HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF AT
U.S. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fanberg Wins Third Consecutive U.S. Men’s Championship;
Palmer Wins Second U.S. Women’s Championship

Rye, N.Y. (September 16, 2005) – History has repeated itself today, the final day of US SAILING’s U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sailing Championship, with the same champions taking home trophies as in 2003, the last time the two events were held concurrently. Zack Fanberg (New Orleans, La.) who sailed with his wife Sara and with Marcus Eagan (Metairie, La.) enters the history books of the U.S. Men’s Sailing Championship for being only the second skipper in the event’s 53-year history to win the event three consecutive years. In the U.S. Women’s Championship, Joni Palmer (Annapolis, Md.) won the Championship for a second time, still sailing with the same crew that helped her win in 2003: Meredith Dodd (Pittsburg, Pa.) and Carrie Carpenter (Oakland, Md.). Sailed in Flying Scots, the two Championships were hosted concurrently by American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y. The two Championships are sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyard, Heineken and Accenture.

U.S. Men’s Championship
The competition was very tight throughout the 11 races at U.S. Men’s Championship and it all came down to the last race. Fanberg was tied in points with Ken Wolfe (Dallas, TX) and the two teams had to battle it out for the Championship title in the final race. The teams were within feet of each other throughout the last race and came very close to hitting each other at the last jibe-mark. In the end, Fanberg came in first and Wolfe, with crew Jake Scott (La Porte, TX) and Jameson Rabbitt (Irving, TX), a very close second. The final results indicate just how close that was: Wolfe finished just one point behind Fanberg.

For Fanberg, his impressive win was somewhat bittersweet: Fanberg and his wife Sara (who crewed for him at the event), lost their home in New Orleans, La. when hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast region. It wasn’t easy for them to decide whether they’d compete in the Championship, considering everything they and their families are going through. “It took us a while to decide whether we would go and once we made the decision, we felt guilty, but it was a nice little break.” In the end, it may have been the right decision: they get to take home US SAILING’s Mallory Cup for a third consecutive year, something that only the well-known Buddy Melges has done before when he won the Championship from 1959 to 1961.

U.S. Women’s Championship
Joni Palmer made her mark at the U.S. Women’s Championship, winning US SAILING’s Adams Trophy for a second time, having last won it in 2003. In 2004, Palmer came very close to winning the Championship, finishing second. This time around, Palmer had it all under control, winning four of the Championship’s ten races, and, with 22 points total, finishing nine points ahead of Theresa Brooks (Key West, Fla.) and her crew of Caroline Grove (Sullivans Islands, S.C.) and Jessica Koenig (Charleston, S.C.).

For complete results, daily reports, and photos from the Championships, please visit the www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/usmsc for the U.S. Men’s Championship and www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/women/uswsc for the U.S Women’s Championship.

The U.S. Men’s & Women’s Sailing Championships are part of US SAILING’s National Adult Championships, all of which are sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. For more information these Championships, please visit www.ussailing.org/championships or contact US SAILING’s Championships Manager Liz Walker at championships@ussailing.org.  

About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing and sailboat racing. Headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization’s mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing 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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