Some of the athletes competing here have already been chosen for their nation's Olympic teams and have traveled to Miami for the traditionally intense competition the event offers. U.S. athletes in six of the classes--Europe, Finn, 49er, Star, Tornado and Yngling--are using the regatta as a tune-up for Olympic Trials that will take place in South Florida over the next two months, determining who goes to Athens.

USA's team of Tim Wadlow and Pete Spaulding embraced the good fortune of today's five races in the 49er class. After posting a ninth place after yesterday's single race, they rose through the ranks to first overall today on the merit of a first, three seconds and a third. `We were the most consistent team out there today,` said Spaulding, `but we're seeing that different people are having good races at different times. The other U.S. teams are in the hunt in every race, so, yes, it's a very good tune-up for the Trials.`

Also making it to the top of the scoreboard today were USA's Mark Reynolds/Steve Erickson in Star class, while USA's Laser sailor Mark Mendelblatt rose to second behind Norway's Per Moberg. `Moberg seems to be the man to beat this week,` said Mendelblatt, who has already secured his position on the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. `The competition gets better and better every year. There are 5-6 guys here who have a chance to medal in the Olympics.`

In Ynglings, six U.S. teams are competing, and the current Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Hannah Swett sits in third behind yesterday's leader Sally Barkow, who allowed New Zealand's Sharon Ferris to sneak by her in overall standings to lead.

`Everyone was up and down, because it was really shifty,` said Swett. `It sure kept it interesting. It gave us a chance to check out the other American teams' speed. It's replicating the Trials plus adding five or six foreign boats.`

Another Olympic hopeful, USA's Kevin Hall, who qualified the U.S. for its Finn Olympic berth at the Finn Worlds in '03 (finishing 27th), posted a 1-3-5-4 today to take a position in third place behind Denmark's defending champion and fleet leader Jonas Hoegh Christensen and 1996 Finn Gold medalist Mateaus Kusznierewicz, currently in second place overall. Hoegh Christensen and Kusznierewicz finished fourth and sixth, respectively, at the '03 Worlds.

`Since the Finn Trials will be in Ft. Lauderdale in February, I have been training there since October,` said Hall, who only announced his campaign last May after finishing his job with the OneWorld America's Cup campaign. `The conditions aren't the same here, but it's the quality of the racing…the benefit is that I'm sailing against some of the world's top Finn sailors.` Right behind Hall in fourth is USA's Geoff Ewenson, who also plans to compete in the Trials.

Racing continues tomorrow through Friday, 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