Coach Kenneth Andreasen (Tampa, Fla.).

Commercial Award: Amanda Clark
This award is presented to the athlete who has made an outstanding effort in support of the commercial and sponsorship activities of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics.

Amanda Clark

“Whenever we have a speaking engagement or appearance, Amanda is 100% reliable to knock the socks off of any corporate executive,” said Katie Smith, (Newport, R.I.), USSTAG’s commercial manager. “She completely represents the ideals of USSTAG, the Olympic values and the qualities that we all strive toward.”

Upon receiving the award, Clark said: “I am so proud to represent our sponsors, our team and the USA at the Olympic Games. It is a dream come true.”

The award was presented by Smith and US Sailing’s Associate Executive Director/ Director of Development Dan Cooney (Marion, Mass.).

Most Improved Fitness: Zach Railey
This award is given to the athlete who, over the previous 12 months, has made the most significant improvement to their physical fitness.

Zach Railey

In early 2011, Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) committed to a residency at the US Olympic Committee’s Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. and devoted every day to a full-time training regimen with the Center’s experts. In one year, under the guidance of USSTAG’s physical trainer Chris Herrera of Miami’s Jaguar PT/Bow Down Training, he put on over 35 pounds of muscle, improved his metabolic efficiency, endurance and strength.

The award was presented by USSTAG Olympic Coach Leandro Spina (Miami, Fla.).

Best Teammate: Bob Willis and Hugh Freund

Hugh Freund

This award is given to the athlete who best exemplifies what it means to be a great teammate. This athlete has demonstrated commitment, flexibility, collaboration and generosity of spirit.

Bob Willis

“As many people know, the coaches vote for the winners in all categories,” said US Sailing Executive Director Jack Gierhart (Marion, Mass.), who presented the award. “In this category it was apparent that two people went above and beyond as good teammates… from driving their team’s boat around Europe to always being the first with a warm smile and a friendly word of encouragement.”

Best Team Performance: Team Maclaren – Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi
This award is given to the team who, over the previous 12 months, has produced the best overall performance on the water.

“This team exemplifies what it means to be a team,” said Charlie Leighton, US Sailing’s former executive director and for whom the awards are named. “They always start a sentence with ‘we’ and not ‘I’ and are respectful of each other. They support each other 100% in the good times and the bad. This past year has a been a remarkable year of accomplishment, including winning the Worlds.”

Debbie, Molly and Anna

In 2011, Tunnicliffe’s Team Maclaren — Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), Molly Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) — collected an impressive string of results at World Cup events, in Women’s Match Racing.

The year started with a silver medal at US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR and was followed-up by a bronze at Princess Sofia Trophy and gold at Skandia Sail for Gold. The team ended the year with gold medal in the overall World Cup standings, a World championship title and a #1 international ranking.

Best Individual Performance: Paige Railey
This award is given to the athlete who, over the previous 12 months, has produced the best overall performance on the water by an individual.

Paige Railey

“Paige finished third overall at the ISAF Sailing World Championship, won gold medal at US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR, and bronze at the London 2012 Test Event, in August,” said Luther Carpenter (LaPorte, Texas), US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics Olympic Coach and Paige’s coach. “She also represented the USA at the 2011 Pan American Games where she won a bronze medal. No matter what she does, she attacks it with a plan and sets a very high standard for herself.”

Railey ended the year with an overall bronze medal in the 2010-2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup series.

Charles M. Leighton Award for Outstanding Service: Bob Billingham

This award is presented to the individual who has made a significant difference in the lives of the members of the US Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Program.

“There are a number of things I can say about my friend Bob Billingham,” said Dean Brenner, OSC Chairman and presenter of the award. “He has been an invaluable member of the OSC and instrumental in the concept of our Team Shed in Weymouth. Without his guidance and leadership our Team may not have such a comfortable place to call our home away from home. It is, without a doubt, one of the keys to our Team feeling settled when we’re in England.”

USSTAG Annual Awards – Images by US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics
The Annual Awards were hosted at the Coral Reef Yacht Club.

About the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics
The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The members of the Olympic and Paralympic Teams are members of the 2012 US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. US Sailing supports these elite athletes with funding, coaching and training. The title sponsor of the team is AlphaGraphics; other sponsors include Rolex Watch USA, Atlantis WeatherGear, Sperry Top-Sider, LaserPerformance, Harken Team McLube, Bow Down Training, New England Ropes, Group Experiential Learning and Trinity Yachts.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country. For more information about US Sailing, please visit: www.ussailing.org. For more information about the US Olympic Sailing Program and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, please visit: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org.

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Contact: Dana Paxton, danapaxton@ussailing.org, 401-369-0490

2012 US Paralympic Team Announced

dpaxton — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:20:27 +0000

2012 US Paralympic Team - Sailing credit Mick Anderson/USSTAG

Portsmouth, R.I. (February 2, 2012) – The six members of the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team – Sailing were selected based on performances at US Sailing’s 2012 Rolex Miami OCR, held Jan. 23-28, 2012, in Miami, Fla., and the IFDS Worlds held two weeks earlier in Port Charlotte, Fla.

As the top-scoring eligible American athletes in their respective Paralympic sailing classes, Jen French and JP Creignou, Mark LeBlanc, and Paul Callahan, Tom Brown and Bradley Johnson have successfully completed qualification. US Sailing’s Olympic Sailing Committee will officially nominate the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team – Sailing, pending approval from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The US Paralympic Team – Sailing will compete at the 2012 Paralympic Sailing Regatta, scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 5, 2012 in Weymouth/Portland, England.

“These six athletes have shown they have the desire required to win Paralympic medals,” said Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Dean Brenner (Wallingford, Conn.). “Three of the members have already been to the Games, and they bring a great deal of experience and wisdom to the overall Team.”

Jen French and JP Creignou (both St. Petersburg, Fla.) secured the bronze in the SKUD-18 at Rolex Miami OCR and with it the Team Trials. Creignou is a 2004 Paralympic bronze medalist (Sonar).

Jen French & JP Creignou

“When I crossed the finish line, my coach told me I had won,” said French dockside after racing. “It’s very exciting. We had a tough week. Most of the boats have been close together, and all of the boats competing give us an idea of what the Paralympics will be like. There were a lot of medalists from Paralympics and others who have been to the Games. You have to sail your best against them.”

To listen to the full audio interview with Jen French, click here. French and Creignou are both members of St. Petersburg Yacht Club.

Mark LeBlanc (New Orleans, La.) realized his dream of qualifying for the Games after a disappointing finish at the 2008 Paralympic Trials in the 2.4mR. He tied on points with, and finished second to, John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis.), who went on to win the 2008 Paralympic bronze medal.

Mark LeBlanc

“It’s been a great day,” said LeBlanc moments after reaching the dock at the end of Rolex Miami OCR. “I sealed the deal and won the Trials.”

LeBlanc, who finished 8th at Rolex Miami OCR, is a member of Southern Yacht Club.

Paul Callahan (Cape Coral, Fla./Newport R.I.), Tom Brown (Castine, Me.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) are all Paralympians, with a combined four Paralympic medals. They finished Rolex Miami OCR in 6th. “We’ve been to working hard for three years,” said Callahan. “We’re looking forward to winning a gold medal for USA.”

Callahan, who is a member of New York Yacht Club and Port Charlotte Sailing Club, is a 2000 Paralympian; Brown is the 2000 bronze medalist (2.4mR) and 2004 silver medalist (2.4mR); and Johnson, who is a member of St. Petersburg Yacht Club, is a 2004 bronze medalist (Sonar) and a Paralympian in volleyball.

To read about the US Olympic Team – Sailing, please click here.

Paul Callahan, Brad Johnson, Tom Brown

To read the press release announcing the selection procedures, please click here.

About US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics
The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. US SAILING supports these elite athletes with funding, coaching and training. The title sponsor of the team is AlphaGraphics; other sponsors include Rolex Watch USA, Atlantis WeatherGear, Sperry Top-Sider, LaserPerformance, Harken Team McLube, Trinity Yachts, New England Ropes, Group Experiential Learning and Bow Down Training. For more information about the US Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Program and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, please visit: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org. For more information about the 2012 US Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams, please visit: http://olympics.ussailing.org

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Press contact: Dana Paxton, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, danapaxton@ussailing.org, mobile: +1 401-369-0490

Team Photo: Back row LtoR: Mark LeBlanc, JP Creignou, Brad Johnson, Tom Brown. Front row: Paul Callahan, Jen French Credit: Mick Anderson/USSTAG

Day 6 at Rolex Miami OCR

dpaxton — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:37:37 +0000

Racing summary: US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics won one gold, two silver and one bronze medals on the concluding day of US Sailing’s 2012 Rolex Miami OCR in the Finn, Women’s RS:X, 49er and Women’s Match Racing, respectively. The regatta was capped off today with the final medal race, a double-points race to determine overall medalists where USSTAG won four of the medal races.

Performance highlights include:

Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) could do no wrong this week, winning the medal race and securing his first ISAF Sailing World Cup gold medal. “Yesterday I was able to put myself into a good situation before the medal race,” said Railey. “I definitely knew there would be some pressure from the Danish sailor. We were locked into a really tight match race right before the start, I was able to break away before the start and sail my own race.”

Four Wins in Four Races

After a somewhat disappointing World Championship last month in Australia, Railey refocused and came back stronger. “That was the goal going in; I wanted to capitalize on the week, and go out in a dominating fashion for the week. Getting that goal accomplished is definitely a huge plus for us. It’s been a great week. I’ll be very honest. I was disappointed with the World Championships. I had a black flag in the third race. I really had to change the way I approach my regattas. I wanted to come here and show that all of the training we’ve putting in is paying off. We worked a lot on boat speed and technical set up. We really want to try and start putting it together and performing at events. At the Worlds, getting a black flag was my fault. I had to switch my focus and match the other USA boat.” (photo Mick Anderson/SailingPIX.dk)

USSTAG’s Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.) finished 5th in the medal race for 5th overall.

photo Mick Anderson/SailingPIX.dk

Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.) won the 49er medal race and catapulted themselves into silver-medal position. “I was really tight at the finish and we’ve been working hard on our finishes,” said Storck. “We kept it deep and snuck in there for the win.”

View the video “Four straight medal race wins”

http://youtu.be/qI8SL9q8Lyo

In a strong ending to the Laser Radial series, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) won the medal race and with it moved into 8th overall for the regatta. “My goal for this regatta was focusing on some techniques that I need to improve on before Weymouth,” said Railey. “My coach Luther and I have a list of things to work on moving forward.”

Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) won her first medal at a Women’s RS:X windsurfing ISAF Sailing World Cup event. With a 5th in the medal race, she captured a podium silver medal.

In Women’s Match Racing, Sally Barkow’s (Nashotah, Wis.) Team 7 Match Race of Alanna O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami, Fla.) defeated Silje Lentinen (FIN) in straight matches in the petit final to win a bronze medal.

Daily photo gallery: http://usstag.photoshelter.com/gallery/2012-Rolex-Miami-OCR/G0000x4G8OvJ9v3I

In the US Paralympic Team Trials, Jen French and JP Creignou (both St. Petersburg, Fla.) secured the bronze in the SKUD-18 and with it the Team Trials. They join Mark LeBlanc (New Orleans, La.) in the 2.4mR, and Paul Callahan (Cape Coral, Fla./Newport R.I.), Tom Brown (Castine, Me.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) in the Sonar. A full announcement on the US Paralympic Team will be made in the next few days.

About the regatta Scheduled for January 23-28, US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR is the second stop on the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) Sailing World Cup 2011-2012 circuit and expects over 500 athletes from 50 countries. Competition takes place in the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic sailing classes in advance of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to be held in Weymouth, U.K. The 13 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team members, selected to date, will compete. The regatta serves as the selection for the 2012 US Sailing Development team (USSDT) in the Olympic Development classes.

Stay Connected with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics

Fans of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics can learn more about the athletes and their upcoming schedule on the team’s website http://sailingteams.usssailing.org. For updates from Rolex Miami OCR, follow USSTAG on Twitter – the news microblog service – by adding @USSTAG to your news stream. Links to daily reports, photos and results will be posted to the USSTAG Facebook fan page.

About US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics
The US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. US Sailing supports these elite athletes with funding, coaching and training. The title sponsor of the team is AlphaGraphics; other sponsors include Rolex Watch USA, Atlantis WeatherGear, Sperry Top-Sider, LaserPerformance, Harken Team McLube, Trinity Yachts, New England Ropes, Group Experiential Learning and Bow Down Training.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country. For more information about US SAILING, please visit: www.ussailing.org. For more information about the US Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Program and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, please visit: http://sailingteams.ussailing.org.

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Day 5 of Rolex Miami OCR

dpaxton — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:17:51 +0000

Racing summary: In a thrilling conclusion to the Paralympic racing, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics’ Jen French and JP Creignou (both St. Petersburg, Fla.) earned a bronze medal in the SKUD-18 class. In the Olympic classes, which concluded their series with 10 races, USSTAG advances to the final medal race, Jan. 28, in the 49er, 470 Men, 470 Women, Laser Radial, Finn, Star, RS:X Men, RS:X Women. In Women’s Match Racing, Sally Barkow’s Team 7 Match Race of Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami, Fla.) advances to the Petit-Final round vs. Silja Lehtinen (FIN) for the bronze medal match.

Performance highlights include:

In the US Paralympic Team Trials, it was a day of exciting racing in all three classes selected for the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Jen French and JP Creignou (both St. Petersburg, Fla.) secured the bronze in the SKUD-18 and with it the Team Trials. They’ll be joined by Mark LeBlanc (New Orleans, La.) in the 2.4mR, and Paul Callahan (Cape Coral, Fla./Newport R.I.), Tom Brown (Castine, Me.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) in the Sonar. A full announcement on the US Paralympic Team will be made in the next few days.

Jen French and JP Creignou

“The racing this week at Rolex Miami OCR has been beautiful,” said French dockside after racing. “We’ve had a tough week. Most of the boats have been close together, and all of the boats here will give us an idea of what the Paralympics will be like.”

To listen to the full audio interview with Jen French, click here (photo: Jen and JP celebrate on their SKUD)

Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) added another win and a 3rd to his impressive score line to hold a comfortable lead in the Finn, and to earn a cumulative 13 points, a full 12 points ahead of second place Jonas Hogh Christensen (DEN). Railey will advance into the medal race along with USSTAG’s Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), in 4th.

Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.) may not have had the day that they had planned – they added an 8th and 14th – but they are booked into the 49er medal race after ending the opening 15-race series in 2nd.

Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) goes into the medal race in second overall in the 12-boat Women’s RS:X windsurfing class, her best performance to date in an ISAF Sailing World Cup event. “I’ve been working really hard on my technique and it’s starting to pay off,” she said after racing. “I’ve been able to use the other things I’ve done well in the past to a better extent, such as good starts and mark roundings.”

For tomorrow’s medal race, which is forecast to be in light wind, she said: “I’m expecting a really good finish. There should be some match racing going on. It will be about tactics and pumping, and good maneuvers rather than straight out speed. The medal race is all about positioning. You have to position yourself to have a really good start and be aware of the other competitors you need to beat. You have to sail close to them and sail conservatively; not make any mistakes and you should be ok.”

To listen to the full audio interview with Farrah Hall, click here

In Women’s Match Racing, Anna Tunnicliffe’s (Plantation, Fla.) Team Maclaren of Molly Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) won their match against Tamara Echegoyen (ESP) to finish 5th overall.

Before racing this morning, USSTAG PAralympic Coach Betsy Alison talked about emotions and the Trials US Paralympic Head Coach Betsy Alison on Her Emotions Heading Into the Final Day of Team Trials by USSTAG

Daily photo gallery

http://usstag.photoshelter.com/gallery/2012-Rolex-Miami-OCR/G0000x4G8OvJ9v3I

Stay Connected with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics

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CONTACT: Dana Paxton, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, danapaxton@ussailing.org, 401-369-0490 (in Miami Jan. 19-30)

Day 4 at Rolex Miami OCR

dpaxton — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:27:50 +0000

Racing summary: The fourth day of racing at Rolex Miami OCR saw consolidation in all of the classes, and for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics athletes it was a day of solid performance in SKUD-18, Finn, Laser Radial, 49er, and Women’s RS:X. In Women’s Match Racing, Sally Barkow’s Team 7 Match Race of Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig (Miami, Fla.) defeated Tamara Echegoyen (ESP) in three straight matches to advance to the Semi-Final Round on Friday.

“It was a good match up against the Spanish,” said Barkow after racing. The last time Barkow faced Olivia Price (AUS) was at the Olympic Test Event in August, 2011, although she pointed out that they will prepare for tomorrow’s match in the same manner as they prepare for any match.”We are disciplined in our game plan, basically we aim to not make any mistakes. Since we haven’t raced against them much, in a way it’s good because we can race our own race. She’s been sailing well and she’s pretty fast, we’ll have to be on our game.”

This event serves as the selection event for the US Paralympic Team.

Performance highlights include:
In the US Paralympic Team Trials, positions continue to be close across all three Paralympic classes, especially in the Sonar class where Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Brad Kendell (Tampa, Fla.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Me.) have a one point lead over Paul Callahan (Cape Coral, Fla./Newport R.I.), Tom Brown (Castine, Me.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.). The teams are 5th and 6th, respectively.

For full standings on the US Paralympic Team Trials, head to the Trials Tracker

Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) Zach Railey continued his dominance in the Finn, winning a race and finishing third in the other. He now has a comfortable lead on the fleet with second-place Jonas Hogh Christensen (DEN) a full 10 points back in second.

Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.) held onto their second place overall in the 49er class, behind class leaders Delle Karth/Nikolaus (AUT).

Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) added another win to her scoreline and strengthened her third overall in the 12-boat Women’s RS:X windsurfing class.

Anna Tunnicliffe’s (Plantation, Fla.) Team Maclaren of Molly Vandemoer (Redwood City, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) lost their Quarter-Final Round match up, against Lucy MacGregor’s team (GBR), 2-3. Team Maclaren will race on Friday for 5th-8th places.

Paralympic Team Selection Members of USSTAG who are vying for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team will compete in the three Paralympic classes. Track American athletes as they qualify for the 2012 Games in the US Olympic and Paralympic Trials Tracker http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Games/Olympics/Track.htm

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CONTACT: Dana Paxton, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, danapaxton@ussailing.org, 401-369-0490 (in Miami Jan. 19-30)

Day 3 of Rolex Miami OCR

dpaxton — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:40:26 +0000

Farrah Hall

Racing summary: It was another strong day of performance for US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics at US Sailing’s 2012 Rolex Miami OCR. Sailed in Miami on Biscayne Bay, USA sailors hold top-10 spots in 11 of the 12 fleet racing classes spread across Olympic and Paralympic events. This event serves as the selection event for the US Paralympic Team as well as the US Sailing Development Team.

Performance highlights include:

USSTAG teams hold top-3 positions in all three Paralympic classes. Jen French (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and JP Creignou (St. Petersburg, Fla.) stand in third overall in the SKUD-18 class. The 2012 World silver medalists capped off a spectacular day of racing with a win in race 6.
It’s a duel in the 2.4mR class between Mark LeBlanc (New Orleans, La.) in second overall with 2008 Paralympic bronze medalist John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis.), currently in 7th.

Video with John Ruf http://youtu.be/creqP649i7o

In the 26-boat Finn Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) continues to lead, picking up 2-1-2 today. With six races scored the fleet now has a throwout race and Railey discards a 2nd leaving him with 6 points overall, a full 5 points ahead of the second-place Jonas Hogh Christensen (DEN). Another 6 points back is Brendan Casey (AUS) in third with USSTAG’s Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.) in 4th.
Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.) are now in second place overall in the 49er class, one point behind class leaders Delle Karth/Nikolaus (AUT). “We’ve been successful at putting together some good results,” said Moore after racing. The overall result for us is top fives in every race.

The duo, who christened their new 49er “Wendy” days before the regatta began, are pleased with the boat’s performance. “You never know how a new boat is going to feel when you put it in for its first day of sailing, but after nine days it’s turning out to be a good boat for us. There’s nothing we’ve done differently with this new boat, and perhaps we took a little bit more time. We’ve had three builds prior to this so the experience made for a better finish. There are a couple of things we did to it that are different.”

Listen to the full audio interview with Trevor Moore where he explains how the new 49er was put together for speed.

Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) continued her charge in the 12-boat Women’s RS:X windsurfing class, and is now in third overall behind Demita Vega della Ville (MEX) and Carolina Mendelblatt (POR), in first and second, respectively.

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Day 2 Rolex Miami OCR

dpaxton — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:05:29 +0000

Racing summary: Rolex Miami OCR Race Committee worked hard to get all fleets back on schedule in the majority of 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes. US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics hold top-10 positions in 11 classes. In 2012, USSTAG is comprised of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Team. This event serves as the selection event for the US Paralympic Team.

Performance highlights include:

Zach Railey wearing the yellow leader jersey

Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) continues to lead the 26-boat Finn class after three races. Railey has won all races, but said that it isn’t always easy to get the win. “We have a lot of races to go. I’m making good decisions on the race course and I feel really good about the results. It was a fantastic battle with Caleb (in the first race). The two of us got out in front, well ahead of third place. He was covering me on the second beat. I was fortunate to get some pressure when we came around the second weather mark. From there we were bow to bow to the finish.”

To read how Railey got the upper hand and won the race, listen to the full audio interview

Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.) continue to lead the 23-boat 49er class. At press time, the duo were requesting redress for an OCS penalty in race 6. The 49er fleet enjoys three races each day compared to the other fleet racing classes, which aim to race two per day.

In the Star class, Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih (both Miami, Fla.) are tied for first place with Eivind Melleby Pedersen and Petter Moerland (NOR).

Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) moved into second position in the 12-boat Women’s RS:X windsurfing class, behind Demita Vega della Ville (MEX).

Rob Crane

Watch a video interview with Rob Crane http://youtu.be/b6XHasRURUU

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Media Alert: Day 1 Rolex Miami OCR

dpaxton — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:29:17 +0000

MEDIA ALERT: January 23, 2012 – Day 1 of racing

CONTACT: Dana Paxton, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics, danapaxton@ussailing.org, 401-369-0490 (in Miami Jan. 19-30)

Racing summary: On the opening day of US Sailing’s 2012 Rolex Miami OCR, US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics athletes hold seven top-10 spots in the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes. Racing continues through Friday for the Paralympic classes where the U.S. Paralympic Team Selection will occur. In the Olympic classes, racing concludes on Saturday. Racing takes place on Biscayne Bay and is hosted at the US Sailing Center, Coral Reef Yacht Club, Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Miami Rowing Club and Key Biscayne Yacht Club.

USSTAG athletes holding first place in their respective fleet racing classes:

Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.) in the 23-boat 49er class. Storck talks about the first day of racing: “We’re feeling really good coming into this event. We haven’t won a World Cup yet and heading into the Olympics that’s our goal. Today was the first day in our boat and it felt really good. We were higher and faster in most conditions.”

To listen to the full audio interview: http://soundcloud.com/usstag/erik-storck-discusses-the

Paul Callahan (Cape Coral, Fla./Newport R.I.), Tom Brown (Castine, Me.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) in the 11-boat Sonar class.

Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) in the 26-boat Finn class.

Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.) in the 12-boat Women’s RS:X windsurfing class.

Sally Barkow’s (Nashotah, Wis.) Team 7 Match Race of Alanna O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig Burnham (Miami, Fla.) went undefeated in Women’s Match Racing, winning all six matches of the day.

Daily photo gallery USSTAG: Rolex Miami OCR – Images by US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics

http://usstag.photoshelter.com/gallery/2012-Rolex-Miami-OCR/G0000x4G8OvJ9v3I

Amanda and Sarah chat about day 1

Watch Amanda Clark and Sarah Lihan discuss day 1 http://youtu.be/MQVUEBVlYVw

Members of USSTAG who are vying for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team will compete in the three Paralympic classes.

The regatta also serves as the selection for the 2012 US Sailing Development team (USSDT) in the Olympic Development classes.

Track American athletes as they qualify for the 2012 Games in the US Olympic and Paralympic Trials Tracker http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Games/Olympics/Track.htm

Stay Connected with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics
Fans of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics can learn more about the athletes and their upcoming schedule on the team’s website http://sailingteams.usssailing.org. For updates from Rolex Miami OCR, follow USSTAG on Twitter – the news microblog service – by adding @USSTAG to your news stream. Links to daily reports, photos and results will be posted to the USSTAG Facebook fan page.

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