Szabo and Strube Win Day 6

Armed with the information that the observer never recorded anything in excess of 18 knots, the fleet competing in the 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Sailing headed out to the course where half an hour before the noon start, winds ranged from 13-18 knots. Under conditions acknowledged as "excellent for Star sailing," the course was set for W-2 (windward-leeward twice around). However, by noon the winds had increased to 18-21, and by the time the lead boats had completed the first two legs, winds had increased from 22-25 knots - with gusts as high as 32 - resulting in a decision not to run additional races for the day, once the race in progress was completed.

With their win of the only race sailed yesterday, George SZABO (San Diego, Calif.) and Mark STRUBE (West Palm Beach, Fla.) have improved another position in the overall scoring. They have been steadily improving their placement over the course of the series, and that win, their second thus far in eight races, puts them 12 points behind series leaders Paul CAYARD (Kentfield, Calif.) and Phil TRINTER (Lorain, Ohio). Cayard and Trinter finished fourth yesterday and now stand first overall with 14 points.

Vince BRUN and Mike DORGAN (both San Diego, Calif.), dropped back one place to third overall after adding a 10 place finish to their scoreline. With 34 points, they trail Szabo and Strube by eight points.

Posting an eleventh-place finish didn't cost Eric DOYLE (San Diego, Calif.) and Brian SHARP (Norwalk, Conn./Franklin, Mass.) anything in the overall scoring. In fact the two moved up from fifth to fourth on the strength of 45 points. Rounding out the top-five in the overall scores, one point behind Doyle and Sharp, are John Maccausland (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Brad NICHOL (Sunapee, N.H.) after finishing eighth in the breezy race.

Racing continues today, Friday, until Sunday, 28 March. The Race Committee will plan for three races each of the remaining competition days in an attempt to complete the planned 16-race series. For bios and full results the event website at the address below.

Overall Top Ten

Pos	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Points
1	Paul Cayard/	2	[6]	1	2	3	1	1	4	14.00
	Phil Trinter
2	George Szabo/	4	5	[14]	9	1	4	2	1	26.00
	Mark Strube
3	Vince Brun/	[23/	9	2	1	4	5	3	10	34.00
	Mike Dorgan	OCS]
4	Eric Doyle/	1	1	9	8	5	10	[12]	11	45.00
	Brian Sharp
5	John MacCausland/	6	8	3	6	10	[15]	5	8	46.00
	Brad Nichol
6	Rick Merriman/	7	4	[17]	13	2	7	9	5	47.00
	Bill Bennett
7	Mark Reynolds/	5	2	10	7	13	2	[15]	9	48.00
	Steve Erickson
8	Andrew Macdonald/	11	7	5	4	6	[13]	10	7	50.00
	Austin Sperry
9	Andy Lovell/	[23/	23/	4	3	11	3	7	3	54.00
	Magnus Liljedahl	OCS]	DNS
10	Howie Shiebler/	3	3	6	[23/	12	9	6	23/	62.00
	Will Stout				OCS]				DNF