Semaine Olympique Francaise - Team AlphaGraphics prepare for battle

by Dana Paxton on 21 Apr 2012 There are now less than 100 days until the start of the 2012 London Olympics and US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics are now in Hyeres to prepare for the pinnacle in sailing competition. Taking place April 21-27, the event expects over 1,000 sailors from more than 50 countries, and is the fourth stop in the ISAF Sailing World Cup series.

'Our European season is in full swing,' said US Sailing’s High Performance Director/Head Coach Kenneth Andreasen (Tampa, Fla.).

'We are now fewer than 100 days until the Olympic Games begin with the Paralympic Games following 16 days after. Our team is training in Hyeres this week, and, together with our Team coaches, working on a number of Games-specific goals. We have been working hard over the last four years to put a plan together where our sailors will peak at the right time, and this event is one of many steps toward the end goal.'

There are 26 USSTAG athletes competing at this event, 15 of whom have qualified for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Teams.

Competing in the French Olympic Sailing Week:

2.4mR - Mark LeBlanc (New Orleans, La.)
49er - Erik Storck (Huntington, N.Y.) and Trevor Moore (N. Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla.)
470 Men - Stuart McNay (Boston, Mass.) and Graham Biehl (San Diego, Calif.)
470 Women - Amanda Clark (Shelter Island, N.Y.) and Sarah Lihan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Finn - Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.)
Laser - Rob Crane (Darien, Conn.)
RS:X Men – Bob Willis (Chicago, Ill.)
RS:X Women - Farrah Hall (Annapolis, Md.)
SKUD-18 – Jen French (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and JP Creignou (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Sonar – Paul Callahan (Cape Coral, Fla./Newport R.I.), Tom Brown (Castine, Me.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.)

USSTAG received berths for all three of its Women’s Match Racing teams:

Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), Molly Vandemoer (Stanford, Calif.) and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.)
Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C.) and Elizabeth Kratzig Burnham (Miami, Fla.)
Genny Tulloch (San Francisco, Calif.), Jenn Chamberlin (Washington, D.C.) and Alice Manard Leonard (New Orleans, La./East Haven, Conn.)

Women’s Match Racing selection for the 2012 Olympic Team is set for the US Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta, May 4-9, in Weymouth, U.K.

Fred Strammer (Nokomis, Fla.) and Zach Brown (San Diego, Calif.), members of the 2012 US Sailing Development Team, will compete in the 49er.

The US Sailing Team is not represented at French Olympic Sailing Week in the Finn, Laser Radial or Star classes.

Team AlphaGraphics website