[srmom]

Y'all may not know what they're talking about, but I wanted to post some info on the carnage that occured on the sailing race course on Saturday to give you an idea of what they're enduring.

This is from an email from one of my friends:

Any thoughts of Qingdao as a light-air venue blasted out the window today as heavy squalls, accompanied by huge swells and torrential rain, lashed the Olympic sailing city. There was carnage in various classes all over Fushon Bay but for us it was largely a case of hurry-up-and-wait while our race committee tried to get its act together.

We were scheduled to start three races at noon but at that time it was blowing 18 to 30 knots, with squalls and blinding rain. The rain was torrential; so heavy that at times the visibility at times was down to 10 meters. We were held ashore initially because our race committee boat was sinking. After staying on the dock for a few hours we went out for 1:30 pm start.

Once we battled our way out to Course E, we sat around until 4:00 pm when the committee finally started a race. That was simply because the committee had problems. They weren’t able to anchor. They couldn’t set a course. It was amateur hour. It was embarrassing to be at the Olympics and have such poor committee work while the sailors on the Tornados and the Stars were sitting out there in 25 knots of breeze, huge swells and rain squalls, waiting for them to get sorted out. Finally we raced. Five hours on the water in tough conditions for a 40-minute race.

Then from the US 49er sailor's blog - the US team had to withdraw because they had so many problems, things broke so badly that no amount of jury rigging would hold them together.

It was getting windier, and waves were considerably bigger. We survived the bear away, but then capsized on the first major wave after the set. We ripped out a foot strap and broke a tiller extension in the wipe out. Meanwhile all the lead boats capsized on the same downwind. ITA, AUS, GER and BRA all flipped within sight of us. At one point 7 of 10 boats were upside down.

From here we missed the action, but from what we understand ITA, AUS and GER all had multiple flips trying to get to the finish. ESP came from 5th place, only flipped once on the run, and won the race. GBR and BRA were also capsized on the run. BRA took the main down, and finished under jib alone.

So, another exciting day on the race course! haha! This is the kind of stuff that would make good television!! But, it won't be shown on tv.

So, while gymnasts and basketball players are competing in the climate controlled arenas, and beach volleyballers are landing in soft sand, carnage and terror are occuring out on the sailing race courses!!!