After some down-time in December, we ventured out to Miami on 5th January to start our training for Miami OCR.
On arrival we were greeted with the regular hot, sunny and light-wind Miami conditions - perfect for easing ourselves back into the boat. We are based out of the rowing club on Key Biscayne, so a short sail out past the city and under the bridge puts us out into the bay where we will be racing at the end of the month.
We are incredibly lucky to stay with our good friends, the Bullard family, who have a very impressive house and set-up on the Key, just a short drive or boat ride from the boats. Bill is kindly letting us use his cards to get around - even after someone ran a red light on the highway and went straight into the side of us whilst driving his eldest daughter's car! Luckily everything is insured and can be fixed although egos may take slightly longer to repair! Having friends who are willing to help us out like this makes our sponsorship money go further which has a huge impact on our campaign, so we are really grateful to Bill and his family. Bill also took part in the America's Cup on Victory in 1983 as the bowman, so having his local knowledge and eye on the rig is an added bonus!
The last few days have provided some great breezes on the bay, which blew out the cobwebs and allowed for some speed testing and boat handling. We have been training with Stevie Morrison and Twiggy, whilst Nick Asher and Bill followed behind offering their opinions. We've been working through two new sets of sails trying to pick out the one that's going to give us the most boat speed across a range of conditions, as well as tuning our mast to suit. It is a huge boost to be back on our own equipment, which we know is fast, having been on foreign kit in Rio and Abu Dhabi. We had the chance to catch up with some old friends and took Rodrigo, a local Opti and 420 sailors out for a ride, four years on from his last go on a 49er.
We just finished a week's sailing on our training boat, which has now been passed over to an Argentinian team to charter for the event. We now jump back in our race boat, which we're looking forward to using again as she's been sat in a container since the Worlds and itching to get on the water. The forecast looks good for the next week with decent breeze most days, so we will look to get out and test our boat speed around the race course and figure out the bay for useful venue information.
Alongside the sailing it's an action-packed lifestyle here! We've managed to find Bill's all-carbon, signle-scull rowing boat, which is much more fun than using the rowing ergo in the gym. Table tennis in the evenings and if we run out of wind we head out waterskiing for the real leg burner! Island life here is going well, which makes the sailing and our stay productive and fun!
More updates from Dave and Ed to follow!
Follow the team on Twitter @Silverline49ers
Thursday 29 January 2015
Wednesday 21 January 2015
Jeep, iXS and Bell join Silverline in the GT Factory Racing team for 2015
Jeep, iXS and
Bell join Silverline in the GT Factory Racing team for 2015
Atherton Racing is pleased to announce the
continuation of their successful relationship with GT Bicycles and to welcome
three new partners for the 2015 season. Silverline Tools has been a long-term
supporter of the GT Factory Racing mountain bike team headed by Atherton
brothers Gee and Dan, and sister Rachel.
Jeep, the iconic 4x4 brand is now an Official Team
Partner, providing team vehicles including the legendary Wrangler and the
all-new Cherokee and Renegade models, and collaborating on some exciting new
media projects.
The other two partners are iXS, which will provide apparel
and protection, and Bell which will supply helmets.
The GT Factory Racing team is currently throwing
themselves full tilt into their first intensive training camp in Del Mar,
California.
The Downhill team will continue to ride the GT Fury equipped
with components from Shimano, Fox, Continental and Pro. This is the bike that
carried all of the team to World Cup wins this year and saw Gee Atherton take
the 2014 World Championships. This year Stan’s No Tubes will officially supply
rims for the Downhill team.
The Enduro team will focus on the GT Sanction with Shimano
XTR wheels.
In this fourth year of partnership with GT Bicycles, the
team will be aiming to defend and recapture the World Championships as well as to
regain the title of “World’s Fastest Downhill team” which they held for both
2012 and 2013.
The Enduro team will look to notch up some wins in the
Enduro World Series.
However, the team has said a sad goodbye to fellow GT
rider Marc Beaumont. Team Director Dan Brown said: “Slugger is a force to be
reckoned with. He made an enormous impact on the team and I know that I speak
for all of us when I say how much we’ll miss his mischievous presence in the
pits and at training sessions as well as his serious contributions to team strategy
and the huge support that he offered to the other riders.”
Dan Brown continued: “We are delighted to head into
2015 with the same brilliant bike and component sponsors as well as our long
term supporters Red Bull and Silverline Tools who will continue to be an
integral part of our team. Along with GT, Shimano, Continental and Fox we will
continue our successful associations with Pro and Stan’s No Tubes and off the bike
GoPro, Muc-off, Oakley and SRM will remain a valued part of the set-up.
“We are delighted with Gee’s World Championships win
this year but I’m 100% certain that we have even better things to come in 2015
and I’m confident with our excellent support team and all of our sponsors behind
us, we’re going to deliver.”
A lingering
illness picked up in South Africa made 2014 a difficult year for Rachel
Atherton, though she still posted glittering results including a UK National
Championship, two World Cup wins, second in the World Cup Series Overall and second
by a cruel 0.08 seconds in the World Championships.
Rachel said: “I am so motivated for 2015. 2014 was
hard, really hard especially as I watched the other women racers get stronger
and faster but they’d better watch out for me in 2015 because I want those
titles back!”
Taylor Vernon who won his first Junior World Cup at
Windham, New York, last August, just 13 months after breaking his T7 vertebrae,
will race as an Elite for the first time.
For the Enduro team, Dan Atherton is back to full
racing fitness and is impatient to get started on the Enduro World Series 2015
where he will ride with 18-year-old Martin Maes for the third consecutive
season. Martin, who won a World Cup in Downhill this year at Fort William in
Scotland, will continue to race in the General Classification – despite his
Junior status.
Dan Atherton said: “For me, 2015 is going to be all
about Enduro, all about racing with Martin and putting together a set of
top-class results. I was involved in every stage of the Sanction’s development
and now I want to demonstrate exactly what I can do with it. Gee’s right about the
key role that sponsors play in our team, our partnerships are working
collaborations with brands that we really believe in.
GT Factory Racing’s
new partners shared their thoughts on the new deal…
Jeep
“The Athertons are at the top of their game and embody
much of what the Jeep brand signifies – adventure, determination and
capability.
“We’re incredibly excited about the opportunities that
being an official Team Partner brings and sharing this with the Jeep community
over the months ahead. This is a new era for the Jeep brand in the UK and we’re
thrilled that Atherton Racing is going to be part of this.”
Damien Dally, Jeep Head of Brand
“iXS are a family owned company with racing in our
blood so we are delighted to welcome Atherton Racing to our team. We are all
extremely excited to work with such professional athletes, seeing them trust
our products and enjoy riding in them makes us very proud and I personally
believe that working together will allow us to reach even greater heights.”
Pascal Haf, Brand Director
Bell
"We are thrilled to have the Atherton's back on
Bell helmets. Aside from the fact that they are great individuals, and a
very fast team of riders, they also LOVE riding bikes. And that’s what we are
about. The thrill of the ride. Gee has already been out in the San Diego
hills wearing his Full 9. Its good to know that the professionals are
choosing Bell Helmets because of the quality products we make."
Scott Sharples, Bell Helmets
2015 Downhill Team
Gee Atherton, Men’s Elite – World Champion, World Cup
Ranking 5th
Rachel Atherton, Women’s Elite – World Champion
2013, World Cup Ranking 2nd
Taylor Vernon, Junior World Cup ranking 3rd
Enduro Team
Dan Atherton
Martin Maes – Junior World Champion 2013
Atherton
Academy
Kade Edwards – Overall British Downhill Series
Juvenile Champion
We will continue to support 15-year-old Kade as he
moves into the Youth category. Atherton Academy is our stepping-stone programme
to guide young talent through the initial stages of their race careers.
A brand new team strip will be launched at the end of
March prior to the whole team racing at Crankworx, New Zealand.
Monday 5 January 2015
#WINABIKE T's & C's
WINABIKE T's & C's
To enter simply head to Twitter, follow us @silverlinetools and tweet us using #WINABIKE.
Terms and Conditions
1. The promoter, Powerbox Limited reserves the right to publish the name of the winner. The winner is required to give their full co-operation to all requests by Powerbox Limited or a promoter in connection with publicity for the competition, their entry, the prize or otherwise
2. Employees and family and friends of Powerbox Limited or any third party involved are not permitted to enter the competition
3. The winner will be chosen at random and is non- negotiable
4. The competition closes on 30th September 2017 and the winner will be notified within 7 days of the competition closing
5. The prize includes a Trek bike plus the entire Silverline bike tool range
6. No cash alternative will be offered and prizes are non-transferable
7. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected to this competition
8. To enter the competition, entrants must follow and tweet @silverlinetools on Twitter using #WINABIKE
9. The competition is open to all residents of the European Union
10. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current (UK) Data Protection Legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent
11. By entering this competition, the entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions
12. If the winner is unable to take up a prize for any reason, or if Powerbox Limited has not been able, after making reasonable efforts, to contact the winner, Powerbox Limited reserve the right to award the prize (without notice to the first winner chosen) to an alternative winner. In this case the original winner will not be eligible for any share of the prize. Powerbox Limited shall not have any liability in such eventuality
13. Entries must be made in accordance with the competition instructions. They are invalid if they are received any later than the specified closing time (which shall be GMT date and time)
To enter simply head to Twitter, follow us @silverlinetools and tweet us using #WINABIKE.
Terms and Conditions
1. The promoter, Powerbox Limited reserves the right to publish the name of the winner. The winner is required to give their full co-operation to all requests by Powerbox Limited or a promoter in connection with publicity for the competition, their entry, the prize or otherwise
2. Employees and family and friends of Powerbox Limited or any third party involved are not permitted to enter the competition
3. The winner will be chosen at random and is non- negotiable
4. The competition closes on 30th September 2017 and the winner will be notified within 7 days of the competition closing
5. The prize includes a Trek bike plus the entire Silverline bike tool range
6. No cash alternative will be offered and prizes are non-transferable
7. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected to this competition
8. To enter the competition, entrants must follow and tweet @silverlinetools on Twitter using #WINABIKE
9. The competition is open to all residents of the European Union
10. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current (UK) Data Protection Legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent
11. By entering this competition, the entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions
12. If the winner is unable to take up a prize for any reason, or if Powerbox Limited has not been able, after making reasonable efforts, to contact the winner, Powerbox Limited reserve the right to award the prize (without notice to the first winner chosen) to an alternative winner. In this case the original winner will not be eligible for any share of the prize. Powerbox Limited shall not have any liability in such eventuality
13. Entries must be made in accordance with the competition instructions. They are invalid if they are received any later than the specified closing time (which shall be GMT date and time)
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