Pictured: US Sailing Team Sperry junior clinic at California Yacht Club, May 2015.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 22, 2015
Portsmouth, R.I. – In a strong demonstration of its commitment to US Olympic sailing, California Yacht Club (CYC) has chosen to support the US Sailing Team Sperry as a Gold Medal Partner Club. In doing so, CYC has joined with some of America’s most venerable sailing institutions, including the New York Yacht Club, the Sailing Foundation of New York, and the St. Francis Yacht Club. Along with these other organizations, California Yacht Club has assumed a leadership role in fostering high-performance Olympic and Paralympic sailing in the United States. Gold Medal Partner Club status is reserved for organizations that support the team with contributions of $100,000 or more. In May 2015, CYC organized an event that succeeded in raising over $100,000 in athlete support funding.
“The recent event at California Yacht Club was a truly special evening for our team,” said Josh Adams, Managing Director of US Olympic Sailing. “US Sailing Team Sperry athletes, staff and coaches in attendance were overwhelmed by the passion and commitment of CYC’s members to getting the United States back on the podium in Rio 2016. We are sincerely grateful for their support, and excited to welcome them to the ranks of our Gold Medal Partner Clubs.”
“The event was a success right away,” said Rick Turner, Commodore of California Yacht Club. “We had a Junior Sailing Clinic, which was run by the US Sailing Team Sperry, and at the conclusion of the session I was approached by multiple parents who stated to me that this was the best sailing clinic that their child had ever attended. The team members did a fantastic job. After that, the money the club raised for US Olympic and Paralympic sailing was icing on the cake.”
Serving as master of ceremonies and guest speaker for the evening were American sailing luminaries Gary Jobson (Annapolis, Md.), a past President of US Sailing, and US Olympian Paul Cayard (San Francisco, Calif.), respectively. Jobson currently serves as a Vice-President of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and works to keep Olympic sailing healthy and vibrant worldwide. Cayard is an active force in US Olympic sailing, as he and the AmericaOne Foundation have partnered with US Sailing to create an all-new Olympic Development Program (ODP) to prepare the next generation for the highest levels of competition. “My deep appreciation goes out to Gary Jobson and Paul Cayard for their part in making it a magical event,” said Commodore Turner.
California Yacht Club has a distinguished Olympic history, and counts among its members Hal Haenel (St. Louis, Mo.) who won silver and gold medals in the Star class with Mark Reynolds (San Diego, Calif.) in Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992.
Since 2005, US Sailing’s Medalist and Yacht Club Partner programs have raised over $6.5 million in support for the US Sailing Team Sperry. For more information about the Club Partner Program, please visit US Sailing’s website.
About California Yacht Club
Located in picturesque Marina del Rey, the California Yacht Club is among the top private clubs in the nation and for over ninety years, our yachting tradition and history has beckoned those who love the water as well as those that love to socialize and live life to the fullest. CYC enjoys a rich history of providing leadership for local, national and international yachting and sporting organizations ranging from the Association of Santa Monica Bay Yacht Clubs and the Southern California Yachting Association to the National Boating Federation and the United States Olympic Committee.
California Yacht Club has members sailing in literally every major regatta in the world. Our clubhouse has become one of Marina del Rey’s best-known landmarks. CYC is a modern organization steeped in tradition. Its 1,250 members range from neophyte Juniors just gaining their sea legs to Olympic champions. Young men and women just beginning business careers enjoy the Club’s outstanding cuisine a table away from heads of international corporate conglomerates and other well-known public personalities. Having passed three quarters of a century since our founding, CYC’s volunteers continue to work diligently to provide our members and the sport of yachting with the leadership and competition that emanates from one of the world’s finest yacht clubs.
About the US Sailing Team Sperry
The US Sailing Team Sperry is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team Sperry. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support. The title sponsor of the team is Sperry; other sponsors include Gold-Level partner Sunbrella and Silver-Level partners Harken, Team McLube and Groupe Beneteau. Yale Cordage is a team supplier. The US Sailing Center Miami is an Olympic training site. Oakcliff Sailing and Clearwater Community Sailing Center are US Sailing Team Sperry Training Centers. Chubb Personal Insurance and the Gowrie Group sponsors US Sailing’s National Team Tour, a nationwide presentation program for US Sailing Team Sperry athletes. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
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Press Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 (978) 697-2384.