Community rallies behind Zach Railey
By BEV DOLEZAL
Article published on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008  |
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| Photo by BEV DOLEZAL |
| Zach Railey, right, is joined by his mother, Ann, and Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard at the Clearwater Yacht Club event. |
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CLEARWATER BEACH – Well wishers, including Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard, showed up at the Clearwater Yacht Club on Feb. 23 to show their support for Zach Railey.
The Clearwater native is the No. 1 ranked Finn class sailor in the country and will fulfill a lifelong dream by representing the United States at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The expense of going to the Olympics is close to $250,000, so when he’s not sailing or working out in the gym to maintain his ideal weight, Railey is busy fundraising with the support of family, friends and Clearwater Yacht Club members.
Soggy skies did not dampen the spirits of those friends and patrons who were planning a Gulf trip on the 85-foot Hatteras Rainbow’s End with the Olympian to watch the Laser Midwinter East Regatta, a world class event hosted by the yacht club at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center on Sand Key.
More than 160 sailors from many different countries came to Clearwater with their families for the four-day regatta. Railey’s sister, Paige, who races in the laser radial division, is among those who competed – and very successfully.
Inclement weather led to Saturday’s races being canceled, but Railey spoke with many of the guests who enjoyed lunch while listening to his first-hand experience of the grueling yet exciting challenges of Olympic training and competition.
This 23-year-old, 6-foot-4-inch athlete has already seen more of the world than most people see in their entire lifetime. When asked if he had any idea of how many miles he’d traveled, Railey quickly replied, “Well, so far this year, with two trips to Australia and one to Europe, it’s around 55,000 miles.”
Railey will be competing in the Finn, which is a larger and heavier boat than the Laser radials or full rigs. His routine includes 20 to 25 hours a week training on the water with another 10 to 15 hours in the gym, where Railey strives to maintain his optimum sailing form.
“My weight fluctuates between 195 to 215 pounds depending on the conditions,” he said. “I have to drop weight for light air conditions and add weight for heavy air.”
He accomplishes that through nutrition and exercise. Knowing where he is going to race and what the competition is like are important factors.
“You have to research your competition,” said Railey, who will be one of the youngest sailors in the Olympic Finn class. “I know all the guys who I’m sailing against.”
Favorite sailing locations for Railey include Santa Cruz, Calif., and Lake Garda, Italy.
“Santa Cruz is a windy venue with a guaranteed sea breeze of about 25 knots,” which are conditions that Railey enjoys. “I also love Italy and the lake in the mountains has completely different breezes in the a.m. and the p.m.”
When asked if any one person had been an inspiration to him, Railey replied that it was his younger sister, Paige. Already well known in the sailing arena with numerous accomplishments, Paige was the 2007 Rolex Sailor of the Year, and is also an alternate for the laser radial class in the Olympics.
Paige won the laser radial division of the weekend regatta.
“I admire her dedication to sailing,” said Railey. “Paige and I want to make sailing a more recognized sport. We want to help people realize that as athletes, sailors work just as hard as NFL or NBA players.”
Spare time is virtually non-existent for this challenger who admits that “a big night for me would be dinner and a movie.” He readily admits, “I wouldn’t be here without the support of my family and the community,” and he commented that it was truly a team effort to send him off to the Olympics.
To learn more about Zach Railey, visit www.ZachRailey.com or www.ZachtoChina.com.
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Article published on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008
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