It was an intense day of sailing today at the US Olympic Trials Part #1 in Biscayne Bay, FL. After trailing in the series 1-2 at the end of yesterday against Team Barkow, we had a lot of work to do to secure a win in the semi-final series. But we sailed hard and well and came up with three wins in three very tight races to take the series 4-2. This advanced us into the finals against Team Tulloch and we are currently up 2-0.

It was amazing sailing all day long. Both of our competitors gave us tough races, with us both behind, ahead, and with penalties. In the semi-finals races, our last two races were the hardest.

In the fifth race of the series, we were trailing Sally by about one length for the whole race, but we were able to close the gap between the boats on the second beat. We had been in an intense tacking dual, again, for most of the beat, with us on the left and her on the right. She placed a leebow on us with three lengths to starboard layline. It was touch and go as to whether or not we could hang on her hip given the waves, but we managed. She luffed us as we got to the layline, but stalled too much as we tacked away to starboard, allowing us to take the lead around the top mark and go on to win the race and move the score to 3-2 in our favour.

The last race was by far the closest race of the day, however. We started to windward of her on the line and held her to the port layline. We tacked on layline and had about a length lead around the top mark. We gybed in what we thought was a good place, but she sailed behind us, caught a wave and surfed in to leeward of us on starboard so now we were pinned. At some point she was going to have to do two gybes to establish luffing rights to be able to hold us above the leeward mark towards which we were currently heading. She went for the gybe and I got a little excited and gybed us into her resulting in us getting a penalty. We were, however, able to hold onto the lead at the bottom mark. Up the second beat our goal was to extend as much as we could so that we could try to spin a penalty. We couldn't get quite enough distance and had to close the game back up again at the top mark so we could try to draw a penalty on her.

After we rounded the top mark, both boats slowed a lot and I thought we had enough distance between us so that we could spin it. We gybed around and went into our tack. As it turned out it wasn't enough distance and she was able to sail over the top of us and set her spinnaker. We set right behind her and were able to surf a wave back up to her. Now going downwind, we got into an intense gybing/luffing dual and at some point, we broke to the course left and she to the right. We were now laying the pin end of the finish line and were about three-quarters of a boat length ahead of her. She sailed up to us to try and close the gauge but we surged ahead on a wave and were able to just cross the line to take the series 4-2. It was a very intense and nerve-racking race, but the team did a great job keeping everything, including me, calm and close so we could stay alive. We were very excited to qualify for the finals becuase it means we qualified for a spot for this year's World Championships in Perth, Australia in December. The USA only gets two spots which go to the top two at this event.

After about a 20 minute break, we got back to racing, this time against the winner of the other semi-final match up, Team Tulloch. Genny and team also rallied today with three wins to take their series 4-2 after being down 1-2 after yesterday.               

Team Maclaren Leading Team Tulloch To The Finish   (Photo: copyright John Payne 2011)

Initially, in the first race, we were a little slow up the first beat until the second half of it where we were able to catch back up, and right at the top were able to draw a penalty on Genny. The race continued with Genny in the lead and us trailing closely. The last downwind leg was a game of slowing again, until half way down she got a second penalty and we were able to go ahead and set our spinnaker and take the first race in the series. The second race was much closer with the lead changing three times up the first beat. We took the lead around the top mark and led down the first downwind leg. She got a penalty for rule 42 (propulsion) on the downwind leg. We held the lead around the bottom mark and were able to extend a length on the second upwind leg after yet another intense tacking dual. Downwind, the wind was picking up and we locked into some nice waves and a puff, and surged ahead to take the race and up the series score to 2-0. The finals is again a first-to-four point series so racing will continue tomorrow. The forecast is for big winds and maybe a bit of rain.

You can follow updates and see results on: Twitter (@USSTAG); or the regatta website (http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/Events/2011WMRTrials.htm); or at Match Racing Results Service: US Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta http://www.matchracingresults.com/2011/us-olympic-team-qualifying-regatta/

We would very much like to thank our Title Sponsor, Maclaren, our Gold Level Sponsors 11th Hour Racing and Laser Performance, and our Bronze Level Sponsors Carmeuse, Trinity Yachts, Chicago Match Race Center and Sperry Top-Sider for their continued support of our campaign for the 2012 Olympic Games. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their continued support. Also, thank you to our private donors. Please remember that any and all donations/contributions to our campaign should be made payable directly to either The Sailing Foundation of New York (tax deductible) memo'd Anna Tunnicliffe, or to Anna Tunnicliffe.

Sail Hard,

And as usual, don't forget, email us your questions and comments. We love getting them and sharing our love of sailing and women's match racing.