UK’s Thunderbirds preparing for Skandia Geelong Week

by Rob Kothe on 20 Jan 2005 For the first time in its history, Skandia Geelong Week will have an all-female, all-British team taking up the challenge to 'beat the boys' in the Thunderbird class and given their background and experience they can do it.

Lucy Burn and her crew featured as part of the Skandia Squad at 2004's Skandia Cowes Week. At Geelong, they will be sailing as Skandia Courage UK.

These girls are not weekend sailors. Lucy Burn (22), Charlie Odell (21), Jo Ryley (21) and Ali Sutherland (25) are talented racers, all sailing on the European circuits.

Skipper Lucy is one year into an Olympic Yngling (keelboat) campaign and a member of the RYA Team GBR Olympic Development Squad.

After sailing today on Corio Bay, Lucy provided some background.

‘I sail an Olympic class Yngling keelboat and am aiming for Beijing 2008 but we have some rather hot competition!'

'Jo and I were UK Student Yachting National Champions and came joint first at the World Championships in 2003.'

'I have done a lot of Big Boat racing and Offshore sailing, like the Fastnet and the RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club) Offshore series, and I was on the winning Farr 45 at the IRM Nationals this year.'

'We are still setting up our boat. On Wednesday night we had our first sail on a Thunderbird. It was blowing 30 knots and we just did not have enough weight, it was a wet ride, but it certainly blew some of the jetlag away.'

'But the Geelong Larriken guys are helping us with some tuning today.’

The Larriken’s raced at Skandia Cowes Week last August. Darren Pickering commented today; ‘The British girls are likely to give some of the local Thunderbird crews a fright.'

'On Friday we sail up to Williamstown, in preparation for the long race and maybe introduce them to a few nightclubs and bars. It’s all part of the compulsory Thunderbird training routine.’

For news and results www.geelongweek.com.au