REPEAT WIN FOR DEFENDING CHAMPIONS OF U.S. INDEPENDENCE CUP

	Kerry Gruson (left) and Karen Mitchell (right) celebrate their third consecutive win at the U.S. Independence Cup

Chicago, Ill. (August 2) – The defending champions of US SAILING’s U.S. Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup (IC/NACC), one of the premier disabled sailing regattas in the country, had reason to celebrate yesterday after winning the event once again. For doublehanded sailors Karen Mitchell (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) and Kerry Gruson (Miami, Fla.), it was their third consecutive time winning the Championship, sailed in Freedom 20s. For US Disabled Sailing Team-member Nick Scandone (Fountain Valley, CA), it was only his second time competing in the event and his second victory in the singlehanded event, sailed in the 2.4mR. The Championship is hosted by Chicago Yacht Club, where it will be held again next year.

In the doublehanded fleet, racing was close throughout the three-day regatta. Karen Mitchell and Kerry Gruson took the lead on the second day and managed to hold on to it for the remainder of the event. With six points total, the winners finished 12 points ahead of second-place finishers Bob Jones (Issaquah, WA) and Ken Kelly (Victoria, BC). In the singlehanded 2.4mR fleet, Nick Scandone came prepared to win, taking the lead on day one and never relinquishing it. Fellow US Disabled Sailing Team-member Rick Doerr (Clifton, NJ) finished eight points behind Scandone.

“The racing in the gold fleets of both classes was highly competitive this year,” said Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.), coach of the US Disabled Sailing Team and clinic instructor at the U.S. Independence Cup. “I think this was the strongest competition we’ve seen at this event,” she added.

With their third consecutive win of the U.S. Independence Cup, Mitchell and Gruson enter the history books of US SAILING. This is the first time in the history of the event, held annually since 1990, that a team has won the event for three consecutive years. Robie Pierce (Newport, R.I.) has won the singlehanded event three times, but not in consecutive years.

By winning the U.S. Independence Cup, Californian Nick Scandone continues what has been a very successful year thus far. He started 2005 with a third place finish at US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR in the 2.4mR, he was the top U.S. finisher in the event. He then finished fourth at the Disabled Midwinters and the combined finishes at both events put him in first place for the US Disabled Sailing Team in the 2.4mR. The U.S. Independence Cup served as great preparation for Scandone, who leaves for Denmark later this month to compete in the IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championship. In September, Scandone will travel to Italy to compete in the 2.4mR Open World Championship.

For complete results, daily reports, and photos from the U.S Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup, please visit the event website at www.ussailing.org/independence. The IC/NACC is part of US SAILING's National Adult Championship series, all of which are sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. For more information about US SAILING's National Championships, please visit www.ussailing.org/championships.  

About Chicago Yacht Club
Founded in 1875 with the goal of advancing the community’s knowledge, enjoyment, and participation in boating and the nautical arts, the Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most prestigious sporting organizations in the nation, and remains a valuable resource for its members and for the Chicago area as a whole. The club has been a leader for more than 75 years in teaching children and adults how to sail, and is a preeminent organizer and host of regattas, races, and predicted log contests in the United States.

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 United States. 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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