Patience . . .
it's coming on soon.
Results are posted for the fleet (non-medal) race.
If the current results stand, here's how the US teams rank for Rio:
Bora/Louisa: 14
Easton/Pettibone: 16
Mendelblatts: 17
Wow, that's about as tight as you can get!
Mike
Bora Gulari and Louisa Chafee win selection series per the twitter feed.
Now
Did we really need that idiot yammering on forever (at the end of the medal race) about potential differences in the OD boats? He clearly was filling dead air time, and had absolutely no reason to question the boats. Unbelievable.
Mike
Absolutely no reason to question the boats? Really? No, their concerns surely must be unjustified with several US teams having gone through 3 platforms in the three year run-up to the Olympiad, or, sorry, the trials. I almost forgot, the Games aren't for another six months.
Because, you know, it's totally normal for a OD manufacturer to mail out a gag-order to their owners while they
resolve the technical issues.
Why does this look so awkward?
Mike
Probably a 31 out of 43 is not feel good result with which you capture the slot. The team called it...
perseverance
The up side spin is that Bora recognizes that he has 6 months to figure the boat out and says so (WOW) ... and a track record on the moths of doing just that. The key will be finding the right international coach for the final push.
I think the two event selection process is the right solution and better then the winner take all Olympic trials of old. The 2016 N17 fleet does not provide a lot of support one way or the other for the new process tho. The old system presumed that the US Sailors would be peaking 6 months before the games.. Well... in 2016... the term peak has new meaning.
Because, you know, it's totally normal for a OD manufacturer to mail out a gag-order to their owners while they
resolve the technical issues.
I don't understand your post. Where is this
Gag order
?
Nacra released a Technical Bulletin informing customers that they would be improving warranty support and details of all upgrades made to the boats by hull number. If you'd like to see this please email me.
I spent the week at the Miami World Cup, sailors were generally understanding. We could absolutely improve the production but the most important thing we can do is stand behind the product by reimbursing sailors for repairs, we are doing so.
You do realize 49ers generally last less than 6 months? They've been an olympic class for 20 years.
Myself and most of the top guys in the F18 fleet cycle through boats in less sailing days than these boats have seen. In a year, these guys see 200+ days, that's probably 5-8 years with how often I sail. Since I've been involved in the F18 I've been getting a new boat every 2-3 years.
-Todd Riccardi
Nacra North America
Todd@NacraSailing.com
Bora is an amazingly dedicated sailor. He truly devoted every resource he could to improving in this boat.
Bora was foiling steadily in training before any other U.S. teams were. In late September I watched Mike sail circles around Bora by half a leg in nearly every race. I spoke to Bora a few times between then and January and he told me
They were really figuring some things out
. He even asked me what other sailors were saying about him. Well other sailors told me that Bora has a way of looking at things and deciding whether it works for him and if not he finds what does work for him. That is what can set him apart.
I'm sure the next 6 months will be even more hardcore, it will be exciting to see what he can do.
These guys all really deserve to go to the games, I'm bummed for everyone that didn't make it especially since they dedicated so much time to it. Personally I think the two event system is ideal, everything was laid on the line over two events, all the U.S. teams were 110% fully prepared in sailing ability, spare parts (even spare boats!). At the end of the day, the best team came out on top.
lol
Interesting that the top ranked US teams coming out of the trials process aren't catsailors (born/raised), but are converts from other disciplines, with cat experience ranging from a few months to several years. Time will tell if they can pull it together and medal, but this turns conventional wisdom around a bit.
Mike
I don't think it is that surprising. Bora is one of, if not the most, talented apparent wind sailors in the US. Lots of 49er, Melges 24, and Moth experience, plus some time with Luna Rossa. He is a pro, and probably has much more cumulative time on the water than anyone else (aside from maybe Mendelblatt). I really don't think the catamaran aspect is all that important.
Similar things could be side about the Mendelblatts- huge amounts of high level racing experience including two Olympics for Mark. It could be argued that Mark adapted less well to the fast boat after years of Lasers and Stars.
Most of the other teams, and I have huge amounts of respect for all of them, really don't have the experience of those two, and I think ultimately it showed. Mike and Katie got very close, and who knows if the trials had been a few days longer or if Katie's knee was healthy.
Congrats to all who put everything on the line for a chance to represent their country.
Agreed. It's just an interesting development, and goes against what lots of folks here have traditionally thought.
Probably the key difference is coming from fast apparent wind boats (is that redundant?). We tend to cringe when a monohull sailor tries a leebow tack on a cat...
Mike
Jeff, I second your congratulations to all of the players over the cycle.
A bit of history on this catamaran background thing being important... Dean Brenner was the Olympic director when the Tornado was the OPEN olympic boat. Dean's philosophy was based on the same notion that you spoke of... Catamaran experience was irrelevant. What you needed was great sailors who were committed to Olympic competition.... It was a 6 month learning curve to get one of these sailors up to speed on an Olympic class and they would be the best sailor in the class in the US... and then be positioned to move up the ISAF world ranks. Dean used the Johnny can Charlie story as evidence for this philosophy... In his conversation with me... after Randy S retired.... Johnny, Charlie, Lars and 4 or 5 other College All American sailors started in the Tornado Class. The coach em up strategy/ every team for themselves was implemented... Well... it took a bit longer... 8 years and some exclusive technology assistance... and they got a Silver.... but... the next 4 years did not go well and the next technology flyer failed completely and they finished DFL. After Weymouth... The US concluded that the coach em up strategy was a failure...
Josh Adams was tasked with building something that looked more like the rest of the worlds. The plan would take at least 8 years... BUT... The hope for the 2016 quad for the US was that New Classes (N17S AND Womans FX) historically favored the US because we could get up to speed sooner then the world.
I look at these results as strong evidence that the coach em up strategy IS a total failure.
The Mendelblatts ARE Olympic Caliber Sailors, who know how to campaign...and use coaching.... Bottom line.. 4 years training... usual finish in the 20s. I would conclude that coaching up an olympic level displacement sailor takes... at least 8 years... just like it took Johnny and Charlie, Lars etc.
Gulliari is a another successful world class sailor... but with lots of apparent wind experience... So... in the two years of his coach em up experience... he manages a thirty something finish and backs into the slot. Moreover, he declares that there is a lot for him to learn with 5 months to go.... ... I conclude that even taking a world class apparent wind sailor and trying the coach em up approach is a failure.
Final point on the failure of the coach em up approach.. is Bundy's experience in the 49ner... When the T and Open was dropped... Bundy tried to switch to the 49ner for AUS and it was a failure.
The coach em up approach just doesn't work!
Now... the rest of the world.. shows us that training EARLY in catamarans is a key to being able to win on the world stage..that seems to be the backgound of a lot of the top 10 teams. (Hell Waterhouse and Phipps are spawn of ELITE cat sailor).
My take home... Those of us in the rank and file simply have to reach out and get top junior racers in our regions some early exposure to catamaran racing.. Mentor them as they cross train in cats while dinking around in 420s in college and HOPE that US Sailing can hire some great coaches. Not the same as the rest of the world... but it may be our only option.
So.... ask me about running a TRY IT OUT clinic in your area... We will see if we can make this American hybrid solution work!
Looks like some improvement for team Gulari/Chafee
http:/
![[Linked Image]](http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000jDqx.u4tFtk/m/1000.jpg)
Nice!
Mike
Word on the street is that Randy Smyth has been coaching them ...
After 12 races, hanging in 14th place. They've been consistently inconsistent, but staying in the top half.
Besson is unstoppable again.
Mike
Bullet in race #15. Wow.
And a 3 in race 13, up to 12th overall now. Sweet!
Mike