Team DC  Danschweidas (Nik Holtan '09, Andi Bailey '09, Zack Kavanaugh'08, Carley Chamberlain '09, Scott Furnary '11, Ashley Phillips '11) finished 13th out of 33 teams at the Charles River Team Race last weekend. Other hoyas in action were Alana O'Reilly, Derby Anderson '06, Caila Johnson '10, and Brooke Crawford '10 who were on the all womens Team Flying V who finished 18th. Hugh McBride '08 also joined team Sleigh Running.

 Georgetown will have a 2 day feature on ESPNU and sailing will take up a 2 hour period of this.  Here is the full schedule:

July 7th
Midnight: Georgetown Men's Basketball at Syracuse 1983
2 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Memphis 1994
4 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. South Carolina 2001
6 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Providence 1989
8 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Syracuse 1994
10 a.m. SportsCentury: Allen Iverson
10:30 a.m.: Top 5: Fred Brown
11 a.m. Georgetown vs. St. John's 1985 BIG EAST Tournament Championship Game
1 p.m.: 1 p.m. Top 5: Nova
1:30 p.m.: SportsCentury: Alonzo Mourning
2 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. St. John's 1985
4 p.m.: Sailing 2005
5 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Lacrosse vs. Duke 2008
7 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Notre Dame 1996
9 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. UConn 1996
11 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Memphis 1994
JULY 8th
1 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Villanova 1990
3 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. St. John's 1989
5 a.m.: Sailing 2006
6 a.m.: Georgetown vs. St. John's 1985 BIG EAST Tournament Championship Game
8 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Lacrosse vs. Duke 2008
10 a.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs Syracuse 1989
Noon: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs Syracuse 2008
1:30 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs West Virginia 2008
3 p.m.: Georgetown Women's Lacrosse vs. Johns Hopkins 2008
5 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Connecticut 2008
6:30 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs. Syracuse 2001
8:30 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs Notre Dame 2001 BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals
10 p.m.: Georgetown Men's Basketball vs St. John's 1985

We are wrapping up a 2-week training session here in Qingdao. We've had a very useful stretch here sailing in what will be the Olympic racing area. Our training group of 6-8 Lasers has included third and fourth from the Athens Games and several other guys ranked in the top 10 in the world.

When we arrived here in China we were greeted with drizzle and heavy fog, but the weather has settled into the expected summer pattern in the last week. It's hot, hazy and a light sea breeze fills in between noon and 4 most days. The racing are is swept by strong currents with the water moving at close to 2 knots. The racing area is open ocean and about 100 feet deep, so when the current gets ramped up a massive amount if water is on the move. At the narrow entrance to the shipping harbor the water jets through at about 4.5 knots.

All of this has been expected, but this year Fushan Bay has a new surprise- algae blooms!. The heavy rain in Southern China this year has led to massive nitrogen laden run-off finding its way to the sea. There was some initial confusion about the green stuff - but we knew what it was right away. The Potomac Funk had followed us to China! When the Funk comes through the sailing area, it's impossible to sail.

The Chinese Government is engaged in an all-out effort to clean up the algae. They have ordered hundreds of fishing boats to Fushan Bay to physically take the stuff out of the water. Everyday more and larger vessels show up to join the fight. When you watch a guy in a traditional looking fishing craft scoop up algae with a garden rake while bobbing around in a massive fairway of the stuff - well it looks pretty futile.

The US Sailing Team and the rest of the world are sailing out of the Yin Hai Yacht Basin, the Olympic venues is closed until the Games. It's getting pretty crowded with boats, containers and sailors all crammed into a space that is a fraction of the size of the Olympic Marina.

Dean Brenner (GU '91) was here for a week accompanied by his wife Emily. Dean is Chairman of the Olympic Sailing Committee and will be Team Leader for the US Sailing Team at the Games. One of his tasks here was to do a final inspection of the Olympic Village. He reports: everything looks great.

AC and I will head out on Monday, June 30. We will be in the States until July 10 when we will head to Belgium for Laser Europeans- a last tune up before the Games. We will return to China July 27 for the Olympics. Check out Andrew's blog: Campbellsailing.com for more info.

Bill Ward

So that's why they get more funding than the sailing team.... 

Yet again we were treated to a gorgeous Thursday night.  85 degrees. Sunny.  Winds 5-8kts.  Seas - calm to very calm.  12 sailors came out to race and wish Tyler Haskell good luck as he is moving to San Francisco on Saturday.  For the first time we team raced with the 6 420s. Team Blue (Haskell, Schmitz, Jorch, Rubin, Kurland, Monico) and Team Red (Costello,Kellie, Bogrand, Gosselin, Ward, Chang) dueled it out with very close and competitive racing. Team Red won all three races on the water but lost a protest (heard by John Camera at Chadwicks) to take them to 2-1.  Sailors were awarded 3 points for a team race win and 1 point for a loss.  That completes month one.  The leaderboard has been updated.  Click Here for Overall Standings

A couple of years ago when Ryan said he was going to create a website for GUST Alums, I thought to my self "Isn't that nice".  I had no idea, I guess because of my age, that it would be such a valuable tool.  I would like to thank Barry Kurland, Nick Dean, Ryan and who ever else was involved with the real time postings during the National.  Alum postings, ie. Pat Donagan on his honeymoon in Hawaii, the broker in NY city who wore out the refresh button, oh and a posting from Switzerland.....just amazing!  Postings from all around the globe have added another job title to Ryan, "Global Communications Director".   

It's been great!  Thanks to all.  I will visit this site often to keep up with GUST. 

Friends of Georgetown Sailing just elected its board directors and officers for 2008.  We would like to thank the 2007 committee for their incredible hard work and success in raising over $112,000.  We would like to extend a special thank you to Vince Behm, Barrie Loeks, and Denni Herron who will be turning the reins over to Tor Holtan and the new executive committee. This triumvirate was collectively responsible for transitioning  this new organization from the Spinnaker Set and impressively raising $297,000 in the last 2 years.  We will miss your leadership and dedication dearly.  We are pleased to announce  however the board is now 20 members strong of alumni and parents. Here is a list of your FGS directors for 2008:

Tor Holtan - President

In case any of you will be interested in following rockstar Andrew Campbell as he competes in the Olympics, please consider this website http://olympics.ussailing.org/Olympics.htm. It's going to have stories, interviews, blogs, and daily press releases on Andrew and the 17 other sailors on the Olympic Sailing Team.

Season 2 of our Alumni and Friends Racing is underway!  Over the last 3 weeks we have had 15 competitors turn out for 3 gorgeous nights of racing.  Given the early start, we look to have a full summer of racing.  We will be trying to organize some team racing nights as well.  The more the merrier, so please come down any Thursday at 6:30pm.  Please also feel free to invite friends and any non-hoya sailors that may be interested.  Most nights conclude with dinner a few cocktails at Indigo Landing (basically our Yacht Club) where Rico takes care of us.  There has been talk of actually incorporating as a yacht club and we currently taking any and all name suggestions.  Full Results for the last year and this year are posted and being update Here