Butler Wins Two Races, Closes In on Olympic Berth in Sailboarding

With victories in Friday’s two races, Lanee Butler of San Juan Capistrano nearly locked up an Olympic sailboarding berth in the trials at Ft. Pierce, Fla.

Butler, the 1990 national women’s champion and gold medalist at last summer’s Pan-Am Games in Havana, has six firsts in this series along with a second, a third, a fourth and a sixth.

According to the rules, she can drop her two worst scores, which gives her an 11-point edge over second-place Jayne Fenner of Sarasota, Fla.

Fenner, who finished 10th and fifth Friday, would have to win both races Saturday if she wants to come close to beating Butler. Fenner, 20, who moved to Sarasota two years ago from California so she could train year-round, also has four firsts, two seconds, a third and a fourth and would drop both of Friday’s races.