Qingdao, China
August 20, 2007

We moved one painful rung up the ladder into ninth overall after placing seventh in an early evening race today at the 2007 Good Luck Beijing International Regatta that we finished after nightfall. The score is Race Days 6, Races Finished 5. At a different venue we’d have completed 12 or more races by now.

Ashore at last, in company with our Dutch training partners

Today was another hurry-up and wait occasion. In preparation for a revised three-race day we made an early start to get down to the venue and out to our course for a noon preparatory signal. Well, that was the plan! We didn’t make it off the launching ramp until after 4:00 pm when the committee finally lowered the AP postponement signal for the Tornados.

We had an OK race. We started well but the right side of the course was heavily favored and the boats that managed to get away on port at the start gained a big advantage. We did well to finish seventh considering how deep we were at the end of the first leg.

At the pointy end of the fleet, the Austrians Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher were first to finish while the Aussies, Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby, were third. They are first and second overall in that order with eight points separating them but the scores will tighten as soon as we finish sufficient races and the Australian team can drop its second-race ninth place finish.

A small consolation today was the sight of the city skyline and the incredible light display of the waterfront and its buildings as we towed back to the marina after dark.

Tomorrow promises to be interesting. The Tornados have to complete two races in order to qualify the ten top boats for the Medal Race the day after. The pressure is on the organizers. Without wind they are facing some difficult scheduling questions.

The latest results from Qingdao will be at Tornado Pre-Olympic Results as soon as they become available. Also, be sure to visit our website at www.t-squaredracing.com. Our sponsor, Advanced Equities, is at www.advancedequities.com.

Sail fast,

Johnny Lovell and Charlie Ogletree - Team Advanced Equities I