Foerster, Burnham, and Swanson Win Rolex Honors
Foerster, Burnham, and Swanson Win Rolex Honors
(from US SAILING press release) PORTSMOUTH, R.I.-Paul Foerster (Rockwall, Texas) and his crew Kevin Burnham, (Miami), along with Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.), today
were named the respective winners of the prestigious 2004 Rolex
Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards. A panel of sailing
journalists selected the sailors for the distinction from the longest
shortlist in recent years--13 nominees for the Rolex Yachtsman and nine
nominees for the Rolex Yachtswoman. Ultimately, the deliberations of
the panel recognized the stand-alone performances turned in by the
respective winners. Although historically individuals are considered
for the award, the numerous nominations submitted by the membership of
US SAILING were overwhelmingly consistent for Foerster and Burnham as a
team. Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex
Watch U.S.A. since 1980, the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the
Year Awards recognize outstanding on-the-water achievement in the
calendar year just concluded. The winners will be honored and presented
with specially engraved Rolex timepieces at a February 25, 2005,
luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan. Rolex Yachtsman of the Year
First-time winners of the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award, Paul
Foerster and Kevin Burnham were recognized for their gold medal
performance at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in the 27-boat 470 Men's
event. Foerster, a four-time Olympian, and Burnham, a three-time
Olympian, had both medalled in the event before, although not together,
and were already guaranteed a silver medal when the fireworks started
during pre-race maneuvers on the final day of their Olympic Regatta.
Foerster and Burnham had decisively unseated Great Britain from the top
spot on the scoreboard in the penultimate race, and only two points
separated the two teams heading into the showdown. The USA would
need to finish no worse than two boats behind GBR no matter where they
were on the course. "It will be a good thing to watch," Burnham
stated before the final race, "and it will show Paul's ability to match
race, which most people don't know about." Finding Great
Britain in a vulnerable position two minutes before the start, Foerster
and Burnham trapped them into a tacking duel that saw the two boats
cross the starting line well behind the rest of the fleet, much to the
amazement--or dismay, depending on allegiance--of the massive spectator
fleet. The ensuing match race was a flawless lesson in tactics by
Foerster and Burnham. They covered their rivals around the course
and across the finish line where otherwise dismal finishes of 22nd
(USA) and 23rd (GBR) determined who stood on the center podium.
When the finish horn confirmed their victory, Burnham unhooked his
harness and back-flipped off the boat, leaving Foerster to
singlehandedly douse the spinnaker and round up to retrieve him.
It made for one of the most photographically memorable moments of the
Athens Games. "I am very honored to be selected with my
teammate Kevin as the 2004 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year," said
Foerster. "I have admired the accomplishments of the past winners
and would like to thank all of Kevin's and my friends, family and
coaches who made our accomplishments possible this past year."
"It's just a great honor to have this recognition for our efforts at
the Olympics," added Burnham. "To have our names grace the trophy
with all the great sailors in the USA is really something." In
three prior trips to the Olympic Games ('88, '92 and '00) Foerster, who
turned 41 in November, had won two silver medals: in the Flying
Dutchman ('92), and the 470 ('00). During the fall 2003 U.S.
Olympic Team Trials in Houston, he flew home to Dallas each night after
racing to be with his wife, Carrie, and the couple's newborn son,
Luke. As the Trials wound down, Foerster and Burnham were able to
sit out the final three races of their series after a string of
first-place finishes secured their trip to Greece. Both Carrie and Luke
were on hand in Athens, along with numerous members of the Foerster
family, to witness the gold-medal victory. Burnham partnered
with Foerster to sail the 470 in 2002, after both had taken a
significant hiatus from the class. In only their second regatta
as a team, they finished sixth out of 109 boats at the 2002 470 World
Championships in Italy. That remarkable performance secured the
USA its berth to the 2004 Olympic Regatta and set the sailing world
abuzz. Burnham has been a mainstay of the 470 Men's class
since the mid-1980s when he was crewing for Morgan Reeser. That
successful partnership also started off notably--with a win of the
first regatta sailed as a team--and was marked by milestones such as
the gold medal won at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Russia. Injuries
kept Burnham sidelined intermittently, and the pair missed the 1988
Olympic Team Trials and the 1990 world championships. The payoff
came in 1992, however, when they won the Trials and went on to capture
the silver in Barcelona. A disappointing return trip to the Games
in 1996, where the duo finished eighth, and Reeser's subsequent
retirement from the class left Burnham in the market for a new skipper.
Burnham, who turned 48 in December, was the oldest member of the USA's
2004 Olympic Sailing Team, and his name is already the correct answer
to one Olympic trivia question: who was the oldest gold medallist of
all USA athletes at the 2004 Olympic Games? Since returning from
Athens he has moved into the ranks of professional sailors and has
become a popular motivational speaker. Noting that he will sail a
470 as long as physically possible, Burnham hopes to compete in the
next Olympics. Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year
Recognized for her second time as Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year (she
first received the award in 1989), Jody Swanson earned accolades for
her win of the 2004 Lightning North American Championship held at the
Buffalo Canoe Club in Ontario, Canada. Sailing the August event
with crew Skip Dieball and Tom Starck in conditions that ranged from
drifting to 25+ knots, Swanson topped a fleet of 103 boats that
included many notable sailors. Members of the selection panel
remarked on "her impressive win in a deep fleet" while noting that no
sailor dominates this class year-after-year. "The Lightning class
is tough," said one panelist. "That was a big win." Swanson's
achievement also gained her membership in an elite sorority of women
who have won open (co-ed) one-design championships. The
39-year-old Swanson has been sailing the Lightning for over 20 years.
In 1984 she was the Lightning Youth World Champion, an experience that
may have influenced her in recruiting two young sailors--Lauren Jones
and Maddie Waldron--to crew for her in the 2004 Lightning Women's North
Americans. Sailing their first regatta as a team, the three
won that championship just days before Swanson added the Lightning
North American Championship title to her impressive resume.
Swanson's sailing career has included Olympic campaigns in both the 470
Women's class and the Yngling. Highlights of her time in the 470
include a gold medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games held in Seattle, a
silver medal at the 1995 Pan American Games, and victory in 1996 at the
North American Championship. She has competed on the match racing
circuit, also with notable success: as winner of both the 1994
International Women's Match Racing Championship and the 1995 Santa
Maria Cup. Last October, Swanson added another win to her 2004
resume--this time as a crew--when she switched positions with long-time
teammate Cory Sertl for the U.S. Women's Match Race Championship.
I just love the sport and racing sailboats," said Swanson. "That
is what keeps bringing me out there. Winning this award again is
just as meaningful as the first time (1989) because it is such an
honor. I was very honored to be nominated, and to win among this
talented group of women is such a thrill." For additional information on the awards, including accomplishments of the nominees on the shortlist for 2004, please visit www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex.
