After two races today, USA's team of Mark Reynolds and Steve Erickson has a seven-point lead in the 58-boat Star fleet. The margin is anything but comfortable, however, since the team sailed its throw-out race--a 46th--today. (After six races, sailors are allowed to discard their worst race) Erickson explained that Australia's Colin Beashel and crew David Giles, who are using this event as a qualifier for their Olympic Team, rose in the ranks today to second overall, winning today's first race and counting a 15th in today's second race as their throw-out. `That's easily a race to count. Anyone else in the top nine can't have a bad race.`

Though Erickson is a new crew for Reynolds, he--like Reynolds--is a fixture in the Star class. He won two world championships, one with Bill Buchan ('85) and one with Paul Cayard ('88) who is competing here. He also won the Star Olympic Gold Medal crewing for Buchan in 1984. Reynolds made U.S. Olympic sailing history as a four-time consecutive representative in the same event. He is a two-time Star world champion ('00, '95) and three-time Olympic medalist (1992 Gold,1988 Silver, 2000 Gold) in arguably the most competitive one-design class in the world.

In Tornados, Puerto Rico's Olympic representative Enrique Figueroa saved his lead from yesterday, but Austria's Roman Hagara is closing in, only three points behind.

`The top ten Tornado sailors in the world are here,` said Figueroa, noting that Hagara is the Olympic Bronze Medalist from 2000. USA's Lars Guck slipped from third to fifth today, while fellow countryman John Lovell got back into the game after breaking equipment yesterday that forced him off the racecourse. Lovell won the last of today's three races but sits in 15th on the scoreboard.

Denmark's Jonas Hoegh Christensen lost his lead to 1996 Finn Gold medalist Mateus Kusznierewicz, when the Polish sailor won three of four races today and pulled ahead in overall scoring by 12 points. `I just had a bad day,` said Christensen. `Winning is pretty much out of my reach, now. It's going to be a battle for second between me, Ewenson and Hall.` USA's Geoff Ewenson sits in third, only two points behind Christensen, with USA's Kevin Hall in fourth, again two points behind.

Asked about his strategy for tomorrow, Ewenson said, `This isn't as important to me as the Trials (this February). Kevin and I have been training together, so we're used to pushing each other pretty hard.`

USA's Tim Wadlow increased his team's lead over Switzerland's Chris Rast to 15 points after winning three of four races today, while New Zealand's Sharon Ferris decreased her lead on the Yngling fleet. Only five points behind Ferris is USA's Hannah Swett, who toppled Sally Barkow from the runner-up position. (Barkow is now in eighth overall.)

In Paralympic action, Udo Hessels of the Nederlands is only one point ahead of USA's Rick Doerr in Sonar class. In 2.4 Metres, USA's Jeff Madrigali, an able-bodied sailor who won the Soling bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, leads in the 2.4 Metre class over Stellan Berlin, a World Champion. Madrigali and Berlin have been coaching and training with USA's representative to the Paralympics in this class, Tom Brown. Brown is in fifth overall. `The best way to coach someone is to sail the same boat they sail,` said Madrigali.

Racing concludes tomorrow, January 30. Regatta Headquarters are located at the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove. Other Hosts for the event are the Coral Reef, Key Biscayne and Miami Yacht Clubs; the Coconut Grove Sailing Club; and Shake-A-Leg Miami.

For more information: www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR/

Source: Media Pro Intl