After four days of intense racing in the US Olympic Team Qualifying Regatta, Anna Tunnicliffe, Molly Vandemoer, and Debbie Capozzi of Team Maclaren emerged victorious. The final match-up against Sally Barkow’s Team 6 Match Race proved challenging in the scramble to be the first to six wins.
Team Maclaren felt optimistic going into the final day of the regatta, leading with four victories to Team 7’s one. But Barkow and her crew gained momentum, securing two victories in the first heats of the day. Race 3 went to Team Maclaren, their strong sailing rebuilding confidence for what would be the last race of the qualifier.
“It’s reassuring to know that if you work hard and you keep focused it’s going to pay off in the end,” said Vandoemer, who is a first-time Olympian.
Both Capozzi and Tunnicliffe sailed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but are by no means jaded by the experience.
“The US Olympic Trials is the hardest regatta to do in the world,” said Tunnicliffe. “We knew that whichever team won here is going to the Olympics and is going to win gold.”
The Olympic Sailing Regatta will run from July 27 to August 12, 2012.
