Paige Railey and Ed Baird continue to compete at the highest level.
Clearwater's Railey, 17, won the U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship for the third time. She captured the Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy in New Jersey over 66 competitors from throughout the United States. Laser Radials were supplied by the manufacturer, Vanguard Sailboats.
The Radial shares the same hull as the Olympic Laser, but has a slightly smaller sail, making it better suited for lighter sailors. Railey has been practicing and racing the craft here and in Europe.
She took the lead with two wins and a second on the opening day and counted a string of firsts after that to compile nine points. She had such a lead that she didn't have to sail the last race.
The second-place team, from Southern California, was 24 points behind. On that last day, Railey rescued a young competitor who was drifting away from her boat, holding her rudder. Railey pulled the sailor to her vessel, righted it and fixed the rudder.
"Helping her out was the best part of the day, since I know how it feels to be exhausted and sitting in the water wanting someone to help," Railey said. The regatta is the qualifying event for the Youth World Championship, which Railey won last year. This year, two early starts in races and a disqualification for a little too much kinetics in the boat scuttled her chance for a repeat. The 2005 race is to be in South Korea.
When asked how she was celebrating her victory in the Singlehanded Championship, Railey said, "I'm doing homework for school right now because classes started a few days ago."
St. Petersburg's Baird sits on top of the match-racing world after winning the ISAF World Match Racing Championship in Russia and the first event of the Swedish Match Race circuit.
He is No. 1 in the Worlds and Swedish Match Tour.
Stage 1 of the 2004-05 tour was the Portugal Match Cup. The big players were there, including most of the America's Cup skippers.
Baird and crew won the finals 3-0 over Russell Coutts of New Zealand in close racing. Coutts has won more America's Cup races than anyone in history.
Baird has been a competitor on the Swedish Match Tour since its inception and is among only two skippers who have placed in the top eight all five seasons.
His Team Musto is planning to compete in as many events as possible this year. The top team at the end of the tour gets a bonus of $60,000 in prize money and a BMW 545i Touring car.
It is tough to make all of the events, chasing an elusive prize.
The venues are all over the world, the family and crew need support, and there are other opportunities for a professional sailor.
"The Tour represents the elite events of the world, and we love to go to the best events," Baird said. OLYMPICS: The sailing discipline of the Games is scheduled for TV on the Bravo network starting at midnight Saturday and continuing through Aug. 25.
A different class is highlighted each night, but no notice is given as to which class. Set those VCRs.
