Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Monday, June 28, 1999

Abracadabra takes
maiden sail off Ko Olina

With skipper John Kolius at the helm, Abracadabra 2000 and her crew took to the waters off Ko Olina yesterday for her maiden sail.

Light tropical winds and a mild sea provided perfect conditions for the inaugural sail, which marks the start of intensive sail training in Hawaii.

USA 50, Abracadabra 2000's first International America's Cup Class yacht to be launched, will be joined in early August by Abracadabra 2000's second IACC yacht, USA 54, currently under construction at Barbers Point..

Abracadabra 2000, sailing out of the Waikiki Yacht Club, will compete in Auckland beginning this October, in its effort to bring the America's Cup to Hawaii.

Isle kayakers win medals

Hawaii kayakers Andy Bussey and Mike Stock, both from Kailua, won five gold medals between them at the Lake Lanier International Sprint Challenge Races this weekend in Gainesville, Ga.

Bussey won gold medals in the 1000 meter K-1 and a silver in the 500 meter K-1. Stock won the bronze in the 500 meter K-1. In the K-2 races, Bussey and his partner James Farnam won the 1,000-meter race and placed second at 500 meters, while Stock and his partner, Bartoz Wolski, won the 500 and finished second in the 1000. Bussey and Stock then teamed up in the four-man K-4 races with Farnum and Wolski to win the gold medal at both the 500 and 1000 meter distances.

Among Hawaii's Junior and Juvenile racers, Sarah Fields of Honolulu won silver medals in the Juvenile K-1 500 and 1000 meter races, while junior kayakers Ana Schladermundt and Stephanie Dean, both of Kailua, grabbed bronze medals in the 500 and 1000 meter K-1 races, respectively.

Samoa beats USA

Favored Samoa jumped to a 14-3 halftime lead and then withstood a determined rally to down the United States, 27-20, in an Epson Cup match yesterday at Apia, Samoa.

Captain Dan Lyle and Juan Grobler scored second-half tries to pull the Eagles, 3-0-2, to within 22-17.

But the USA couldn't contain Samoan, 2-1-1, as Brian Lima touched down twice, and George Leaupepe and Afato So'alo each notched a try.

Hawaii swimmers place

Nick Folker beat out returning Olympic champion Gary Hall to win the 100 meter free in 50.97 seconds in the Santa Clara International Meet completed yesterday. He also placed second in the 50 free.

Simon Thirsk finished fourth in the 100 meter back in 57.41 seconds.

A 400 free relay team featuring Folker, Jeff Stanford, Greg Phillips and Thirsk finished 2nd.

Folker and Thirsk will go on to Mallorca, Spain to represent UH at the World Student Games beginning this Friday.