OLYMPICS: The time is NOW

by Richard Crockett

With the Rio Olympic sailing events just days away, our South African sailors need to put the hype of the opening ceremony behind them, put their heads down and focus on the job at hand – which is to sail their hearts out as the next 10 races they sail may be the most important they ever sail.

Both teams of Asenathi Jim & Roger Hudson in the 470, and Stefano Marcia in the Laser, have prepared hard over the last four years and done, hopefully, everything necessary to fully prepare themselves and their craft for this event.

The latest (August issue) of SAILING Magazine has full-on interviews with these three, plus interviews with as many of our ‘new era’ Olympic sailors as possible. So if you don’t subscribe to SAILING Magazine get down to your favourite bookstore or forecourt convenience shop NOW and get a copy to read first-hand just what effort these guys have put in so far.

Regrettably the Supersport TV schedules do not have much sailing content, but despair not as there is live streaming of the sailing every single day.

The Supersport TV schedule is as follows:
Monday 15 August  SS4               Laser men @ 15h50
Laser Radial women @ 18h50
Sunday 14 August  SS13              RS:X men windsurfer medal race @ 15h50
RS:X women windsurfer medal race @ 18h50
Tuesday 16 August  SS13            Finn medal race @15h50
Nacra medal race @ 18h50
Thursday 18 August  SS13          49er women medal race @17h50
49er men medal race @ 18h50
Wednesday 17 August  SS14      470 men medal race @17h50
470 women medal race @18h50

Live streaming can be followed here from the World Sailing site:
http://www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016/home.php

RSA Sailors will compete as follows:
Monday 8 August               Laser men race 1 @ 21h05
Laser men race 2 @ 22h30
Tuesday 9 August               Laser men race 3 @ 21h15
Laser men race 4 @ 22h40
Wednesday 10 August      470 men race 1 @ 21h05
Laser men race 5 @21h05
470 men race 2 @ 22h30
Laser men race 6 @ 22h30
Thursday 11 August           470 men race 3 @ 21h15
470 men race 4 @ 22h40
Friday 12 August                470 men race 5 @ 21h05
Laser men race 7 @ 21h15
470 men race 6 @22h30
Laser men race 8 @ 22h40
Saturday 13 August           Laser men race 9 @21h05
Laser men race 10 @ 22h30
Sunday 14 August             470m men race 7 @21h15
470 men race 8 @ 22h40
Monday 15 August           470 men race 9 @ 21h05
Laser men medal race @22h05
470 men race 10 @ 22h30
Wednesday 17 August    470 men medal race @ 22h05

SAILING Gybeset will publish as much info as possible on our sailors as and when we receive it, so stay tuned and will our guys on to achieving their goals and standing on the winners podium.

The above pics are from Roger Hudson which he took during the opening ceremony.