Huge Step Taken!!

We are finally done with the 2012 Olympic Trials and I have qualified to represent the USA at the 2012 Olympic Games.  I was also able to secure the country qualification so the USA is officially qualified to compete for the 2012 Olympic Games.  To add to the excitement Paige was also able to secure both the Olympic selection for the USA and country qualifier.  We are both so excited to live a life long dream of going to the Olympic Games together.

The World Championship was a very hard event and I certainly did not make things easy on myself.  I picked up a BFD disqualification in the 3^rd race of the event and from that point on had to sail a much more conservative event then I would have liked given the choice.  I immediately had to stop taking any risk on the start line as another BFD penalty would have put my chances of qualification at risk.  Overall, I finished in 9^th position which was below our goal for the event, but the first and most important goal was Olympic Qualification which we achieved. 

Overall, we are very happy with the progress that we made from the Test Event Regatta in August and are looking forward to making more progress this winter.  I will now head home and we have already planned out the entire next year and will start training in the gym just after Christmas and will be back on the water shortly after that training and preparing for the ISAF World Cup Event in Miami, FL at the end of January.

This past event was a huge relief to have qualification finished and now our sole focus can be on getting ready for the Olympic Games next year.  There is a great deal of responsibility that comes with making the Olympic Team and representing the USA and I look forward to living up to that challenge to the best of my ability. 

Thank you everyone that has been a part of this success.  I am looking forward to sharing next year with you and our trip to the 2012 Olympic Games.

223 days and counting!!

Zach

And it Begins

I will keep this blog short and sweet!!  The World Championship and 2nd part of the US Olympic Trials start tomorrow!! 

Everything is ready to go and this is a huge week toward our goal of the 2012 Olympics.  After 7 long hard days of racing here in Perth we will know if I have qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games.

I will do updates on the blog as much as I can but please be sure to follow on twitter at www.twitter.com/zachsail

Results and live racing updates can be found at www.perth2011.com or at www.sailingteams.ussailing.org

Thank you everyone!!

Zach

Perth on the Horizon

We are counting down the days before the 2011 Combined World Championships in Perth, Australia.  This is the 2nd and final qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Team and we have been training really hard this winter preparing for this event.

First, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my personal sponsors, The US Sailing Team Alphagraphics Sponsors and personal donors for your continued support of my campaign toward London 2012.  You have given us the opportunity to focus on the training that is needed on the water and off the water for this campaign to be a success!!  I cannot thank you enough for your support!!

The path toward London 2012 has 3 major events we have been focusing on in the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games.  They are the Sail for Gold Regatta, the upcoming World Championships and third the Olympic Games in 2012!!

We are nearing the second of these three key events and will be leaving for Perth in about a week to attend the World Championships.  This event will be incredibly important for every sailor competing as it is the first chance to qualify your respective country for the Olympic Games.  At this event the top 75% of Nations will qualify for next years Olympic Games.  For example, the top 19 Overall finishing countries will qualify for the Olympics in the Finn Class.

In addition, this will be our second and final qualifier for the US Olympic Sailing Team.  Only 1 boat makes the team in each class and we will know who is going to the Olympics at the end of this event.  Based on the results of the 1st trials event earlier this year I am leading the qualifications by 8 overall positions.  I will need to maintain this advantage during the World Championship to earn qualification to the Olympic Games.  For those of you watching from home the competition is between myself and Caleb Paine.  As long as I perform well enough to beat or stay within 8 overall positions of Caleb I will be selected for the US Olympic Team in 2012!!

I feel very confident in our training leading up to this event and my ability to execute what we have practiced this winter.  Perth is known for windy and physically demanding conditions and we have left nothing to chance in being ready for everything Perth may throw our way!!

I will be sending updates once we are settled in Perth.  I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving week!!

Zach

National Championship

We are getting ready to race in the Finn National Championship starting tomorrow in Long Beach, CA.  After coming home from the Olympic Test Event I have taken some time out of the boat and recharged the battery for a long winter of training.  Even though we have taken some time off from training on the water, we have really stepped up my off water training in the gym and the results are starting to show!!

The Nationals will be a great event to kick-off our winter training plan and after a long season in Europe I am looking forward to sailing back at home in the USA!!  It will be great to compete in the USA for the first time since January of this year and we will be looking to defend the National title this weekend!!

You can follow the event at www.abyc.org and I will be sending out twitter updates during the event.  If you are not following on twitter please follow at www.twitter.com/zachsail

I would like to take this time to thank everyone who makes this dream a reality.  From team and personal sponsors to individual donors and volunteers I could not do this without you!!

Olympic Test Event

I am currently at the Olympic Test Event in Weymouth, England.  This regatta is the only event that will be run just like the Olympic Games next year in 2012!!  We have been looking forward to this event and are ready to get racing starting tomorrow.

There will only be one representative in the Finn from each country so the fleet will be smaller than at other events but the competition will be very tight and every point this week will be crucial.  

Also different this week at the Test Event, we will be switching race areas each day and will need to adapt to the different racing areas each day.  There will be live tracking on the event site of the racing each day and also video and updates from the event organizers.  It should be a great way for you to follow this exciting event.  

We are feeling really good about where I am at looking forward to 2012 and this event will be a great opportunity for us to learn more about the Olympic Venue in Weymouth.  

There will be some very exciting coverage coming from the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics.  We have a team run website with live updates, video, twitter and other exciting ways to bring the regatta to those who are not here.  You can visit and follow the event at www.olympics.ussailing.org/multimedia/

I would like to take this time to thank everyone who makes this dream a reality.  From team and personal sponsors to individual donors and volunteers I could not do this without you!!

Thanks very much for all the support and I will be updating as much as possible during the regatta!!

Zach

Exciting Times

What an exciting time for the Zach Railey 2012 Campaign!!

This week I was able to achieve the goal of being on the podium in Kiel winning the Bronze Medal.  The racing was really close and the top three boats all ended on the same points.  I came up short on the tie break and that did sting to not be on the top of the podium but we are making huge progress and that is what we were looking for at this event.

I had a great week in Kiel and it was a really successful event for the Railey Family with Paige winning the Gold Medal.  Both of us are really looking forward to the future of our Olympic Campaigns.  For more information on the Kiel World Cup Event please visit:  http://sailingteams.ussailing.org/News/2011/Three_Medals_at_Kiel_Week.htm 

Right after Kiel I flew to Valencia, Spain for the announcement of the Green Comm Racing Challenge for the 34th Americas Cup in San Francisco.  I am very much looking forward to being a member of this team and building a successful team towards the Americas Cup in 2013.  There will be many more details to follow but for more information please read here at: http://www.americascup.com/blog/green-comm-racing-opens-a-new-chapter_144

I will now be getting everything in order here in Europe before returning home and putting together our schedule for the rest of the year.  

Thank you everyone for all of your support and I will be sure to update you soon on all the exciting details of the future!!

Zach

Sail For Gold and Kiel Week Preview

Hi Everyone!!

Well Sail for Gold is over and we are leading the Olympic Trials Qualification!!!  This was our # 1 goal entering into the event.  Caleb Paine is 8 overall places behind and I will carry this advantage into the 2nd qualifier later this year in Perth, Australia.  Being the top ranked American also qualifies me for the Olympic Test Event later on this year in Weymouth.  This will be an excellent opportunity to practice for the Olympic Games as the Test Event is exactly that a "practice Olympics."

My overall result in Weymouth was not what I wanted against the international competition only managing to finish 10th overall.  There were some exceptional sailing moments followed by complete disaster.  My consistency was simply not up to par throughout the event.

I have however improved even though the final finish did not meet my expectations.  Our goal going in was to finish top 5 overall, but to be honest I did not sail well enough to make this happen.  We have made huge steps with my boat speed, but I simply did not make good decisions on where to go on the course.  We do know the mistakes that I made and we were able to learn an invaluable amount of information about the Olympic Sailing Venue for 2012.

Looking forward I will be focusing on getting up to my racing weight and starting to put a final package together with my equipment.  As you all know I made the decision to cut weight with the goal of being too light and then building some more mass in my upper body.  This has been hard work and we are just starting to see the results but we have a long way to go.  It certainly hurts when its windy, but it is all part of a process and everything is on track!!

I am now in Kiel, Germany getting ready for the final World Cup event of the year.  We will be using this regatta to work on what we identified in Weymouth.  You can follow the event at www.kielerwoche.de  I will also be doing updates each night via the blog and twitter.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made this possible.  From my personal sponsors and donors to all the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics sponsors and donors we could not do this without you.

Sail For Gold Regatta Preview

Hello from Weymouth, England!!

We are getting ready to start the Sail for Gold World Cup event here in Weymouth, England.  We have been hard at work putting in a lot of hours leading into this event as it is the first part of our Olympic Games selection process.

The process for selection is pretty straight forward.  We take our final overall finishing position at this event and carry that to our 2nd qualifying event later this year.  You take your final overall finishing position at the 2nd event and add that to your finish here at Sail for Gold.  The USA boat with the lowest combined overall score will be the Olympic Representative in 2012!!!

Knowing this process my main goal for this event will be to put as many boats between myself and the other USA Finn Sailors.  My main competition will come from Caleb Paine and Luke Lawerence.

This event is the 1st step in a 3 step process we have been working towards for quite some time so there are a lot of nerves and excitement all at the same time!!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has made this possible.  From my personal sponsors and donors to all the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics sponsors and donors we could not do this without you.  I would also like to thank those who have given their time to helping the campaign.  This is not an individual effort and I look forward to representing all of our efforts this week in the first Olympic Trials event.  I would not be here without you!!

I will update during the regatta.  The event website is www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk and they will have live tracking, updates and full coverage streaming on the web.

Zach

Hyeres World Cup Day 5

Another very long hard day here in Hyeres.  We got in 3 races today and I scored a 4, 3, 12.  Overall, good results and we made distance on the boats in front of us today.  Going into the day I was 9 points off of 3rd place in the regatta and our aim was to be in a better spot with the points looking at the medal race tomorrow.

So I am now sitting in 3rd overall only 3 points behind 2nd place but also only 6 points ahead of 4th place between the three of us it is all to play for in reaching the podium.  There are also two other boats in 5th and 6th that can beat us given that we are in a double points medal race and we can lose a large amount of points in the race.  So the pressure is on tomorrow to see who comes out ahead.

Today was a good day and we really feel like we are making progress all around.  Our race is tomorrow at 1115 am and will be on live tracking on the regatta website at http://sof.ffvoile.net/

Thanks so much for the support and we will be racing hard to win a medal tomorrow!!

Zach

Hyeres World Cup Day 3 and 4

Hi Everyone!!

We have been having some really long days here in Hyeres waiting on the wind to come in and get the races off.  We have completed 3 difficult races over the last two days.  My results have been satisfying with a 6, 2, 2 which leaves me sitting in 4th overall right now.

The racing has been hard to predict and I have felt good about my choices of where to go on the course.  We are still not 100% up to speed but we are making adjustments and learning a lot of information about what steps we need to take.

Tomorrow the plan is to start at 10 am with a forecast of 8 - 12 knots so we will see how many races we get in tomorrow.  It is the last day of Gold Finals before the medal race on Friday for the top 10.  Most everyone is now holding a large score for their drops so the pressure is on to perform each and every race!!  Looking forward to another day on the water as we are making huge strides forward each day we are out there!!

Thanks for the support!!

Zach

Hyeres World Cup Day 2

Long day here in Hyeres.  We waited onshore this morning for the breeze to fill.  Finally we got a 5 - 9 knot breeze to fill in on our course.  Today we had two races and a 3rd that was attempted but was called off when the wind died off at the end of the day!!

I finished 9th in my first race today which was a good result, but I just missed out on being 5th.  I finished just behind a pack of boats that I couldn't quite get by before the finish.  One of those annoying could have been more moments.  I felt overall ok about the race as I was still a bit off pace of the guys in front of me but we did discover a setup improvement from this race.  Exactly what is was I can't broadcast, but it was a step in the right direction!!

The second race I finished a solid 3rd.  I am really satisfied with this race as I had a fantastic start at the pin and the breeze shifted 15 deg right not long after the start.  Really not what I was looking for but I was hoping the wind would come back left but that did not happen in time on the first beat.  I rounded in about 17th and passed about 7 boats on the reach and downwind.  On the second beat I was sailing fast with great speed and in phase with the wind to round 5th at the 2nd weather mark.  Picked off 2 more boats on the last downwind to get the 3rd!!  We for sure feel good about this one coming back that much and getting a good result, but most importantly we have learned a few things about the setup and felt my speed was better and that is most important right now.

We tried for a 3rd race but the wind just did not want to stay long enough and we were sent in for the day.  We have one more day of qualifying left tomorrow before the Gold and Silver Split for the last two days.  Looking to make up some more points on the boats ahead tomorrow.

Thanks for the support!!

Zach

Hyeres World Cup Day 1

Hello from Hyeres, France.  Sorry for the lack of communication but we have had limited access to internet.  First off,  Happy Easter to everyone hope that you are all enjoying the Holiday.

My Easter Sunday started with the 1st day of the World Cup Event here in Hyeres.  We had 2 races today in in 12 - 18 knots.  I finished 6th in the first race which was a solid result.  The 2nd race was one to be forgotten as I posted a score I hope to be my drop at the end of the week.

As you all know we have been making some major changes to the boat, sails, masts, and my body.  Some have been good and some still need improvement or are currently "under construction".  One of the areas we are struggling in right now is in wind over 14 knots.  My speed is not quite on par with the top guys and that hurts in events like these, but we are learning a lot each time we get out on the water in these conditions.  Today was one of those days where we have seen progress but also see the need to get better but we are confident in the direction we are headed.  We have certainly gone with the philosophy of one step back for two steps forward!!

We are looking forward to the rest of the week and making progress up the results each day!!  Thank you all for the support!!

Zach

Princess Sofia World Cup Medal Race

We are now on our way to our next training and competition venue in Hyeres, France.  The next few days we will take off and recover with some light fitness and then get back into full-time training over the next 12 days leading into the next World Cup Event in Hyeres.

I finished 5th overall in the Princess Sofia regatta which as an overall result we reached our goal of being in the top 5!!  The medal race was a unique race with 5 of the 10 boats all with the chance to finish in 5th position.  Including myself and 3 other boats it was a who beats who position in the race.

Our plan was to sail a clean race and try to get out in the front few boats on the first leg.  After winning the pin end of the line I was able to stay with the lead pack of 5 boats.  Two of the boats that I had to beat were 9th and 10th in the race while myself and one other were in 4th and 5th.  The race came down to who could beat who between myself and Ed Wright GBR for 5th overall.  I was able to get past Ed on the 1st downwind and stayed in 4th just ahead of him at the 2nd weather mark.  Going to the finish I was able to extend and pass the 2 boats in front of me to finish 2nd in the medal race to secure the top 5 finish.  This was a huge confidence booster to sail well in a situation where so many boats had the chance to succeed and to come out on top was a great result!!  Plus, I can't stand not reaching our goals so this was huge in getting the result we wanted!!

We identified a lot of aspects in the game that has improved dramatically since January at the Miami OCR which is a huge plus.  Had I come in the condition and focus I was sailing with at the Miami OCR I clearly would have not performed at the level I did here this week in Palma.  That being said there are a number of things that we need to improve to compete for medals at the events which will be our next focus.

We will be focusing on the execution to be more on point at the next event and also to maximize our boat speed in all conditions.  There were times during this event that my boat speed was average and it needs to be above average at all times.  This will help me to execute better on the course, but I also need to make a few adjustments on my positioning on the course as well as on the start line so I am always in the hunt in each race.  We are looking forward to making these adjustments looking toward using them at the next event in just under 2 weeks!!

I would like to thank everyone who supports the campaign and makes our dream a reality.  From my personal sponsors, the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics and their sponsors and all the individual donors who make this possible I cannot Thank You enough for all of your support!!  I would not be here without you!!


Zach

Day 4 and 5 Princess Sofia World Cup

Into the Medal race with a close battle to reach our goal of a top 5 finish!!

Tomorrow will be the medal race for the top 10 overall boats.  I am currently in 5th but with the boats behind me so close on points I can finish all the way down to 10th so tomorrow will be an exciting race.

The last two days have been a bit frustrating.  I was in 2nd in the first race for the Gold Finals when the race was called off with only 1 leg left in the race.  It was a really hard decision to accept as we were so far into the race, but the Race Committee felt that the wind had shifted too far on the last leg, but given that the race was almost over and there were not many changes in the standings of the race it would be fair to say that I was not pleased with the call to cancel the race.

On the restarted race I was not doing as well and had an incident with a large group of boats at one of the rounding marks.  We went into a protest situation with none of the parties of the protest knowing what rules applied and how to figure out the issue as it was very complicated and something many of us had never been a part of before.  Our leeward gate was only 4 boat lengths in distance and there simply was not enough room for all the boats rounding, but with overlapping 3 boat zones there was a lot of confusion as to who was giving who room.  In the end it was decided that I would be DSQ for violating a rule.  This was a frustrating result as I felt that in my situation I did not need to nor was there anything I could have done to avoid or prevent anything from happening.  This was a great learning experience for this situation and if it occurs again at another event I will be better prepared for it.

The 2nd race on day 4 was a solid race with a 9th overall finish.

This finally brings us to today's 2 races.  I felt really good about my starts today which have been a bit rough this week, but my boat speed simply was not there today.  I was pointing very well but not going fast.  The waves were much steeper and closer together today and I really had a rough time getting the boat moving.  Kenneth and I have some ideas on how to fix this and will test these out in our next training session after this event.  Even with my speed issues I was able to grind out some ok results to leave myself in the hunt for a top 5, but without a shot at the podium which is disappointing.

Our goal was to have a top 5 finish at this event and we are hoping to execute tomorrow to reach that goal.  We have had our ups and downs this week, but to still be in it with a shot to reach the top 5 is a positive!!  In the double points medal race anything can happen so it will take a good solid race.  I am involved with a 3 boat situation of who beats who in this race to determine who gets the 5th overall spot.  We also have a few other boats close enough to spoil the party so it will be an interesting race.

Not meeting my goals does not sit pretty with me so tomorrow is a big day!!

Zach

Day 3 Princess Sofia World Cup

Another really long day here in Spain getting on the water at 1045 am and off at 7 pm.  We had to wait for the wind again to fill here in Palma.  I had a 1st and a 5th in the races today!!  This was a solid day and currently puts me in 5th overall.  Tomorrow will be the first day of Gold Finals where all the top sailors will be in one fleet.  This will make the competition very close and hard and we are looking forward to the challenge as the points are very close and leave a lot to be decided over the next few days.

We feel really good about today's results.  In the first race I was able to get clear off the line and hit the shifts perfect up the 1st beat to round in 2nd.  I passed the boat in the lead on the first downwind and was able to extend from there to take the race win!!  Huge confidence booster!!

In the second race the fleet was really pushing the line hard and I did not want to risk being over the line.  12 boats ended up getting a Black Flag on the start, but by not pushing hard I did not start as well as I would have liked.  I was able to clear out pretty quickly and sailed a good race to finish 5th.  There were a lot of big shifts and pressure differences in the race so we were happy to take a solid result in the race.

The next two days will be very important to see how we race against everyone in the Gold Final as the final placings will really start to take shape!!

Zach

Day 2 Princess Sofia World Cup

Late day here in Palma!!

We had to wait for the breeze to show up in the morning and were delayed getting out on Day 2.  When the breeze filled it was off the land and very shifty for our first race.  I did not have a great first beat as I chose the left side and was looking good about halfway up the 1st leg coming in on port from the left side.  There was then a large right shift which put me back onto starboard heading back out to the left side.  The right shift looked like it was going to hold for the rest of the beat and I made the hard choice to tack back and minimize the loss to the lead pack.  This turned out to be the correct choice as the boats I was with on the left were not able to come back at the top of the beat and gave me a lot of confidence in my decision to minimize the loss rounding in about 18th at the first mark.  Things then got very interesting for the rest of the race with huge pressure differences and large shifts as the breeze died.  I had a great first downwind to round the bottom mark in around 10th.  We had two more laps of the Windward - Leeward course.  I was happy with my choices on playing the shifts but also not taking too many risks for the rest of the race trying to pick off as many boats as I could.  At the end of our race we finished in about 2 - 4 knots of wind and I felt good to get a 5th from a difficult race.

We then had to wait for the wind to fill and it came in from the normal seabreeze direction here in Palma.  The wind was much steadier than our previous races and we were really able to see how my boat speed was in this race.  After an ok start I sailed very well up the first beat to round in about 8th.  On the first downwind I passed a 2 boats to round in 6th and then had a battle with the boats in 4th to 9th for the rest of the race.  I was able to come away with another 5 to cap off a consistent and solid day.

Overall, there are still some mistakes I am making on the course and if I can eliminate those we will be in the hunt for some top 3 finishes in the races.  Looking forward to racing tomorrow and making some more gains!!

Thanks

Zach

Day 1 Princess Sofia World Cup

Hello!!

We just finished racing the first day of the Princess Sofia World Cup Event.  It was a windy and gusty day with winds getting up to just under 30 knots in the gusts.  We had 2 races on the Finn Course and in a change to our normal format we had split fleets.

In the first race we decided to try a new/old windy air setting and my speed was not as good as we would have liked.  This was a setting that I had used before the 2008 Olympics when it was windy and we wanted to see how it would perform now that I had lost weight from OCR.  We took the chance with wanting to see how it would go and it was a negative and a positive.  Negative was that my speed was off, but the positive being that we now know that this setting has to be adjusted with our new equipment and weight.  This is something we will improve after this event.

In the second race I was sailing very well and happy with my speed.  I was in around 3rd or 4th on the 2nd upwind protecting the left side at the top of the beat.  This was a misread on what I thought the wind was going to do at the top of the beat.  The wind ended up shifting right another 10 degrees and with the racing so close at the top I ended up dropping to 11th.  I was able to pull back a few boats before the finish getting 9th.

Overall, I would have liked to have a few more boats behind me in the races today, but I did have some mistakes that cost me some spots on the course.  I ended the day with a 10, 9 so not bad but we can do much better and are looking forward to the rest of the week and making up some ground on the boats in front!!

Thanks everyone for the support and I will be sure to post an update after racing tomorrow!!

Zach

Princess Sofia World Cup

Hello from Palma, Spain!!

I have been in Palma training for the last week and it has felt really great to get back into the boat.  Palma is located off the east coast of Spain and is one of the 7 stops on the Sailing World Cup Tour.  So far we have had fantastic conditions with 10 - 15 knots each day and 70 deg. temps really amazing!!

Before coming to Palma I spent a longtime out of the boat focusing only on my physical fitness.  We had identified this as a weakness and knew that this was something that needed to be fixed.  After the Miami OCR event in January I moved out to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and spent 6 days per week working out at least 2 times/day.  We also focused on my nutrition, mental fitness, rehab and hydration testing.  I was able to make some huge gains while living in Colorado and I would like to thank all the trainers, USSTAG and the USOC for the opportunity.

The event in Palma will be a real test of where we are at against the World's best Finn Sailors.  We have 85 boats entered in the event and everyone of the top ranked sailors are here in Palma.  This is really the first time that every top sailor has been at an event for quite sometime.  There are also some sailors returning from extended time off and it will be interesting to see how they affect the dynamics of the fleet.  Even though I have had a break from being in the boat we feel very confident that it was the correct decision.  Taking time away from the boat can be a very good thing at the correct moments, but make no mistake, even though I was not sailing I was working extremely hard off the water to make the gains for success on the water!!  

I am very excited about the opportunity to test myself against this high level of competition.  We have made some major adjustments in the campaign with my fitness, equipment and mental approach to the racing and are looking forward to using all these improvements this coming week!!  It will be a true test of where we are at and will give us the opportunity to evaluate myself at the highest level of competition.

We start racing on Monday and the competition runs all week.  I will be doing nightly blog updates here at www.zach2012.com.  You can also follow at www.twitter.com/zachsail or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zach-Railey-2012/137073106354040.

I would like to thank everyone who supports the campaign and makes our dream a reality.  From my personal sponsors, the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics and their sponsors and all the individual donors who make this possible I cannot Thank You enough for all of your support!!  I would not be here without you!!

Zach

Looking Ahead!!

Hi Everyone!!

We are well into our planning for the European season with our first stop at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Spain at the end of March and start of April.  For the next 5 weeks my main focus is on improving my fitness as we think this is an area that I need to improve looking forward toward the trials qualification.

The Olympic Trails will be a combination of the Sail for Gold Regatta in Weymouth, England this coming June and the ISAF Combined World Championships in Perth, Australia in December.  We will take our overall standing at the end of each event and the person with the lowest combined finishing positions goes to the 2012 Olympic Games!!

These events are the two most important events of the year and are what the top USA sailors are working towards.  My main competition will come from Bryan Boyd, Luke Lawerence and Caleb Paine.  Only one of us will qualify for the Olympics!!

One of the great things about the team is all of us are working together to make each other better so that whoever qualifies for the 2012 Games they will have the best chance of winning a medal for the USA!!

This year should be very exciting and we are looking forward to the challenge of making the 2012 Olympic Team!!

I would like to thank all of my personal sponsors and donors along with the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics sponsors and donors.  Without all of this support the dream of another Olympic Games would not be possible.  Thank you!!

Zach

Miami OCR Day 4 and 5

We are getting ready for the final day Medal Race tomorrow at the OCR.  I am sitting in 6th overall after the last two days of sailing.  Things have not gone as well as I would have liked over the last two days, but I have fought back hard in all the races from some mistakes I have made.  Earlier in the week I was having trouble with my first upwinds and again the last two days have been much of the same and at this level you cannot always have great comebacks!!

We are looking forward to the medal race tomorrow and trying to move into the top 5.  The goal coming into this event was a top 5 finish so even with the difficulties its a huge positive to still be in a spot where we can reach that goal tomorrow.  Looking at the race I am 4 points in back of the Slovenian sailor and 8 points in back of the Australian sailor.  With the double points medal race anything can happen so we will go out and try to execute a good race tomorrow and see where the points fall.

The website below will be showing the race with live tracking and commentary so be sure to follow!!  We have a 12:20 start time for the Finns.

Thanks for the support!!!

Zach

Miami OCR Day 3

Only 1 race today but it was a good one with a 4th place!!  We had to wait for awhile today for the wind to fill after a storm passed through the Miami area overnight and into this morning.  The Race Committee did a great job of getting us out there and getting a race off for the Finns this afternoon.  The race was very interesting as there were a lot of changes in the standings throughout the race.  There was a lot of changing wind shifts and pressure on the course and it was really difficult to read the wind and know what was going to happen.  To come away with a 4th was a good day and keeps me in the running in 3rd place overall.  Tomorrow we have the early start at 11 am so be sure to follow online with the live updates at www.rmocr.ussailing.org  Thanks for the support here is a photo of the racing.  There are lots more photos on the ZACH2012 Facebook Page be sure to join and follow via facebook!!!  Thanks!!

Zach

Miami OCR Day 2

Hello!!

Another great day of sailing here in Miami!!  Good breeze and I am sitting in 3rd overall after the two races today.  I finished with a 4 and a 6 in the races today and am very happy with these results.  I was having some trouble today with my upwinds and had to make two big comebacks in the races today.  Not the ideal situation, but being able to comeback in 3 of the 4 races so far has been huge for the overall placings.

While that is a positive we have some ideas on what to do tomorrow to help get me up to the top mark in a better spot then where I have been rounding and are looking forward to trying these out in tomorrow's racing.

Overall, the fleet is very close.  Giles Scott from GBR has been the standout so far at this event with very good boat speed around the course and great decisions on the shifts.  Looking at the rest of the fleet we are all very bunched up and I am very much in the hunt.

Looking forward to taking some steps forward tomorrow on the upwinds!!  Thanks for the support!!

Zach

Day 1 Rolex Miami OCR

Today was the first day of the Miami OCR regatta.  We had 2 races today in 10 to 14 knots of wind.  I am currently sitting in 2nd overall after a 2 and 3 in the races today.  Really happy about the second race as I came back from a bad first beat rounding the 1st weather mark in 12th.  Thought the left side of the course looked good and breeze went right about 20 deg.  Had really good first downwind and picked off a few boats on the 2nd beat so that was a huge confidence boost.

The fleet is pretty tight with the top boats all pushing each other really hard.  I am really happy with today and feel like some of the changes we have made from Australia worked very well today which made both myself and Kenneth happy!!

Looking forward to tomorrow as the forecast is for good wind again so we will be able to work on the same weaknesses we have been focusing on since the World Cup Event in Melbourne.

Thanks for your support and please remember to follow via twitter.com/zachsail or on Facebook on the Zach2012 Page!!  Check in with you tomorrow!!

Leaking Bailer

"Working on leaking bailer equals no fun trying to finally fix this ongoing problem...."

"Halfway done with bailer shot from under the boat!! "

Schedule of races for the 2011 World Cup Season

Dec. 12 - 18 2010  Sail Melbourne AUSTRALIA  (already sailed 1st event of 2011 season)  http://sailmelbourne.com.au/

Jan.  23 - 29  Rolex Miami OCR Regatta  USA  http://www.rmocr.ussailing.org/

April 2 - 9  Princess Sofia Regatta  SPAIN  http://www.trofeoprincesasofia.org/

April 22 - 29  Hyeres Olympic Week  FRANCE  sof.ffvoile.net

May 24 - 29 Delta Lloyd Regatta  HOLLAND  http://www.deltalloydregatta.org/

June 5 - 11  Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta  ENGLAND  http://www.skandiasailforgoldregatta.co.uk/ 

June 18 - 22  Kiel Week  GERMANY  http://www.kieler-woche.de/eng/englishdefault.php

Dec. 3 - 18  Perth ISAF Sailing World Championships  http://www.perth2011.com/

Zach Railey

2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Finn Class
http://www.zach2012.com/