CREW-MEMBER LEIGH HAMMEL WINS SECOND NATIONAL
YOUTH SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP IN TEN DAYS

	Rebecca Dellenbaugh and Leigh Hammel - winners of the U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship

Newport, R.I. (July 11, 2005) – Crew-member Leigh Hammel (Warren, Vt.) has been on a winning streak so far this summer at National Youth Sailing Championships: on Sunday she won US SAILING’s U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship, ten days after winning the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship. She won both events crewing for different skippers: this week, Hammel crewed for Rebecca Dellenbaugh, while last week Hammel sailed with Rebecca’s younger sister Emily. For this week’s win, Hammel and skipper Rebecca Dellenbaugh were presented with US SAILING’s Ida Lewis Trophy. Sailed in Club 420s provided by Vanguard Sailboats, the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship returned to its original host club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, R.I., to celebrate the event’s tenth anniversary.

With two first-place finishes and 22 points total after nine races (one drop-out), Dellenbaugh and Hammel consistently finished in the top four in every race they sailed during the Championship. Hammel contributed their win to having spent more time in the boat and attending more clinics in the weeks leading up to the event. Rebecca Dellenbaugh, who finished third in the same event last year, has continued to improve and, as her crew Hammel said, “She knew the tricks to make the boat go faster.”

By winning the Championship, Dellenbaugh and Hammel defeated 44 other boats, which made it one of the largest U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championships in the event’s ten-year history. Shannon Heausler and Kathleen Gallagher (both from Tampa, Fla.) finished second with 37 points overall, five points ahead of third-place finishers Emily Maxwell (Stonington, Conn.) and Avery Field (Noank, Conn.).

For complete results, daily reports, and photos from the event, please visit the event website at www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjrw/double.

Every year at the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship, the event’s coaches and judges award the “Most Improved Prize,” which this year was awarded to the team of Taylor Grimes and Lauren Gautschi (both from Newport Beach, Calif.). Kerry Morrison and Kerri McHugh (both from Fairfield, Conn.) won the sportsmanship prize for keeping a sense of humor and for their persistence while finishing in the bottom five in each race.

The U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for Ida Lewis Trophy is part of US SAILING’s National Championships series. For more information about US SAILING’s National Championships, visit www.ussailing.org/championships or contact US SAILING’s Championships Manager Liz Walker at 401-683-0800.

Demonstrating a continuing commitment to youth sailing, the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship is once again sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats, manufacturer of the Club 420 boats used in the event. Vanguard Sailboats has been a dedicated sponsor of numerous U.S. National Championships for more than a decade. Vanguard supports and sponsors sailing at many levels, encouraging sailors in the U.S. to participate in and enjoy the sport, and ensuring great competition among sailors. Visit their website at www.teamvanguard.com.  

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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Final results:
1. Rebecca Dellenbaugh/Leigh Hammel (Easton, Conn./Warren, Vt.)
4-3-4-3-4-1-1-2-(DNF): 22 points
2. Shannon Heausler/Kathleen Gallagher (both from Tampa, Fla.)
2-1-10-(21)-1-10-4-6-3: 37 points
3. Emily Maxwell/Avery Field (Stonington, Conn./Noank, Conn.)
1-9-3-13-2-4-6-(15)-4: 42 points
4. Sara Watters/Christina Murray (Oxford, Md./Annapolis, Md.)
6-2-2-8-(13)-2-10-4-8: 42 points
5. Emily Babbitt/Alexandra Taylor (S. Dartmouth, Mass./Hobe Sound, Fla.)
7-17-8-1-9-11-8-(25/TLE)-1: 62 points