Author: Nigel Cherrie - 27 October 2000

Although not achieving the medal positions they set out for, both of Great Britain's Paralympic Sailing Team representatives - Mike Browne in the 2.4mR class and Andy Cassell, Andrew Millband and Brian Harding in the Sonar discipline - kept pushing to the very last race in Sydney Harbour today and have laid down the foundations for a development programme in Paralympic sailing in Great Britain.

One unfortunate penultimate day for both Browne and Cassell dropped them out of the medal chase on the last day although the conditions for the grande finale were picture perfect with a glistening blue Sydney Harbour day made complete with a 10 - 12 knot seabreeze.

On the 2.4mR course, where the Gold medal was settled with a race to spare by Heiko Kroeger (Germany) who sailed a remarkable series, sixth place came down to a straight battle between Browne and the New Zealand representative.

Not realising he was over the start line early (OCS), Browne settled down to a solid race while the Kiwi opted for a complete right hand flyer and led the fleet around the windward mark making him uncatchable, although Mike's OCS had already slipped him back to seventh position overall.

Despite not achieving his personal goal, Mike acknowledged the regatta has been "the most fantastic experience".

"It has been well worth coming and although I didn't achieve my personal goal of sixth or better, I feel privileged to be here," added Mike.

Meanwhile, Andy Cassell and his crew went out all guns blazing by leading at the first windward mark but the eventual Gold (Australia) and Bronze (Canada) medallists soon slipped past with better boatspeed although, momentarily, Cassell and crew were up to fourth overall, their highest possible placing.

A late charge by the Swedish crew relegated Cassell to fifth overall but the British trio were pleased with their outgoing performance. "Today was the first day that the windshifts were more like normal. We thrived on that and were right up there fighting at the front which was a good ending," commented Sonar middleman Andrew Millband.

"It was a tough regatta, neither of our crews reached the full performance potential that they have shown over the last twelve months. The Olympic success last month was developed over twelve years while this is the first official Paralympic sailing regatta so this event is essentially the first step on the way to future Paralympic sailing success.The RYA's aim now is to put the wheels in motion and see if we can go one step higher in Athens," commented Cathy Foster, Great Britain Paralympic Sailing Team Manager.

SYDNEY: Australia; Paralympic Games Sailing Regatta (after 7 days):

Sonar class final overall (after 9 races with 1 discard):
GOLD, Noel Robins and Jamie Dunross and Martin Graeme (Australia) 3,1,3,3,2,(11), 4,1,1 - 14pts
SILVER, Jens Kroker and Peter Muenter and Peter Reichl (Germany) 1,2,5,4,1,6,(9),2,5 - 20pts
BRONZE, David Williams and Paul Tingley and Brian MacDonald (Canada) 2,6,2,(8),3,1,6,6,2 - 22pts
British Placing:
5, Andy Cassell and Andrew Millband and Brian Harding - 7,5,8,5,5,4,10,(11),5 - 37pts

2.4mR class final overall (after 9 races with 2 discards):
GOLD, Heiko Kroeger (Germany) 2,1,1,3,1,(4),1,1,(4) - 10pts
SILVER, Jens Als Andersen (Denmark) 1,2,4,(5),3,1,2,(5) - 15pts
BRONZE, Thomas Taylor Brown (USA) 4,4,2,2,5,(6),(9),6,1 - 24pts
British Placing:
7. Mike Browne - 5,8,9,(12),4,2,8,10,(OCS/18) - 45pts

Author: Nigel Cherrie - 24 October 2000

As Great Britain Paralympic Sailing Team Manager Cathy Foster remarked this afternoon, it was day of steep contrasts on Sydney Harbour for GB's Sonar and 2.4mR crews. While Andy Cassell, Andrew Milland and Brian Harding saw a potential top three finish snatched from underneath them by an unstable breeze, Mike Browne put behind him yesterday's problems to sail two inspired races.

The low cloud cover wiped out the thermal effect that should have delivered a perfect seabreeze while bouts of heavy rain compounded the unsettled wind that dropped from 14 to 6 knots during the day, with the potential for large punishments for small mistakes.

In the first Sonar race, which got underway in 12-14 knot breeze, Cassell, Millband and Harding made a remarkable recovery from tenth place at the first mark, after a disastrous start and first beat, to climb through the fleet on every leg of the course to finish fifth.

The second race of the day started in a subsiding breeze that was now only 6 knots with the British trio second at the windward mark. However, with the Australian national flags on the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge flying to the West as opposed to the Northerly breeze on the racetrack, the race committee abandoned proceedings and reset the course.

After several more failed attempts, the fleet eventually got back underway in a fresh Northerly breeze of 6-8 knots with Cassell leading the fleet for the first lap. While loosely covering the fleet on the second downwind leg, Cassell sailed into hole and could only watch helplessly as most of the pursuing pack picked up a gust from behind to sail around them.

Despite the twelve points deficit they have on third place with only three races remaining, Cassell remains resilient and knows that it's not over until the final finish gun. "We feel a lot happier and now feel we have a better hold on the conditions," commented Andy after racing.

Meanwhile, Mike Browne notched up two well deserved results, holding his own amongst the top five helmsman who have up until now dominated the fleet. After a perfect start in the first race, Mike slotted into third place for most of the race, only dropping one place on the final lap.

In race two he jostled with Jens Als Andersen (Denmark) for the entire race with the Dane eventually getting the upper hand through marginally better boatspeed although the pair were over a minute clear of the chasing pack. "Today was my day," grinned Mike after racing. "My tactics worked and even the bad start I had was a general recall!"

"It was despairing to watch the Sonar results suffer due to so many things that seemed beyond their control but then I was delighted everything went according to plan for Mike in the 2.4mR racing," added Sailing Manager Cathy Foster this evening.

SYDNEY: Australia; Paralympic Games Sailing Regatta (after 4 days)

Sonar class (after 6 races with 1 discard):
1. Noel Robins and Jamie Dunross and Martin Graeme (Australia) 3,1,3,3,2,11 - 12pts
2. Jens Kroker and Peter Muenter and Peter Reichl (Germany) 1,2,5,4,1,6 - 13pts
3. David Williams and Paul Tingley and Brian MacDonald (Canada) 2,6,2,8,3,1 - 14pts
British Placing:
4, Andy Cassell and Andrew Millband and Brian Harding - 7,5,8,5,5,4 - 26pts

2.4mR class (after 6 races with one discard)
No overall results are currently available

Author: Nigel Cherrie - 23 October 2000

The 17 lone sailors contesting the 2.4mR class at the Paralympic Sailing Regatta were blessed with classic Sydney Harbour conditions today as they added another two races to their series in a warm healthy breeze and bright sunny skies.

Although not finishing the day with the results he would have liked, Great Britain's representative Mike Browne will draw strength from his performance in the majority of the opening race.

Series race three got underway in a ten-knot breeze with Mike holding fourth place for the first two laps. By the final windward leg the breeze had built to 18 knots which requires significant rig tuning to stop the mini keelboats becoming over powered. Mike wasn't able to get enough backstay tension to de-power the top of the large mainsail and consolidate on his position amongst the leaders heading towards the finish. The second race of the day was sailed in the same breeze with Mike once again fighting for control in his overpowered boat, eventually finishing twelth.

"I made a confident start and was fourth at the first windward mark and held it well for two laps but when the wind increased I had some difficulties as I wasn't able to de-power the rig," explained Mike. "We have a few jobs to do on the boat tonight and I have some homework to do on strong wind sailing which hopefully I'll do well and we'll be back on the pace in the next race".

"It was only a tuning problem that held Mike back today as he would normally have been very competitive," commented Great Britain Paralympic Sailing Team Manager Cathy Foster after racing. "He's very good at analysing what he has to do to learn from it and move forward. In sailing tomorrow is a completely new day, a lot can still happen with five races left".

SYDNEY: Australia; Paralympic Games Sailing Regatta (after 3 days)

2.4mR class (after 4 races)
1, Heiko Kroeger (Germany) 2,1,1,3 - 7pts
2, Jens Als Anderson (Denmark) 1,2,4,5 - 12pts
3, Thomas Taylor Brown (USA) 4,4,2,2 -12pts
British Placing:
8, Mike Browne - 5,8,9,12 - 34pts

Author: Nigel Cherrie - 22 October 2000

While the 2.4mR class had their first layday, Great Britain's Sonar representatives Andy Cassell, Andrew Millband and Brian Harding resumed their Paralympic competition in a shifty and very patchy 8 - 10 knot breeze that once again turned Sydney Harbour into a game of snakes and ladders.

The British trio posted an eighth and fifth in series races three and four and are now in fifth position overall while local hope Noel Robins, a past America's Cup sailor, seems to be making the most of his local knowledge. He has edged out a minor two-point lead on the fifteen-boat fleet.

Robins' familiarity with the complexities of Sydney Harbour was clearly demonstrated in the first race of the day when he charged through the fleet from second to last on the first beat to second on the ensuing downwind leg after opting for the right hand side of the course while the rest of the fleet split left.

In the second race Cassell opted for a similar tactic in an effort to keep in touch with the leaders as the points start to open up. "On the last beat today we decided to go break right and it worked as we pulled up to third at one point," explained Andy. "This is a very weird place to sail as it's difficult to read. The Australian has made the best job of it so far. We have done what we could and are coping with the situation. It's about trying to make the right decision in extremely tricky conditions".

"With blue skies and clear water, it must have looked to the average spectator to be just idealic sailing conditions but it was very, very hard out there," commented Paralympic Sailing Team Manager Cathy Foster after racing.

Racing continues tomorrow for the 2.4mR class as the Sonar's take a layday.

SYDNEY: Australia; Paralympic Games Sailing Regatta (after 2 days)

Sonar class (after 4 races):
1, Noel Robins and Jamie Dunross and Graeme Martin (Australia) 3,1,3,3 -10pts
2, Jens Kroker and Peter Muenter and Peter Reichl (Germany) 1,2,5,4 - 12pts
3, David Williams and Paul Tingley and Brian MacDonald (Canada) 2,6,2,8 -18pts
British Placing:
5, Andy Cassell and Andrew Millband and Brian Harding - 7,5,8,5 - 25pts

2.4mR class (after 2 races yesterday)
1, Heiko Kroeger (Germany) 2,1 - 3pts
2, Jens Als Anderson (Denmark) 1,2 - 3pts
3, Phillippe Balle (France) 3,5 -8pts
British Placing:
6, Mike Browne - 5,8 - 13pts

Author: Nigel Cherrie - 21 October 2000

The inaugural Paralympic sailing regatta got underway today in true inner Sydney Harbour conditions. The 10 -12 knot South-easterly breeze had to whistle through the Sydney skyline before hitting the single course area a short way off the Sydney Opera House, leading to thirty degree windshifts and creating extremely tactically demanding racing.

"Today was a settling down day as it's the first time both classes have raced in anger in classic Sydney Harbour conditions," explained Great Britain Paralympic Sailing Team Manager Cathy Foster. Both Great Britain crews marked their scoresheets with countable results in conditions that caught out some of the top seeds.

Andy Cassell, Andrew Millband and Brian Harding clawed their way back through the fleet in both races after loosing out to big shifts on the opening windward leg. They go into the second day equal fourth on points with the Spanish crew skippered by Joaquin Quero.

"It's exceptionally difficult out there. We didn't get the shifts right today but we've got the boat speed to get ourselves back up fleet, which is something. This event is going to be about turning in a respectable result in each race. I wouldn't be surprised if the top three changed daily," explained Sonar middleman Andrew Millband after racing.

"Everyone is constantly going up and down the fleet, some people are jumping from seventh to first in one beat as the shifts are so big. Quite a lot of boats hit the corners today and came out ahead. The Australian went so far out to one side he almost ran aground but came into the mark 300 yards ahead so if it's the same tomorrow as it is today we may have to consider playing that option ourselves," added Andrew.

No overall 2.4mR results are available at present, supposedly due to a number of protests, although Great Britain's Mike Browne was fifth and eighth in his two races today. The Sonar class will continue their series tomorrow while the 2.4mR's will have a layday.

SYDNEY: Australia; Paralympic Games Sailing Regatta (after 1 day)
Sonar class (after 2 races):
1, Jens Kroker and Peter Muenter and Peter Reichl (Germany) 1,2 -3pts
2, Noel Robins and Jamie Dunross and Graeme Martin (Australia) 3,1 -4pts
3, David Williams and Paul Tingley and Brian MacDonald (Canada) 2,6 -8pts
British Placing:
=4, Andy Cassell and Andrew Millband and Brian Harding - 7,5 -12pts

Those with the software to do so can log on to www.wemedia.com for live webcams of the Paralympic Games.

Author: Nigel Cherrie - 18 October 2000

Sydney Harbour, the jewel in Sydney's crown, will once again become a hive of international focus over the next nine days as the inaugural Paralympic Yachting Regatta, part of the Paralympic Games in Sydney Australia, gets underway.

Next weeks regatta will be the first time sailing has featured in the Paralympic Games as a full medal sport. At the 1996 Paralympics it was classed as a demonstration event and won by Sydney 2000 Sonar helmsman Andy Cassell.

Both the British Sonar and 2.4mR crews have passed measurement and have been spending the past few days building on their knowledge of the two course areas (Olympic courses B & C) on Sydney Harbour, just insight of the world famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Overall, the team led by former Olympian and RYA Paralympic Team Manager Cathy Foster have been ensuring that every last detail that could make a medal winning difference has been covered.

Although the Great Britain Paralympic sailing and support team have just four years of history compared to the sixteen years of work that produced five Olympic sailing medals last month, the RYA support structure, funded by the lottery's World Class Performance Programme, means both the Sonar and 2.4 classes will start the six day series in the medal hunt.

The four sailors, Andy Cassell (Sonar helmsman), Andrew Millband (Sonar middleman), Brian Harding (Sonar frontman) and Mike Browne (2.4mR helmsman) will be aiming to taste the same success experienced by their Olympic team mates who returned to Great Britain as the top Olympic sailing nation after capturing three Gold and two Olympic Silver medals.

In the Sonar class, Andy and his new team will be aiming to repeat Cassell's 1996 triumph this time, however, the extremely challenging conditions inside Sydney Harbour mean that no medal is a certainty.

Amongst the seventeen nations who line up for the Sonar series, the Americans, Canadians, Dutch, Germans and Australians all promise to be formidable competitors for the Paralympic title.

The advent of lottery funding has allowed Cassell's team to spend a considerable amount of time on the water over the last three seasons. As Cathy Foster pointed out: "The Sonar class has some gained some new but very experienced players since Atlanta, but the internal strength of the British crew with Andrew and Brian on board could be the deciding factor in such a shifty venue."

Andy's team are in a confident mood but know the task ahead won't be easy.

"The pressure is higher on us in light winds," explained middleman Andrew Millband. "You have to look for the last breath of wind and all your movements on the boat have to be slow and meticulous. We would certainly prefer a strong breeze but in Cowes in the summer we sailed a series in light airs and we were very competitive. People should remember that Andy didn't win easily in Atlanta and it won't be easy for us here".

"I've been sailing with Andy for a number of years and Brian joined us two years ago so we've got to know each very well, it's almost psychic on the boat. We don't need to talk to each other very much, we know what to do and just get on with it," added Andrew.

Despite only starting sailing six years ago after an off-piste skiing accident broke his lower back in 1993, Mike Browne has become the dark horse of the 2.4mR class. His international results over the last two seasons show he is capable of stealing the show, but, as Foster explained, "Mike has the speed and technical competence in this very tricky boat but lacks the years of experience that the others have." His underdog status may be his trump card.

Considering the competition, Mike commented: "The clear favourite has to be the German, Heiko Kruge, he has done some outstanding sailing this year. The fleet size (17) is perfect. It's not too big and there are not too many people who can mess you up".

Along with tune up helmsman, Steve Bullmore, Mike has also put some time into developing a new foresail (jib) for the Games "which is better than any other I could have bought off the shelf."

Alongside Cathy Foster, the four sailors representing Great Britain at the Paralympic Games will be backed up by Martin Cheshire (Sonar reserve), Steve Bullmore (2.4mR shore crew), Sue Cotgrove (physiotherapist), Chris Pegna (Sonar support) Sue Burgess (house manager), Duncan Bates (Sonar tune-up helmsman) and Rick Williams (sonar support).

The nine race (two discard series) for both the Sonar and 2.4m classes starts on Saturday 21st October.

Schedule for the regatta will be as follows:
Saturday 21st October - Racing starts Sonar and 2.4mR classes
Sunday 22nd October - 2.4mR racing (Sonar lay day)
Monday 23rd October- Sonar racing (2.4mR lay day)
Tuesday 24th October - Sonar and 2.4mR racing
Wednesday 25th October - 2.4mR racing (Sonar layday)
Thursday 26th October - Sonar racing (2.4mR layday)
Friday 27th October - Sonar and 2.4mR last day of racing
Friday 27th October - Paralympic Sailing Regatta Medal Ceremony
Tuesday 31st October or Wednesday1st November - Team flies home

TELEVISION COVERAGE
BBC 2 Television will be doing a daily roundup covering all the Paralympic Sports.

Wednesday 18th October - 17.55hrs - 50 mins
Thursday 19th October - 17.15hrs - 50mins
Friday 20th October - 17.15hrs- 50mins
Saturday 21st October - 18.05 hrs - 50mins
Sunday 22nd October - 18.55hrs - 50mins
Monday 23rd October - 18.45hrs - 45mins
Tuesday 24th October - 18.50hrs - 45mins
Wednesday 25th October - 18.45 hrs - 45mins
Thursday 26th October - 18.00 hrs- 45mins
Friday 27th October - 17. 15hrs- 45mins
Saturday 28th October - 16.00hrs- 50mins
Sunday 29th October - 18.40 hrs - 50mins

RADIO
Radio 5 Live, 909 & 693 medium wave, are also in Sydney. They may do a regular slot on the Breakfast Show 6-9am. There will be a daily roundup on the Nicky Campbell show 11.30 - 12.00 am.

GOOD LUCK MESSAGES:
Friends, Family and supporters can send good luck messages by email to [email protected]

Results and information from the Olympic and Paralympic Games can be found on the following websites:

The RYA Sail for Gold website for sailing information only: www.sailforgold.co.uk
Official results will be on the Sydney Olympic site under Paralympics: www.olympics.com
The British Paralympic Association website will carry full British Team Information: www.paralympics.org.uk

Copyright © 1998 - 2021
 UK Dinghy Racing
 Designed By:Xpert Web Builder