We hope that this newsletter finds you all well, wherever you are still weathering the pandemic.
Like most of you, we have had to rethink our plans for the fall: the 2020 470 European Championship first rescheduled to take place in Palma in early October was ultimately cancelled. Instead, we continued with our training in Buzzards Bay. It seemed more beneficial, productive, and resource efficient than traveling overseas for training purposes only. The Beverly YC, our host now for the past three months, is definitely starting to feel like our home away from home!
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Training in Buzzards Bay... Racing in Oyster Bay |
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We have continued our training blocks with Olympians Stu McNay and Dave Hughes, sailing on weekdays, testing equipment, working on maneuvers etc. The "boys" are always there for us, leading, sharing, reflecting, sometimes teasing, always inspiring.
On weekends, we headed home to Larchmont for some rest and for some opportunity to meet with fellow Larchmont YC members for the weekly Vanguard 15 racing. We are now looking forward to racing with the IC winter sailing fleet at Larchmont YC to keep our regatta mojo going.
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The Oakcliff Triple Crown Series Stages 1 & 2 took place the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October. Light winds, short races, and shifty conditions made for fun and competitive racing. Thank you Oakcliff Sailing for a much needed opportunity to compete in a safe environment as well as for your continued support in our Olympic Campaign.
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As mentioned before, housing is a significant component of our campaign budget. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mrs. Maureen Sheehan for welcoming us into her treasured retreat, the little farmhouse near Plympton, MA, for the month of August. We made sure to say our goodbyes to the rooster who woke us up at the crack of dawn every morning, without fault.
This fall, we are very fortunate to have the Keane family open their Marion home to us. Thank you! We are now just a stone’s throw away from Beverly YC where we have planned to train through the end of October.
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The bulk of our equipment is still in Spain. It is now stored in Barcelona until we return to Europe at the beginning of 2021 in preparation for our last qualifier, the 2021 470 World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal, March 5-13.
Our practice boat, "Kiwis can Fly," has seen better days... she wasn't expected to be sailed through the training blocks we have had this summer. Fortunately, Yevgeny Burmatnov (Oyster Bay 470 Team) has generously lent us a boat from his fleet of 470s for us to train in the USA until we head out to Europe. Phew!... and thank you!
Heads down... there is more boat work to come.
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Planning ahead... we need some help |
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Mid-November, we will head down to Miami, FL, for a couple of months of training in more hospitable weather conditions than the northeast has to offer that time of year. If we dare making any plans this far ahead, we will travel to Portugal at the end of January. Several training blocks are planned to acclimate our team as best as possible to the venue before the last selection event takes place.
This is where we need your help! Fundraising under the current circumstances is challenging, yet just as necessary as ever. Our budget calls for another $76,000.00 to cover our expenses through March 2021. Along with coaching expenses, the big ticket items listed below need some attention. We hope that you can help us.
🏠 Team Housing in Miami: $11,000.00 (mid-November through late January)
Please contact us ASAP if you know of someone who can lend us a 3-bedroom home within a 30 minute drive from the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove, Miami.
🏠 Team Housing in Portugal: $7,600.00 (late January through mid-March)
⛵ New boat: $25,000.00
Donors of $5,000+ will be offered to have their name on our new boat!
⛵ 2 Sets of Sails: $5,000.00
✈️ Team Airfare to Europe: $5,000.00
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our campaign by clicking the donation button below. We will contact all of you who made a $5,000+ to see if you want your name on our new boat.
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Status Update on Olympic Qualification Remains the Same |
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As many of you are aware, our final qualifier is now the 2021 470 World Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal scheduled for March 5-13, 2021.
Based on our results in the last two selection regattas, all three US Women 470 teams are really close. We are virtually tied with the Brugman sisters --just one point behind-- and two points ahead of Nikki Barnes and Lara Dallman Weiss. To qualify, we will need to beat the Brugman sisters and finish no worse than just behind Nikki and Lara, given the fact that the last qualifier is also the tie breaker. We are confident that we can win selection as we have beaten both teams since September 2019.
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We will continue to share some pictures of us training, exercising, and "resting" via our various social media platforms. Stay tuned for our next newsletter regarding the specifics of our training plans this winter. We look forward to your comments and feedback, please keep them coming! We love them!
Happy fall!
Be well.
Stay safe.
Carmen and Emma
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