Olympic Trials

It’s All or Nothing: Olympic Trials

Two will qualify for the RS:X Windsurfing Class at the Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California: one man, one women, winner takes all.

After all the training, regattas, travel, the campaign comes down to one single event. From October 3-14, a 16 race series will determine who goes to China. Back in July 2007, 75% of the countries were qualified for Olympic berths at the ISAF Worlds in Cascais, Portugal. While the men have already qualified the U.S. for the Olympics, the women have not. The women must qualify at the 2008 RS:X Worlds: 7 more countries can make it to the Olympics.

The 2008 RS:X Worlds will be held in Takapuna, New Zealand, January 10-20, 2008.

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Some of the Olympic Classes only accept qualified, ranked sailors to the trials. The RS:X class, like a few others is open to anyone who shows up. Bring your kit and you could make the Olympic Team.

The big drama in the RS:X Trials has got to be between Ben Barger, http://www.benbarger.com/ and Mike Gebhart. Ben has relied on “Gebi” as his coach for most of his Olympic campaign. With some doubt as to the future Olympic windsurfing and this being the possible last Olympiad for windsurfing, Gebi, a two time medal winner, decided to give the Olympics another try.

For the women, there are three who look to be contenders:

Nancy Rios, http://www.myspace.com/riosna the current U.S. Sailing Team member. This year has been a chance for her to gain more experience in big time international regattas. Nancy is showing progress form this experience.

Farrah Hall, http://www.farrah-hall.com/ who campaigned in Europe this season has consistently improved.

Karen Marriott, http://www.larsonsport.com/karen_marriott__usa_41.htm
has shown she can produce results. Windsurfing Mag linked up with Karen at the Toucan Open: http://forums.windsurfingmag.com/showthread.php?t=230

Olympic Trials Website:
http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/OlympicTrials/

2008 RS:X Worlds:
http://www.rsxclass.com/worlds2008.html

Men

1. USA 45 Michael Gebhardt
Fort Pierce, Florida USA
Gebhardt Performance Riding Club

2. USA 91 Mark Powell
Miami, Florida USA
U.S. Sailing Center Coconut Grove

3. USA07 Ryan Suits
Stuart, Florida USA
Gebhardt Performance Riding Club

4. USA05 Jimi Sobeck
East Quogue, ny USA
none

5. usa136 Eric Rahnenfuehrer
Brecksville, oh USA
Edgewater Yacht Club

6. usa-78 Robert Willis
Chicago, IL USA
Columbia Yacht Club

7. USA 1 Benjamin Barger
Tampa, FL USA
Tampa Bay

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Women

1. usa41 Karen Marriott
Lakewood, CO USA
Rocky Mountain Windsurfing

2. USA71 Monica Wilson
Breckenridge, Colorado USA
Sail Newport

3. USA235 Denise Parris
Groveland, FL USA
(none)

4. USA 118 Lisa Kremer
Worthington, Minnesota USA
Worthington Okabena Windsurfers

5. USA 3 Farrah Hall
Annapolis, MD USA
Davis Island Yacht Club

6. USA323 Nancy Rios
Miami, Florida USA
Banana River Windsurfing Resort

For wind actuals and forecast for the Trials:

http://www.iwindsurf.com/windandwher...1&timeoffset=0

Race Results when they get posted can be found here:

http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/Ol...e_results.html

Racing is expected to begin today.

My bad. Should have waited for a reply from Katie Kelly.

[Ron Kern]

Hi,

From the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club website:

http://www.abyc.org/event.cfm?id=214

Racing should start today. Here's the schedule they posted:

Week's Schedule
Oct. 5th Opening Ceremonies
Oct. 6th Racing Starts
Oct. 9th - Burger Bash for the everyone
Oct. 10th - Lay Day No Races
Oct. 12th - Dinner at ABYC
Oct 14th - Final Day of Racing and Closing Ceremonies

RS:X Men Fleet

Sailed:2, Discards:0, To count:2, Entries:7, Scoring system:My scoring system

Rank	Fleet	Class	SailNo	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	Total	Nett	Notes
1	RS:X Men	RS:X	78	Robert Willis		Columbia Yacht Club	1	2	3	3	Chicago, IL
2	RS:X Men	RS:X	45	Michael Gebhardt		Gebhardt Performance Riding Club	2	3	5	5	Ft. Pierce, FL
3	RS:X Men	RS:X	05	Jimi Sobeck			3	4	7	7	East Quogue, NY
4	RS:X Men	RS:X	1	Benjamin Barger		Tampa Bay	8 RAF	1	9	9	Tampa, FL
5	RS:X Men	RS:X	91	Mark Powell		U.S.Sailing Center Coconut Grove	4	5	9	9	Miami, FL
6	RS:X Men	RS:X	07	Ryan Suits		Gebhardt Performance Riding Club	5	7	12	12	Stuart FL.
7	RS:X Men	RS:X	136	Eric Rahnenfuerher		Edgewater Yacht Club	6	6	12	12	Breckenridge, OH

RS:X Women Fleet

Sailed:2, Discards:0, To count:2, Entries:6, Scoring system:My scoring system

Rank	Fleet	Class	SailNo	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R2	Total	Nett	Notes
1	RS:X Women	RS:X	118	Lisa Kremer		WorthingtonOkabena Windsurfers	1	2	3	3	Worthington, Minn
2	RS:X Women	RS:X	3	Farrah Hall		Davis Island Yacht Club	4	1	5	5	Annapois, MD
3	RS:X Women	RS:X	323	Nancy Rios		Banana River Windsurfing Resort	2	4	6	6	Miami, FL
4	RS:X Women	RS:X	71	Monica Wilson		Sail Newport	3	3	6	6	Breckenridge, CO
5	RS:X Women	RS:X	41	Karen Marrriott		Rocky Mountain Windsurfing	5	5	10	10	Lakewood, CO
6	RS:X Women	RS:X	235	Denise Parris			6	6	12	12	Groveland, FL

Photo taken at the Banana River Resort. Clinic led by Mike Gebhardt and Beth Winkler.

Steve at one time was campaigning for a 2008 Olympic berth. His post from the Calcup discussion group:

Thanks for the update and links.
I'm playing armchair quarterback on this as well.

Despite my love hate relationship with the olympic
board- most of you know I decided to sit this one out
and pursue other outlets this time around.

Nonetheless it looks like its going to be a real fight
at the Olympic trials with Gebi, Ben and Bob.
The action started before the first starting signal
even went off with Ben and Gebi protesting each
other's boards at measurement. Gebi's 1st board failed
to comply with the rocker line measurement the class
specifies.

You'd think you wouldn't have to worry about something
like that with one manufacture producing identical
boards from the same mold- but then again they're not
dealing with the precision of Zajicek's hands.
Gebi was down to his 2nd choice hull and 2 protest and
appeals later- Ben got to use his 1st choice hull.

Meanwhile once the first race started- Bob Willis-
took the first bullet with Gebi in 2nd and Ben
retiring (I know that strategy well enough to say -
good luck making no other mistakes the rest of the
regatta.) In the womens fleet- underdog Lisa Kramer
took the first bullet with favorites Nancy Rios and
Farrah Hall finishing 2-4.
By the 2nd race- the wind was up to the low teens and
the favorites set the pace with Barger and Hall taking
bullets in race 2.
With not much room for any mistakes- the favorites now
have their work set out for them the rest of the
regattas. It should be interesting to see how it
unfolds over the next week of racing.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalCup/message/2556

Steve Bodner's Blog: http://www.stevebodner.blogspot.com/

Mike Gebhardt's Homepage: http://homepage.mac.com/sailing/gebi.pdf

Good sportsmanship prevails
Sailing: Kremer aided by opponents on first day of Olympic trials.
By Rick Roberts, Special to the Press-Telegram
Article Launched: 10/06/2007 11:36:42 PM PDT





LONG BEACH - The first day of the Olympic sailing trials Saturday showed that competition and good sportsmanship do go hand in hand as 12 men and women in the RS:X sailboards, and 26 men and women in the 470s raced for a chance to go to the 2008 Olympic Games.

Lisa Kremer from Worthington, Minn., finished the day in the lead of the Women's RS:X class but didn't have an easy go of it.
"We went out to the course for the first race and I saw a 4-inch hole in my sail," Kremer said. "I went up to the race committee boat and asked if they had any duct tape."

While she was holding onto the stern of the committee boat her sailboard kept banging against the swim step, putting five holes in her hull. Kremer continued...

http://www.presstelegram.com/search/...sstelegram.com