THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 4, 1995 TAG: 9505040544
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT MCCASKEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Although the 1996 Summer Olympics aren't for another year, area residents will get to scout some of the sailing candidates when an Olympic Classes Regatta comes to Hampton Roads this weekend.
About 100 sailors from around the globe are expected for the Friday-through-Sunday competition. Many of the men and women are hoping to earn points to qualify for a shot at the U.S. Olympic trails and a slot on the U.S. team. Olympic sailing competition will be held in Savannah, Ga., during the spring and summer of 1996.
This is the second consecutive time the regatta has been in Hampton Roads. About 90 sailors showed up in 1994. The event was hosted by Annapolis, Md., in previous years.
``The regatta is a fun time, but the competition is serious,'' said Edward Wolcott Jr., race chairman. ``Some of the best sailors in the world will be here.''
Sailor Kim Logan of Miami, Fla., will be returning to race in what were once home waters. The Old Dominion University graduate and former captain of the school's co-ed sailing team is rated No. 1 in the United States in the Europe dinghy class of sailboats. Her goal is to make the U.S. Olympic team.
``The more racing experience I get before the trials the better,'' said Logan, 25, who has been competing around the world since graduating in 1993. ``I think my chances for winning this regatta are pretty good. I still consider it my backyard. I know the currents and the winds.''
There are three venues for the competition: the Elizabeth River in front of the ODU Sailing Center on W. 48th Street in Norfolk, off the north end of the public beach at Buckroe Beach in Hampton, and near the Hampton Flats off La Salle Avenue in Hampton.
Shorelines at each site offer ``fairly good'' vantage points for spectators, Wolcott said. Races will run from about 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day.
Although world-class sailors will fill most of the ranks, the event is open to anyone with an eligible boat. The Europe dinghy, laser, finn, 470, mistral one design, and open-class sailboard are the qualified classes. The Olympics will include these and other categories.
ODU sophomore John Torgerson is expected to compete in the laser class. Torgerson, 20, is an outstanding sailor and a starter on the university's co-ed team, said K.C. Fullmer, ODU's sailing coach. In 1994, Torgerson placed eighth in the laser category of the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta.
``This race will be a warm-up,'' said Torgerson, who will compete in races across the country this summer. ``I hope to make it to the Olympic trials.''
ODU's co-ed and women's teams have won eight national collegiate sailing titles, Fullmer said.
Besides providing a channel to Olympic competition, Wolcott hopes the race will help promote sailing in Hampton Roads.
``We have a better geography here than in Annapolis even though it's always been known as the sailing capital of the Chesapeake Bay,'' Wolcott said. ``We have so much more area.''
Wolcott, 41, is a Norfolk native who began sailing at age 9. An attorney with the firm Wolcott, Rivers in Virginia Beach, he still finds time to remain an avid waterman. He has won dozens of regattas, including the 1994 national championships in the Hampton one-design class in Cambridge, Md. He said he will not be competing in the regatta due to his obligations as chairman.
Unlike in some nations, Olympic hopefuls in this country are not subsidized by the government. The regatta committee is looking for about 100 supporters to help run the event. The group also is seeking local residents who are willing to house out-of-town sailors.
But not all activities will involve competition or work. Goings-on include a party Saturday evening at the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton. Regatta awards ceremonies will be held after 5 p.m. on Sunday at each race site. Trophies go to the top three finishers in each class. Points toward Olympic qualification will be awarded in several of the classes.
The regatta is sanctioned by the U.S. Sailing Association. Registration is 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. The entry fee is $35 per sailor. Call 804-446-8000 for more information. by CNB