Larson wins gold in Miami OCR

by Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge on 1 Feb 2007 Morgan Larson left Dubai after having participated in the winter training for the first ten days. He had been given time off to take part in the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, since he was already in the middle of his preparations for the 49er Class in the Peking Olympics when he joined Victory Challenge last autumn.

When he now returns to the America’s Cup preparations, it is with yet another gold medal in his extensive collection of prizes.

'It was wonderful to win! We also won two years ago, but then the competition was not as hard. This time the twenty best teams in the world participated' says Morgan Larson, who sailed a 49er together with Pete Spaulding.

When they won the Rolex Miami OCR 2005 it was the first time they competed together in a 49er.

Morgan Larson has previously taken three World Championship bronzes in this class, a class he has focused on during the last few years. He has also, amongst many, taken three World Championship gold medals and won twenty American championships. He is furthermore an America’s Cup veteran who sailed with Paul Cayard and John Kostecki in AmericaOne 1999/2000, and with Peter Gilmour and James Spithill in OneWorld Challenge 2002/2003.

He had said no to join a number of other teams for the 32nd America’s Cup because of his preparations for the Peking Olympics.

When he finally accepted to join the Victory Challenge, he said:

'My partner is on a course in economics just now, so joining Victory Challenge this late doesn’t disrupt my Olympic plans. The only thing that can disrupt them is if Victory Challenge reaches the America's Cup Match.'

When we caught him on his mobile phone after his victory in Miami, he said:

'We’ll participate in the North American Championship in 49ers at the weekend; then I’m off to Valencia.'

His return coincides with the end of Victory Challenge’s winter training in Dubai when the team returns to Valencia for structure testing of the new SWE 96. (Today in Dubai Victory Challenge has its 21st day of high quality sailing during its winter training in the United Arab Emirates).

The victory in Miami this weekend exceeded all of Morgan Larson and Pete Spaulding’s expectations. Their goal was to finish as best American team, and to win a medal.

At the beginning it looked difficult, and they were forced to break the third race.

'This may only happen once and we were therefore forced to sail conservatively after that.'

Before the last day’s sailing they had, however, achieved bronze, but impressive sailing was needed for them to take gold before British Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes, and French Morgan Lagraviere and Stephane Christidis.

'This was extremely good for our self-confidence, and for the continued financing of our Olympic aims,' says Morgan Larson.

Next week he will be able to focus on the America’s Cup once again. The American selection for the Olympics does not take place until October.