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Team Cronin, 2006.
Interview by Greg Fisher
Congratulations on your convincing win in the trials. What a thrill! What kind of feeling did you have after your last race win? Carol: We had great speed in the light air of the second half of the regatta, and we knew going into the last race we just had to stay out of trouble to do well. In hindsight the race looked easy but it was pretty tense for us because we knew if we could stay ahead of the pack we wouldn't have to start the last race. After we finished there was a great whoop from a few people on the main committee boat and we knew we had the points figured out right! The trials is a long event...8 days and 16 races. You started out well the first couple days but not at the top of the fleet. Later in the week, especially after the lay day, you came on very strong. How did you and your team pace yourselves and "pour it on" as this grueling series wore on? Carol: It was actually great to not be in the lead early on since it took a lot of the pressure off. I had predicted months ago that the leader of the regatta after the first day and maybe after the first half would not be the eventual winner, and that turned out to be true. Our plan all along was to focus on racing, and on improving every day on the basics of boathandling, communication, and tactics. That kept us from getting too wrapped up in the hoopla.
Carol: Early in the regatta we had good breeze, 15-18 and waves. We were definitely struggling a bit on speed, but we talked about it and made some rig adjustments that seemed to help. We definitely still have work to do on our heavy air settings.
Carol: We were very fortunate to work with Greg Fisher, Ed Adams, and Ben Cesare in our final preparations for the event. Each of these three talented sailors brings a different approach to helping us and we tried to absorb everything they told us. The coaching talent we had definitely made the difference in our final preparations. Everyone can benefit from coaching since there are always things that are more obvious from off the boat.
The way to move up to the next level (as we have just proved) is to work harder and smarter than the others are working. There is no substitute for more time on the water, but it is important to balance that with enough discussion to make sure you are learning and making progress. Also it is very important to identify weaknesses; for us it was starts and weather mark roundings. Once you identify what you need to work on it is easier to improve. That is also where a good coach can help out.
We head to Europe on March 31 and will spend more time there than home
through the Games. We plan to race as much as we can against the teams
we will be competing against at the Games. It was very helpful to know
our competition so well at the Trials, so we could predict what each
team was likely to do in a given situation. Thanks Carol, and congratulations again!
Courtesy Scuttlebutt
Fresh from their win at the Yngling Worlds, US Sailing Team women’s Olympic keelboat campaigners Betsy Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech have made a significant step toward their goal of representing the USA in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
'Butt: This is the first Olympic cycle for the Yngling class. How has the class accepted becoming an Olympic class? Betsy Alison: The Yngling class has always been very much a family-oriented class. I think that when you introduce the “Olympic element” to any class, it changes the dynamics a little bit. I think that in the Yngling class, the women that have jumped into the class are obviously maximizing the potential of the boat and raising the technical bar. Technologically, we are looking at things a little bit differently, we’re pushing limits and we’re trying to develop new equipment. There was a big hue and cry over introducing carbon spinnaker poles and carbon tillers. It certainly makes the boat better, but it introduces a higher level of cost to most of the sailors in the fleet. Some people feel that in order to compete at the top right now they have to match what we’re doing. I think that poses a little bit of a problem for some of the stalwarts in the class. But then on the other hand, we’re bringing new things to the class and sharing them with the class, in hope that we can be a benefit to the class. There are some people that I think are resentful of the women being there, pushing so hard and raising the bar as high as we’ve done. I would hope that we’re welcome in the class and I hope we’re not doing anything to irritate people. 'Butt: This was the first Yngling Worlds won by a woman. Did this shake the earth or was it only a matter of time? Betsy Alison: We were really happy as a team. The conditions we had, the light, choppy conditions, have never been an area of strength for our team. And we have been working really hard to improve our boat speed and our “zen-ness,” our calm in those conditions. So from that perspective we were thrilled. There were five world champions that were in that fleet and for us, it was a great feeling to know that we could be there with the best of the best that the Yngling class has shown in years past.
'Butt: What led to the formation of your team? Betsy Alison: ISAF made one of the decisions for us when they imposed the weight limit on the class for the women. They established a weight limit of 205 kilos (451 pounds) for a crew of three. Most people would think than an average of 150 pounds per crew is very reasonable but when you look at what the weight of an average female athlete is, when you consider muscle weight and what not, I mean there are a lot of teams that are very close to the weight limit all the time. Not that it is a bad thing to have to deal with but it certainly changes the physical make up of the team. Also, regardless of how much keelboat experience I have had, I really wanted to be part of a team where everyone was really smart. Lee had just come fresh out of college sailing, was an All-American, had the ability to make quick decisions and bring a fresh prospective to sailboat racing. And Suzy, her ability to call the line is so accurate that it is totally her ballgame. Then with my long time experience of sailboat racing I bring another prospective to it. Plus, we had to make sure that our personalities meshed. We travel so much and live so closely together all the time that if we didn’t get along off the boat and we didn’t have a good time, it would be a miserable experience. And I got to say; I love the girls I am sailing with both on and off the water. 'Butt: We understand your team has a new member. Betsy Alison: One of our greatest assets is our Norwegian coach. In April, we started working with a new coach, Espen Stokkeland, and he has been a great neutralizer for us. With Espen, we are really a team of four as opposed to a team of three now. Where Espen’s been great is that he has a strong knowledge based on the Yngling. He was on a crew that won the Yngling Worlds in ’90, he has ten years of Soling campaign experience and a bronze medal from Sydney, plus he was working as a navigator with the Victory challenge syndicate in Auckland so he knows the differences little things can make. Espen has guided us down this path where he has had a lot of experience before, and experience is a great teacher. Particularly in the last four months, his outside influence has accelerated our learning process, kept us directed, focused and on track with where we need to go. We may have gotten to the same place without Espen, but not nearly as quickly. His influence and outside observations have kept us from being critical of each other. We’re being more constructive, and it’s really helped us grow as a team together. 'Butt: Talk to us about communication. Betsy Alison: I think that the biggest challenge that any team faces going into one of these campaigns is being able to communicate well both on and off the water. Sometimes the on-water communication is far easier because it is all part of the game we play and the job we do out there. But it is as equally important off the water. We realized early on how critical it was to step up to the plate to clear the air because how you interact off the water is a big component in terms of how you function on the water. Being efficient at what you say, and being positive in how you say it is a key to success. I think we have done a good job of that. 'Butt: How has your team dealt with setbacks? Betsy Alison: We always knew that at some point in our program, no matter how successful we were from the outset, that we would probably have to take a step back to move forward. For us this happened in April when Espen came onboard. The way we had been sailing was fast, but in April he came to France and he wanted us to try a different approach to trimming and setting up the boat. For us, it was a 180-degree turn from what we had been doing. We practiced for a week ahead of time and then we went into the Hyeres regatta and our results were not great, finishing seventh. We wiped out in heavy breeze and we were struggling with a few things. We had to think too much about what we were doing trim-wise. But as we became more familiar with the new set-up and the new way we were trimming, we started going faster and faster, eventually moving well forward from where we had been. So, no matter how frightening it is to radically change something, if you give it a little time and see where it goes, it could be a new direction and a better path to go down. So we’re not afraid to try new things and test them, and if one doesn’t work, you just cross it off the list. The object is to leave fewer stones unturned than anybody else.
'Butt: Your team is looking pretty muscular. Is this just another aspect of the program where you are seeking an edge? Betsy Alison: You got to look good to sail good. Really, due to the weight limit, we have to eat right all the time. We definitely train hard. For me, I have never in my entire life time, even when I was sailing Lasers, have had to hike as hard as I do all the time in this boat. I have to straight leg (hike) all the time because I am the biggest one on the boat. And I don’t envy the girls because they put on their chest harnesses and droop hike and they’re under water most of the time. Everybody on the boat has to be strong, and everybody has to be able to get their job done. And the interesting thing is that the more physically fit we are, the smarter we are. The more efficient is our decision making process and the more efficient our body movements are in the boat. Plus, when we are tired and we know we’ve been training as hard as we do, we know everybody else is that much more tired than we are. It makes a huge difference. And it is easy to blow it off and at forty-three, I wonder if I’m crazy to be doing what I am doing. But it’s worth it. 'Butt: With all the events you are doing in Europe, how challenging are the overseas logistics? Betsy Alison: People say, “What’s the worst part of campaigning?” And it is really the logistics and the problems that aren’t related to us in the boat. Home for us right now is on the road. We just got back from eight weeks in Europe. We’ve got three weeks back in the states, and then we’re back to Europe again. We feel very comfortable traveling abroad and I know there are a lot of other teams and individuals that don’t particularly care to be living in foreign countries and foreign environments, eating food and dealing with all those hassles. But it is just another problem to solve. Because we have to drag a keelboat around with a trailer and trailer boxes and the whole nine yards it made most sense for us to buy a second car and ship it over to Europe. That way we knew that we would have our own vehicle to tow our own boat and not have to be reliant on anyone else. It is just nice to know that you have that one element that you don’t have to think about. When it comes to driving the boat around, none of us have a whole lot of time, but the more we get down this road, the more full-time the whole effort becomes and you have to make the effort to get every job done. Everything else seems to suffer a little bit (jobs, relationships, homesteads), but you realize it is only for a certain period of time, and it's maybe a once in a lifetime opportunity. Why wouldn’t you give it everything you’ve got? I don’t think you can do this half way to be successful at it.
'Butt: So what is your remaining schedule leading into the Olympic trials? Betsy Alison: The way we see it, there are only two events that we have left to win. One is the Olympic trials and the next one is the Olympic games. When you look at it that way, everything between now and then is just part of the journey to get us there. It is practice, fine-tuning what we know we have to do. I am soon heading to Athens to work with the US Disabled sailing team prior to their world championships. From there I fly to Cadiz, Spain for the ISAF Worlds. Then, we come right back to do the Rolex International Keelboat Championship in Annapolis, MD. Two weeks later we’re doing Bermuda Gold Cup to keep our hand in the match-racing scene. Eventually there are regattas that come down to one-on-one match racing like the Spa Regatta did this year. There are times when it really comes down to you versus one other team so we like to keep our hand in that game just to make sure we’re still sharp on the moves, that we know how to play that side of the sport. Later, we’ve got some of the European teams that are coming over this fall and winter. We’re pretty excited about that, but it means we need to move to Miami come mid December and find a place to live in the Coconut Grove/Key Biscayne area. The worst thing about that is it’s peak season, and unless you know someone who is willing to house you, or has a guesthouse or an apartment, those costs escalate tremendously. 'Butt: Financially, what has it taken to get you where you are right now? Betsy Alison: So many people think that money is no object in these Olympic campaigns but frankly we are living from hand to mouth all the time. Because of the amount of time it takes to train, compete and travel, it is unfortunate that we have to do it on a shoestring budget. If we didn’t have to worry about things financially, my god, our job would be so much easier. When you talk about credit cards, I have three maxed out right now and it scares the life out of me. But when push comes to shove, you look at it all and you wonder if it is worth it. Is the journey itself worth it? Of course it is. And when I look at our team, our goals are the same. And I know for a fact that there are campaigns right now that are struggling with that, and people that have had friendships for years are struggling with that right now because of the pressures of the campaign. For us, I think we are lucky because we all have similar goals and drives. So, financially it is a struggle, trying to work at the same time so that the bank doesn’t take my house and the loan companies don’t take the cars back, etc. We’ve been financing what we’re doing with private tax-deductible contributions from family, friends, and others that are interested in what we’re doing. Those are the people that are a huge part of our program, that have stepped forward to help us on the financial side. We now have almost five hundred people on our email server list, which provide us the ability to share our experiences with people that may never have the opportunity to do what we’re doing. To make them feel that they are with us on each step of the journey.
'Butt: This year you have “two world championships.” What is your approach going into the ISAF Worlds in September? Betsy Alison: The event is going to be very interesting because only five teams plus the Greek home teams have gotten their qualifying spots for the Olympic games, so this Worlds will largely impact who will compete in the games. For us, it remains an opportunity to qualify for some US Olympic funding for the next calendar year. However, in the big scheme of things, we are going to go there to practice, to test some new technology that we want to try out, and to test our skills against the best the world has to offer. It is an opportunity to try and test and get better in conditions in a foreign environment that we’re not necessarily familiar with. Again, the big thing for us is the Olympic trials in February and everything else up to then is to focus on training. 'Butt: Here at Scuttlebutt, we love our sponsors. Do you have any love to share for your supporters? Betsy Alison: Our work with North Sails One Design has been huge for us. We are the biggest fans of Abbott Boats, who took a big risk when they jumped into the Yngling class to build boats. I think that Billy Abbott is producing the best quality boats on the market right now. A lot of other people have now since gone that direction because we were fast of the box with his boat. Harken Yacht Equipment has also been really supportive. Not only have they helped us out on the equipment side of things, but it is so nice when Peter Harken and others on his team follow our progress and send off an email to congratulate us on our achievements. Frank Atkinson from Rigging Systems has done all the cordage onboard our boat, Layline has helped us out with foulweather gear and we use Kaenon sunglasses. All those products have made a huge difference in terms of making us comfortable enough to do the job that we need to do. 'Butt: We have noticed your snazzy team uniforms at award presentations. Any comments? Betsy Alison: We think it’s really important for us to have a united team image. My girls, they definitely are little fashion plates. They like to look good, we all do. So I said to them, “ We can have any clothes you want as long as I look good in them too.” I have to give credit to Lee and Suzy and Lee’s aunt for picking out our team uniforms and keeping us dressed well. We want people to believe that we’re professional in what we do and in our approach to our program. Should we come across a company that wants to sponsor us through the Trials and the Games, then we want them to know that we are going to represent them as best we can with the right image. And I think we have that. For anyone wanting to organize a last-minute campaign, Betsy's team is selling one of their boats at Scuttlebutt Sailing Club's Bulletin Board. Anyone interested in supporting Betsy, Lee and Suzy can do so by going to their website at http://www.challengeus.org
Report by Tim Healy I just got off the phone with Betsy. She won the 2003 Yngling Worlds by 6 points over Hanna Swett. Betsy sailed with teammates Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech. They used our latest designs: M-2 main, LM-2 and H-3 Jibs and the FR-2 spinnaker. The jibs were new designs for this regatta and proved to be an improvement. Betsy said the LM-2 is "more powerful in the light stuff and very fast" and " the H-3 is beautiful". Full report coming soon. Keep tuned! For more information about our new designs for the Yngling
class, please contact our Yngling experts.
Reports courtesy Team Challenge US Photo Richard de Jonge, courtesy SPA Regatta. DAY 3:
With only three races left in the series, competition among the leaders is intense. The lighter winds forecast for Saturday should shuffle things around a bit, making the racing interesting as it comes down to the wire. Team Challenge has been here in Europe since the beginning of April both training for and competing on the European regatta circuit. Alison, Icyda and Leech have been working with coach Espen Stokkeland to develop better boat control and speed. Their performance over the past three events has shown a marked improvement in both these areas, and has allowed the Team to get their heads "out of the boat" and focus more on the racing itself. Confidence in their sailing gear is one key to the continued success of the Team out on the water. "We know that highly engineered gear is less apt to fail in a critical moment – our Harken ‘carbo’ hardware is light and incredibly reliable," said Suzy Leech after another breezy day. "When you have to continually make minute adjustments under high loads, it is so nice to have the blocks and cars running smoothly all the time." Team Challenge US is powered by North Sails. North Sails One Design is on the right path for Yngling sail design. Betsy Alison mentioned that, "Being able to work with knowledgeable people on sail shape and development is great. We are really happy with the service and support that North provides us with, and know that a big part of our consistent speed is having the right sails on board." Ongoing development of the sails in this new Olympic class is critical as the sailors come to understand the boats more and more. Small changes in sail shape can translate into big gains out on the race course. With detailed input from the Team, North has been producing some very quick sails for the Yngling. After the regatta winds up here on Sunday, the Team flies back state side for the Boat US Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, MD. That Grade 1 Match Racing event will serve as a cross training platform for Team Challenge US as they move forward with their Olympic effort. Stay tuned for more after the completion of races 7 and 8 on Saturday, May 24 DAY 4: Alison, Icyda and Leech Dominate Light Air Day On the fourth day of racing here in Medemblik, Team Challenge US posted finishes of 1 and 2 to take the lead at the 19th SPA Regatta. The conditions were light and variable, making the decision making process a difficult one. Betsy Alison and team mates Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech showed excellent speed around the windward/leeward courses in spite of the lack of wind, and now have a 4 point lead going into the last race of the series. Previous leader, Shirley Robertson (GBR) had a disappointing day with an 18 and 19 to drop back into third place. Dorte Jensen and her Danish team have now moved into second. Consistency has been critical to the success of the leaders here in Holland. They have seen everything from 25+ knot breezes to virtually nothing on the water. Sunday’s final race will determine who will take top honors.After the first light air race on Saturday morning, Icyda decided to strap on some water skis and buzz the fleet – it was full entertainment value for everyone on the Yngling and Star race area. Though she came back to the boat a little wet and colder, her unusual wind dance brought the breeze in and both fleets got a second race in. If a final race is completed on Sunday, all teams will be able to discard a second score. Team Challenge US is sitting in a pretty comfortable position at the moment – they cannot finish worse than second for the series. They need to finish within three places of Jensen or force her to finish 7th or worse to take the overall title. It’s off to the race course for the final day. Wish us luck and keep the positive vibes coming! Stay tuned for the final report after Sunday’s race.
In what proved to be an intense "game" between Team Challenge US and the Danish team led by Dorte Jensen, the American women took control and went on to win the final race and the overall title. After the start, the two teams engaged in a bit of match racing with Alison and her team gaining an advantage on the first leg over the Danes. They never let up around the course staying between their competition and the marks. As long as they finished within 3 points of Jensen, the overall victory was theirs to be had. Americans Jody Swanson and Hannah Swett took the early lead in the race, with Alison and Jensen back in 4th and 7th respectively. As the northwesterly breeze began to lighten up and become spotty, Team Challenge US attacked the race course on the second beat to take the lead in the race, while keeping in touch with Jensen. Great boat speed and placement allowed Alison, Icyda and Leech to extend their lead and win convincingly. Jensen crossed the line in third behind Hannah Swett to secure second place overall in the event. Shirley Robertson (GBR) and Kristin Wagner (GER) tied in points for third, with the final tie-break in question. Other American finishes were Swett (10), Swanson (12) and Cronin (13). This is the first big European win for Team Challenge US. Betsy Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech started sailing together as a team only 11 months ago to pursue their Olympic dream. In that time, they have finished 3rd at the 2002 World Championships, qualified the USA for the Olympic Games in Athens, have risen to #1 ranking in both the USA and Internationally, and are now proving to be a force to contend with in the new women’s Olympic discipline – Yngling. What has made the difference? A strong TEAM commitment to the goal: to be the best the USA has to offer and to represent the USA and medal in the 2004 Olympic Games. Betsy Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech have become a single unit, blended from three distinct individuals. All three of the women recognize that you can’t do it alone, not on the boat nor on shore. Having an excellent coach has made a marked difference in their on the water performance and training regime. Having great advisors from a physical training and health standpoint has allowed the team to be stronger, leaner and more mentally focused. Having great equipment to work with allows the Team to get the job done without breakdowns or excessive down time. Having strong emotional and logistical support from family and friends is priceless. Where do they go from here? Team Challenge US has an aggressiveracing and training schedule ahead. There are Yngling fleet races to be sailed in Europe, and cross training in various Match Racing events. The Team has training sessions scheduled with their coach and some European training partners. There is technical development that needs to be done, and time is of the essence. It is all costly and Team Challenge US needs your help. Please make a tax deductible contribution to the Team through their website at www.challengeus.org. Thanks for your continued support. Go USA!
Report by Tim Healy Theam Challende US sailed the Palm Beach Ocean Regatta with the latest sail designs that were born from extensive testing on and off the race course. They used the M-2 maisail, the AP-2 jib and the CR-2 spinnaker. All available from North One Design. These new designs combine user friendly tuning and trimming with outstanding top end speed. " We can spend more time looking up the course and not worry that the sails need constant attention" said Betsy Alison. " A sail that tests well in a controlled environment may not be fast in a race situation because it is too demanding of the crew. We have the best of both worlds with these sails(speed and ease of use)." It was an important win for Lee Icyda, Suzy Leech and Betsy Alison
as it is the first of three ranking events which will determine the
US Sailing Team for 2003. The cumulative total of finishing positions
(including foreign teams) in each of the three events will determine
the order of ranking. "This win in the first event of the 2003
season is great! We are happy with the progress we have made so far
and look forward to the other two events coming up in Miami over the
next couple of weeks. The foreign teams that have joined us for the
winter series here in south Florida has certainly enhanced the competition,
and upped the stakes at each event," said Alison. "There is
nothing better than great competition in great venues. Warm weather
and good breeze in the winter has lured the best from around the world
to come and play," added Icyda.
Report courtesy Carol Cronin What a month! First ten days sweating in Bill Abbott's
shop putting on hardware, then two days of float-testing the new boat,
then two back to back regattas to qualify for the 2001 Sailing Team,
and right after that a sixth place finish at the Yngling Worlds. I'm
just now coming up for air, but the good news is, we have speed in spite
of a minimal amount of prep and boat set up. 3. We used the light air jib exclusively. It seemed to
hold up fine in the one day of big breeze we had. We did learn to make
sure the jib was dropped far enough downwind that the spin sheet didn't
crease the upper leech, since that was a problem early on. Happy sailing!
2001 Yngling Worlds Betsy Allison with team mates Joan Tuchette and Nancy Haberland used North Sails to finish first among the women teams and second overall at the Yngling Worlds! The regatta was sailed in the waters off of Newport, RI. during the week of July 16th. Betsy used the LM Jib, MH Jib, AP main and the Cross Cut spin. The regatta was a week long and presented a variety of conditions. "The sails looked great, we had speed and height on demand". "North Sails (One Design) proved they have the (sail making) experience to solve problems in a developing class". -Betsy Allison Below are more familiar names using north: 3rdW Hannah Swett All North
For further information concerning the Yngling class please contact Chuck Allen at North Sails One Design.
For more information on Yngling sails, contact the North Yngling experts.
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NSOD North America made the sails that Betsy and her crew just used
to win the Worlds. For more information please contact our 
Day
three of the SPA Regatta in Medemblik, Holland was a good one for Betsy
Alison, Lee Icyda and Suzy Leech. The team had finishes of 3, 4 in the
two scheduled races, finishing just behind regatta leader Shirley Robertson
of Great Britain in both. Being consistent in their finishes so far
in the series has moved the Team up into second overall in the standings.
Robertson had another great day, solidifying her lead in conditions
that ranges from 14-20 knots of breeze; very good speed in the upper
wind ranges is a trademark for Robertson, and that has been apparent
here in Holland. But, the teams that had the best performances of the
day were the Dorte Jensen of Denmark and the German team of Wagner/Hoell/Lochbrunner.
The addition of an offset mark at the top of the windward/leeward course
eliminated a lot of confusion as boats turned the corner to go downwind.
Several incidents and collisions on earlier days of racing precipitated
the change for safety reasons.
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