Other USST members who achieved top-ten finishes are: Anna Tunnicliffe (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) finished fourth in the Laser Radial class; John Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Kemah, Tex.) secured fourth in the Tornado; Dalton Bergan (Seattle, Wash.) and Zack Maxam (Coronado, Calif.) came in fifth in the 49er; Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) finished sixth in the Finn; Stuart McNay (Boston, Mass.) and Graham Biehl (San Diego, Calif.) finished eighth in the 470 Men; and the Yngling three-person teams of Sally Barkow (Chenequa, Wis.), Carrie Howe (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Deb Capozzi (Bayview, N.Y.) and Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), Kim Couranz (Annapolis, Md.), and Margaret Podlich (Annapolis, Md.) came in fifth and tenth, respectively.

The conditions were ideal for finishing all eleven Medal Races today, as a light, southeasterly breeze blew across Fushan Bay. Two fleets were able to race simultaneously on two courses, Alpha and Bravo. “Luckily, the conditions were favorable and the Team made the most of them and got the job done,” said USST Leader Katie Kelly. “We went out with a bang.”

Thanks to a substantial lead over New Zealand's Jo Aleh and Great Britain’s Penny Clark, Railey secured the gold in the Laser Radial class before Wednesday's Medal Race. "It was so exciting," she said. "Every reason I train and all the things I go through... this is what it's for." Railey said she sailed more conservatively and consistently during this regatta, as she constantly assessed the light wind patterns and changing currents. “By the end, my scores started to improve because I started to feel more in control of the conditions,” she said.

Horton said winning the Star class "feels great.” He said the biggest challenge was spending long days waiting for the wind to pick up. Thankfully, the Performance Enhancement Team (PET) was on hand to help with aching muscles and Nichol’s bout with a four-day bug. “Just staying healthy was huge for us,” said Horton.

Horton likened the Medal Race to college sailing, where he and Nichol both learned to race short, intense sprints. The competition was tight in the Star class throughout the event, especially with silver medalists Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell from Great Britain. "The British team is always a measuring stick in the class, so we were happy to sail and compete with them," said Horton.

Looking ahead to the second Olympic Test Event in 2007 and the 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdao, China, Olympic Sailing Program Chairman Dean Brenner said the US Sailing Team is on the road to huge success. “This young, talented team is incredibly strong, and we have the opportunity to be medal contenders in several classes,” he said.

Members of the USST agreed that being in Qingdao for the first of the two Olympic Test Events was crucial -- not just for training, but for daily life. “For us, it was really important to just be here, eating the food, living the culture and getting a cab,” said Horton. “Learning that stuff now is really valuable … without getting lost or catching a train to Beijing by accident.”

“It’s amazing how nice and helpful the people here are,” said Railey. “They are so proud to host the regatta here.” 

US SAILING launched a web site dedicated to the 2006 Qingdao International Regatta, complete with daily results, photos, sailor profiles and behind-the-scenes journals and audio reports from USST members and staff. The personal, first-hand accounts provided insight into the conditions, competition and daily life in Qingdao, China. Please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics/qingdao.htm. High resolution pictures are available upon request. 

The first of two annual Olympic Test events, the Good Luck Beijing - 2006 Qingdao International Regatta gave 464 top sailors from 41 countries the opportunity to test the conditions, venue and competition for the 2008 Olympic Games. The event was held from August 18-31, 2006, at the Qingdao International Marina in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing. Ranked a Grade 2 event by ISAF, the regatta featured the Olympic sailing competition’s nine classes: Finn (men); 470 (men and women); Laser (men); Laser Radial (women); Neil Pryde RS:X (men and women); 49er, Star, Tornado (all open); and Yngling (women). The top ten competitors in the first 10 races qualified for the Medal Race Wednesday. Results for the Medal Race were double weighted.