e-USSAILING - Weekly Electronic Newsletter from US SAILING

ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION AND PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN SAILING
October 25, 2006

The country's top one-design sailors will compete for US SAILING's Jack Brown Trophy this week

COUNTRY'S TOP ONE-DESIGN SAILORS COMPETE IN CHAMPIONSHIP OF CHAMPIONS

This week, 20 of the country’s top one-design sailors are meeting on the race course off Grande Maumelle Sailing Club in Little Rock, AR, to compete in US SAILING’s U.S. Championship of Champions. More than 30 different one-design classes applied to have their National or North American champion compete in the event, which is limited to 20. Selected skippers range from a 13-year old Flying Scot champion to a 67-year-old grand master. The one-design class champions are competing in Y-Flyers for US SAILING’s Jack Brown Trophy. Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc., racing begins on Thursday, Oct. 26 and finishes on Saturday, Oct. 28.
> For the latest news on the Championship of Champions, visit the event website at http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/CofC.

US SAILOR Of The Week
Gonzalo Diaz

Gonzalo Diaz

Gonzalo Diaz, Sr., affectionately called "the old man" by many, is a meticulously organized man. At 76, he is the patriarch of a wonderful family, a successful business, and three generations of Snipe sailors throughout the United States. In 1963, Gonzalo Sr. breathed several sighs of relief. Not only had he left behind a thriving business in Cuba and successfully relocated his family to the United States, he also managed to get his Snipe, a 15 ½-foot racing sailboat, to North America. He was as calculated in his plans for his family as he was in making arrangements for his boat. Many of the United States’ most accomplished sailors are forever indebted to Gonzalo. Not only did he introduce his two sons and daughter to sailing, he has perpetuated the Snipe Class in Southeast Florida. His daughter Anne and sons Gonzalo Jr. (Gonzo) and Augie can regularly be found on the water and are accomplished sailors (Augie is the 2003 US SAILING Rolex Yachtsman of the Year). Having his son, Augie, win the title of Snipe World Champion in 2005, was probably Gonzalo’s proudest sailing moment. The Old Man spends the better part of his day at the office and the majority of his leisure time organizing the Miami Snipe Fleet. This week, Gonzalo can be found at the Snipe Western Hemisphere and Orient Championships in Miami with his long-time friends from the Snipe class.

US SAILING MOUNT GAY RUM SPEAKER SERIES AT CHAMPIONSHIP OF CHAMPIONS

On Friday, October 27, competitors of the Championship of Champions and local sailors will have the unique opportunity to meet U.S. Olympic hopefuls Sally Barkow and Carrie Howe in person at the US SAILING Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series. Barkow and Howe, who along with Deb Capozzi are campaigning for a spot to go to China in 2008 in the three-person Yngling class, have a remarkable record sailing various one-design classes. Barkow, 2005 US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, and Howe will talk about their sailing experiences, such as winning the Yngling Women’s World Championship and Women’s World Match Racing Championship in 2005, their recent trip to Qingdao in China (site of the 2008 Olympic Regatta), and much more.
> If you live in the Little Rock, AR, region and would like to attend this US SAILING Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series, please contact Linda Moore (phone: 501-224-2025) for reservations and availability. For more information about the Speaker Series program, please visit http://www.ussailing.org/speakerseries.

SECOND GROUP OF US SAILING PRE-TRIALS WRAPPED UP

The second group of US SAILING’s Pre-Trials took place last weekend at three yacht clubs in Southern California. Morgan Larson (Capitola, CA) and crew Pete Spaulding (Lafayette, IN) held on to win the 49er competition at Southwestern Yacht Club in San Diego; Bryan Boyd (Annapolis, MD) rallied for the Finn title at Newport Harbor Yacht Club; and George Szabo (San Diego, CA) and Mark Strube (Corona del Mar, CA) cruised home in the Stars at California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey.
> For complete results, please visit http://www.ussailing.org/olympics/pretrials/default.aspx.

FINAL GROUP OF US SAILING PRE-TRIALS THIS WEEKEND

The third and final group of US SAILING Pre-Trials is taking place this weekend when America's best prospects for success in the 470 dinghy and RS:X windsurfer classes at the 2008 Olympic Games in China will come together in Southern California. About a dozen men's and women's 470s will sail out of the US Sailing Center in east Long Beach while about 10 RS:X windsurfers - the new Olympic sailboard - will be based at the nearby Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, launching off the beach across the street and racing the same waters where sail boarding was introduced to the Olympics in 1984.
> Get the latest results from these Pre-Trials by going to http://sdyc.org/trials.

HELPING COMMUNITY SAILING PROGRAMS STAY CONNECTED

Helping community sailing programs stay connected, network and problem solve... we've set up a new listserve for community sailing programs. Recent subjects for discussion have been as varied as boat selection, security issues and teaching methodology. To subscribe, please send a blank email to communitysailing-subscribe@ussailing.org.

SHAPE OF SPEED DVD NOW AVAILABLE

The Shape of Speed DVD is a 45-minute program that covers sail shape and boat handling by experts Lowell North, John Marshall and Dick Deaver in three easy sections: mainsails, headsails and spinnakers. The details described on the DVD applies to all types of sailboats, racing or cruising.
> Get the Shape of Speed DVD through the US SAILING store at http://store.ussailing.org. $26.50 for US SAILING members, $29.95 for non-members.

TREAT YOUR FAVORITE SAILOR WITH A ROLEX NOMINATION

It's spooky how many sailors are deserving of recognition as US SAILING Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year for 2006, but in the end, only one male and one female can prevail. The nominating period for this country's most prestigious sailing award opened in late September, and names are collecting as steadily as goodies on Halloween night. If you are a US SAILING member, the time to vote is now through November 30. There's no trick to it: just visit US SAILING's website at http://www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex, enter your membership number, and nominate the U.S. sailors you think have turned in the most notable on-water performances in this calendar year.
> To find out more and to make your nomination now, visit http://www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex.

ONLINE ELECTIONS NOW OPEN FOR US SAILING'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

US SAILING members can now vote for the nominees they'd like to represent sailors nationwide on US SAILING's Board of Directors. The voting period is open until Wednesday, November 8 (midnight Eastern). The new Board of Directors will be announced on Saturday, November 18 at US SAILING’s Annual Meeting.
> Online votes are accepted at http://www.ussailing.org/BOD/election. A short biography and a brief position statement of each nominee are also available on that website.

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