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Conquers Europe...Almost Having competed against Team Odyessey, I can say that they have a real good chance of winning the Paralympic Trials in November. Rick and his team went on a European vacation...NOT and gave an accounting of the trip. Definitely a fringe aspect of sailing, Disabled Sailing has been making some headlines (at least here in SA). Hope you enjoy. Report | 2 | 3 | Swedish Olympic Class Regatta (Full Report)
UK
Two-Sail Greetings from across the pond. Team Odyssey arrived in England over the course of the week and our boat finally arrived today (Thursday). Tim Angle, Maureen McKinnon-Tucker along with Dan & Dana, Rick and Joanne Doerr, and Coach Peter Wilson have trickled in over the past few days, fought off their jet lag and are ready to race tomorrow. As you might imagine, there are many things that can occur when traveling internationally with a team of 7, wheelchairs for 2, plus a boat and a van in a shipping container. We've adjusted to driving on the left side of the road and this foreign English language! Did you know that first floor and ground floor, which Americans use interchangeably, are much more specific in the Queen's English? We now know that the first floor is up one flight of stairs. That's not terribly wheelchair friendly! We sorted out some shipping and logistical knots with our container today, just in time for the start of the UK Sonar Two-Sail Championship on Friday.We had planned to be out sailing and practicing on Wednesday, but sometimes beauracracy takes its toll on the best laid plans... Tomorrow morning many of our competitors will meet us to help launch and rig our boat, so that we can make the start on time. This is but one example of sportsmanship and camaraderie of the international disabled sailing community that is shining through on this trip. The other example of particular note is a local competitor, Andrew Millband. The local accommodations Maureen had worked so hard to secure, and verify as having acceptable access turned out to be unmanageable for Rick and Maureen in their wheelchairs. Andrew immediately opened his accessible home to our entire team. He has been a tremendous host and more, helping arrange ferries, a coach boat, local knowledge of all sorts, particularly local sailing knowledge. The Solent is the sea between mainland England and the Isle of Wight. The tidal flows through the Solent are fast and complex. Andrew has helped the sailing team and coach better understand the intricacies of the Solent currents. The weather forecast calls for nice weather for racing Friday and Saturday, with likely seabreezes of 10-15 knots developing late each morning. The racing schedule is 4 races each day, so it will be long days on the water. The top international disabled sailing competitors we expected are here: local Paralympic Gold Medallist Andy Cassell, our host Andrew Millband, local John Roberts, as well as a top team from Ireland, two tough Dutch teams, two strong Israeli teams, lone French team, and a few other local boats with able-bodied crews (this is an open event, sailed under disabled sailing rules). Team Odyssey is sole US entry. The sailing team will face many challenges on the water, but that's why we came. We've overcome many challenges of planning, shipping, paperwork, travel and poor or non-existent wheelchair access just to be here. The team is ready to tackle the sailing challenges, which are are more manageable! We thank you for your support wether it has been emotional, logistical or financial. We quite literally couldn't be here without your help. We hope to place in the top three in this regatta, while gauging our skill and preparedness against top international competition. We'll have another competition at the Swedish Olympic Class Regatta in 2 weeks, then again at the Disabled Sailing World Championships in Greece in September. This all leads up to the US Paralympic Trials in November in St. Petersburg, FL. and if we win that, on to the Paralympic Games!
June
1st, 2003
Leading by one slim point entering the 12th and final race, US Disabled Sailing Team members Rick Doerr, Tim Angle and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker led their closest competition, Andy Cassell (GBR) and Udo Hessels (NED) for 3 of the five legs of the race. As the fleet approached the final windward mark of the regatta, the wind shut off, and the Solent current slowly pushed the entire fleet backwards. Annette den Tam (NED), who was leading the race at the time, had her bow at the mark 3 times but was unable to round before the current took final control for 20 minutes. Just as the race committee appeared ready to abandon racing, barely enough breeze filled in to allow the boats to squeek around the mark. Unfortunately for Team Odyssey, Cassell lucked into the breeze first and rounded 2nd, with five boats between him and USA 674. The team managed to pass one boat on the final downwind leg before the finish. Droh Cohen of Israel won the final race, which helped him into fourth in the final standings. Cassell was second and the American team was 6th. The final standings are:
With 13 boats from 6 countries, Team Odyssey certainly got the measure of the strong international competition. While we didn't win the regatta, we acheived our primary goal of training against some of the best in the world. We proved again that we can sail with the strongest sailors, and contined to learn and improve. Luck played a significant role in the final race and therefor the regatta standings, but that's just one more lesson learned. Our boat handling, sail program, tactics and strategy are sound. Our boatspeed is excellent in a wide variety of conditions. We have a few additional equipment developments to pursue, both in rigging and adaptations. Our coach, Peter Wilson has identified a few areas of weakness that we will practice on once we arrive in Sweden, where we will also be joined by US Disabled Sailing Team Coach Betsy Allison. Our boat is disassembled, packed on the trailer and ready to roll towards our next event, the Swedish Olympic Class Regatta, where we expect to compete against current World Champion Jens Kroker (GER) and the strong local teams. Both Dutch teams will be there as well as plenty of others. We will depart from Cowes on Tuesday morning via ferry for the mainland, with most of our luggage in the boat to make room for 2 wheelchairs, 4 adults and a 3 year old in the van. We plan to stop a Stonehenge for a tiny bit of sightseeing, before we hit Dover for the ferry across the English Channel to Calais, France. From there, overland with the boat in tow through Belguim, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, then via ferry to Sweden. If all goes well, we should arrive in Stenugsund (near Gothenburg) sometime on Thursday. At least once we get to France, we won't be driving on the wrong side of the road any longer!
Team Odyssey Sets Sail for Sweden Next we're off on a 1000 mile road trip through 7 countries, with the boat in tow, headed for Sweden. After more rigorous team practice and training with the Swedes, we'll compete in the Swedish Olympic Class Regatta (Full Report). Our determination to win the US Paralympic Trials and medal at the Games in reflected in this European campaign. Team Odyssey is the only US team training and competing in Europe, against the top international teams. We believe this ongoing effort will provide the edge to win the Trials and medal in Athens. Thanks to all of you for supporting Team Odyssey. We couldn't have done it without you. The entire team has been inspired by your encouraging emails. Please keep them coming. It helps us to stay connected while we're rather cut off from friends and family. As always, we need your help to fund travel, training, coaching, logisitics, sails, hardware and all of the other expenses in mounting a serious Paralympic campaign.Please join Team Odyessey by contributing (Tax Deductible), with a credit card online or with a check via mail towards our next costly, major training event, the 2003 Disabled Sailing World Championship in Athens. Stay tuned for that report from Team Odyessey.
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