More heartbreak for Kiwis and Adam Beashel

by New Zealand Herald on 21 Apr 2004 Yachting New Zealand (YNZ) suffered their second disappointment in as many days when Adam Beashel and Ed Smyth narrowly missed qualifying a 49er boat for the Olympics today.

At the World Championships sailed off Athens, Beashel and Smyth fell six points short of the Swedish crew who claimed the final Olympics qualifying place.

The 49er pair, who won the Australian National championship this year, finished ninth in the silver fleet after lying fifth overnight.
They competed on a chartered boat after their original went missing in shipping, and were forced to switch to another charter the day before racing started.

‘It meant we weren't able to focus solely on sailing the boat but rather had to get to learn the equipment on the chartered boat,’ Beashel said.

YNZ chief executive Simon Wickham reflected on another disappointing day after Tornado sailors Aaron McIntosh and Mark Kennedy also fell six points short of Olympic qualification in Spain yesterday.

‘With a team that shows so much potential, it's a very disappointing result today.

‘Unfortunately in sailing it's a tough qualification process, similar to the Games where you have to put it all together for one regatta.’

Sail-World note: Spare a thought too, for Adam Beashel. In 1996 he missed by the narrowest of margins representing Australia in the Laser class. In 2000, amid controversy, he again missed representing Australia, this time in the 49er class – and now this.

Are the forces conspiring to keep this talented and versatile sailor out of the Olympic Games?