US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR:
On-Line Registration Now Available

Miami, Fla. (November 15, 2005) – US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has announced that on-line registration for the 2006 US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR is now open. A mainstay on the winter circuit for Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, the 17th Annual US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR is expected to bring together hundreds of sailors from about 30 countries to Biscayne Bay from January 22-27, 2006. Registration information and other regatta and Winter Circuit information can be located at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR.  

The event, ranked as Grade 1 by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), is a mandatory event for the 2006 US Sailing Teams as well as the Canadian Team; a country qualifier event for the 2007 Pan American Games; and one of the first Grade 1 events for the new Neil Pryde RS:X board. Competitors will also enjoy exciting racing, improved facilities, and new race formats with on-the-water judging in the finals.

The competition will be raced in all classes selected for the next Olympic Games: 49er, 470 (Men & Women), Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Neil Pryde RS:X (Men & Women), Star, Tornado, and Yngling. Racing will also be held for the 2.4mR and Sonar, two of the three events selected for the 2008 Paralympic Games. ISAF recently announced that the UD-18 will be the third and new Paralympic class, but because the equipment is currently not widely available, it will not be used in the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR.

On-Line Registration
On-line registration is now open for competitors and coaches at www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR. Early registration is recommended and encouraged by discounted fees for entries received by January 16, 2006. Registrations received after January 16, 2006 will be subject to late fees.

New Winter Circuit
To ensure sailors can maximize their time in Florida training, US SAILING has teamed up with several U.S. and North American Class Associations to create a new Winter Circuit for Olympic and Paralympic class sailors in the Biscayne Bay area. Thus far, more than twenty regattas and training camps in various classes complementing the Rolex Miami OCR have been scheduled to date, with more to come. Visit the US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR website for details on each event, www.ussailing.org/Olympics/RolexMiamiOCR.  

Sponsors
In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR also receives sponsorship from the partners that support the US Sailing Teams: Nautica, Extrasport, Gill, Harken, McLube, New England Ropes, Sperry Top-Sider, Vanguard Sailboats, Vineyard Vines, and Zodiac. Rolex is also a sponsor of the US Sailing Teams.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including Olympic Games preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events.

About US SAILING
The Rolex Miami OCR is organized by US SAILING, the national governing body of the sport. Headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING’s mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing in the U.S. US SAILING offers training and education programs, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including the US Sailing Teams and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

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