Issue # 183

 Today's Sailing News 

Easterly Winds in Muskegon

Last nite and this morning have seen winds ranging from 105 to 114° and 14 to 27 knots blowing on Muskegon Lake.  This makes for cold temperatures and big wave conditions.  SD sneaked out this morning and got a few photos of the conditions.  These are interspersed amongst news of the 5 sailors who clinched USA Sailing team Olympic berths over the weekend.

After finishing 2nd and 4th on Saturday Europe Sailor Courtenay Becker Dey was able to sit out the last two races of the Europe Olympic Trials.  

Dey discarded her two DNS' and still finished a point ahead of 2nd place Meg Galliard.  Dey won 8 of the 16 races sailed.

For Dey this will be her second Olympics in the Europe class.

A just launched J 35 rides out the Easterly on her mooring

Laser:  

Going into Saturday John Myrdal had lost the Laser lead to Mark Mendenblatt.  

Saturday's race 13 & 14 saw each sailor score a poor finish.  In race 13 Mendenblatt was 8th while Myrdal was 1st.  Mendenblatt posted another 8th with Myrdal 11th.  

Mendenblatt discarded one of the 8ths and Myrdal the 11th.  

This meant that entering Sunday's final pair of races Myrdal had a 3 point lead.  In race 15 Myrdal won with Mendenblatt 2nd, extending his lead by 3 points.  

Mendenblatt won race 16 maximizing his chances of winning.  However, Myrdal was 3rd leaving him a total of 4 points in the lead.

The Laser class had by far the most competitive trial.  Combining this with steadily improving results and Myrdal's medal chances look good.

This early morning photo with the flash catching the reflective tape and the Milwaukee Clipper in the background shows Easterly driven waves 

Finn

Native San Franciscan Russ Silvestri clinched the Finn trials despite a closing rush from Eric Herrman.

Herrman won 3 of the last 4 races and was 2nd in the other.  Silvestri was sufficiently solid with two 2nds and 2 4ths to still have a 3 point lead after 16 races.

Next Silvestri must finish in the Top 20 at the Finn worlds to qualify for a berth in the Olympic regatta.  Without this his trials win will ring hollow.

Another view of a moored J 35

Star

By a sizeable 23 point margin Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljerdahl won the USA Star Olympic trials.  The winners finished strong with scores of 3,1,1 and 2.  Their closest competition Vince Brun and Mike Dorgan finished on a downhill plane going 1,3,5,11.  

Reynolds and Liljerdahl will get a fine test of form again International competition at the Star worlds which in Annapolis in May.