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U.S. Olympic Yachting Team Prepares for 1996 Olympic Regatta

SAVANNAH, GA--The 16 members of the U.S. Olympic Yachting Team are anxiously counting down to the start of the 1996 Olympic Regatta in Savannah, GA. Since processing in Atlanta on July 6 and moving into the Savannah Olympic Village on July 7, the Team has had little time to relax. Sailors have coordinated rigorous training with a major fund raiser, various public appearances, boat draw for singlehanded boats and measurement for non-supplied boats. To top it all, they spent a day last week bracing for the unfulfilled threat of Hurricane Bertha.

Sailing for the USA in Europes is Courtenay Becker-Dey (Rye, N.Y./The Dalles, Ore.); in Finns --1993 National Champion Will Martin (Charleston, S.C.); in 470 Men's--1992 Olympic Silver Medalists Morgan Reeser and Kevin Burnham (Wilton Manors/Coral Gables, Fla.); in 470 Women's--Kristina Stookey and Louise Van Voorhis (Darien, Conn./Webster, N.Y.); in Lasers--1994 National Champion Nick Adamson (Newport Beach, Calif.); in Mistral Men's--1992 Olympic and 1995 Pan Am Games Silver Medalist Mike Gebhardt (Ft. Pierce, Fla.); in Mistral Women's--1992 Olympian and 1995 Pan Am Games Bronze Medalist Lanee Butler (Aliso Viejo, Calif.); in Solings--1995 North American and U.S. Champions Jeff Madrigali, Kent Massey and Jim Barton (San Anselmo/Santa Barbara/Fairfax, Calif.); in Stars--1995 World Champions and 1992 Olympic Gold Medalists Mark Reynolds and Hal Haenel (San Diego/Los Angeles, Calif.); and in Tornados--1996 North American Champions John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree (New Orleans, La./Kemah, Tex.).

The U.S. is the undisputed leader in Olympic Yachting, with a total medal record of 48 (21 of which have been won over the last three Olympiads). At the Summer Games in Barcelona, the USA's 1992 Olympic Yachting Team won more medals--one gold, six silver, and two bronze--than any other country. Only Athletics (a.k.a. Track and Field) and Swimming had a better medal count.

Schedule for the 1996 Olympic Regatta

Yachting Notes
What's in a name? $13,000 if you're the US Sailing Team! That was the auction price for an Olympic flag--signed by the 16 members of the '96 U.S. Olympic Yachting Team--when it came up for bid at the Rolex Golden Spinnaker Ball co-presented by NationsBank. Other live auction items at the July 7 event in Savannah included a specially marked centennial Laser sailboat and a Winchester shotgun. Proceeds from ticket sales, sponsorships and auctions topped $100,000. And who placed the winning bid for the Olympic flag? The Savannah Yacht Club, of course, which is situated right next to the yachting venue. Talk about a yachting event! Savannah is where the Olympic flame officially touched Georgia soil for the first time. It arrived by boat--the schooner AMERICA to be exact, which sailed it up the Savannah River on July 9. The torch was passed, with deserved pomp and ceremony, to U.S. Star crew Hal Haenel who took it to shore by powerboat. There, he passed it off to his skipper Mark Reynolds, who ran it along the riverfront and presented it to chief Olympic organizer Billy Payne and Gov. Zell Miller. Haenel, who with Reynolds won a gold medal in '92 and a silver in '88, is the only Olympian to have "run" in the 1996 Torch Relay twice. His first time was in his hometown of St. Louis Missouri. Appearances are Everything. A lot of people in Savannah have taken up autograph hunting and three US Sailing Team appearances have helped everyone round out their collections of signatures from yachting heroes. More than 500 fans showed up for a Nautica appearance by Mark Reynolds and Hal Haenel at Belk Department Store on July 13. The same day, Morgan Reeser and Kevin Burnham satisfied a similar crowd for Sperry Top-Sider at Rich's. When the Savannah Morning News Press published a pull-out full color poster featuring U.S. Team members and their profiles, nearly 1500 people converged on a local Saturn dealership to have thier copies signed by Kris Stookey, Louise Van Voorhis and Lanee Butler. Sign on!
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