#OLYMPIC SAILING–All set for next week's Olympic qualification sailing regatta Irish campaigners Peter O'Leary and David Burrows look in fine form out training in the 'Fremantle doctor'. The consistent wind that blows during Perth's summer time from the southwest proved no object to the pair even when it got up to 28–knots during their downwind session.
The Star (that ceases to be an Olympic class after next year's Olympic regatta) does not use a spinnaker when sailing downwind. Instead, when running downwind a whisker pole is used to hold the jib out to windward for correct wind flow.
Listening to comments from coach Marc Pickel boat you can hear how technical things have become in Olympic keelboat set-up even when sailing in mast breaking weather! O'Leary and Burrows are advised there is 'too much inversion at the spreaders and the solution is to use more mast puller and more top backstay! Maybe not an easy task when you're surfing along in a 700kg keelboat!
O'Leary and Burrow's first race is Sunday week, December 11th so there's a few more days of windy training to come.
