U.S. after golds in yachting Mahaney part of strong team

DALLAS – The flag pole at the Rush Creek Yacht Club on nearby Lake Ray Hubbard now flies an Olympic flag from its starboard spreader in honor of member Paul Foerster, who won the Olympic Trials in the Flying Dutchman.

He and crew Steve Bourdow of New Orleans are world champions in the class in 1991 and 1992 and should contend for gold. They have consistently beaten all the 1988 medal winners in the class in world regattas.

The U.S. Olympic Yachting Team for 1992 is one of the strongest. In 1988, the U.S. won one gold, two silvers and two bronze medals – five medals in eight events – the most of any country in the competition. The United States is the all-time leader in Olympic sailing with 40 medals (15 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze) since formal competition began in 1932.

Brian Ledbetter of San Diego has impressive credentials in the the Finn class. In the Women’s 470, world champions J.J. Isler of San Diego and Pamela Healy of San Francisco should take the gold. The Men’s 470 with Morgan Reeser of Miami and Kevin Burnham of Coral Gables, Fla., also is a solid contender.

Soling class sailors Kevin Mahaney of Bangor, Maine, Jim Brady of Annapolis, Md., and Doug Kern of Austin, Texas, all have world-class credentials. For the first time in Olympic competition, the Soling will include match racing as a part of its regatta, and this team excels at match racing.

With 1988 silver medalists Mark Reynolds of San Diego at the helm and Hal Haenel from Los Angeles as crew, the U.S. is thinking gold in the Star Class.

The Tornado-class catamaran, skippered by Randy Smyth, silver medalist in 1984 from Mary Esther, Fla., and crew Keith Notary from Merritt Island, Fla., will be tough.

The bronze medal winner on the Lechner Division II sailboard in 1988, Mike Gebhardt of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has been a national champion 15 times and has won six world championships.

The Women’s Lechner Division II sailboard is new to Olympic sailing but Lanee Butler from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., is not new to the sailboard. With a long list of sailing credentials she is the U.S. Sailing nominee for USOC Female Athlete of the Year.

Julia Trotman from Syosset, N.Y., brings impressive credits to the new Europe class. She trains 35-40 hours per week and was All-America women’s sailor three times.