US SAILING’s ROLEX INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S KEELBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP: Sure and Smooth for Barkow's Team 7

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 20, 2005) -- Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her Team 7 crew looked steady as a rock today, with straightforward victories in two of three races at the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship. With five races now completed after the second of five racing days, Team 7 is showing a total point score (with one discard allowed) of five points.

"We might make it look easy, but it's really hard work," said Barkow, who with all but one of her four-woman crew sails an Olympic Yngling in a campaign that takes the team around the world. "We love the J/22. It's easy for us to jump in it and go." There are 42 of the J/22s competing in the biennial event, which for its last three runnings has been sailed on Chesapeake Bay.

Directly behind Barkow, with 13 points, is Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.) , with Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.), aboard Lucy, following in third with 15 points. Swanson and Sertl, as Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award winners, have the clout of Heisman Trophy recipients, and the foreign team sitting in fourth is comprised again of Olympic aspirants, the skipper being Sharon Ferris of New Zealand and her boat name being TeamOneNewport. Ferris represented her country at the 2004 Olympic Sailing Regatta, sailing to seventh in the Yngling class, and has announced her intent to win a berth for the 2008 Olympic Games.

"We're one of the only two teams that have beaten Sally in a race here," said Ferris' tactician Raynor Smeal, "so she is beatable." Smeal recounted that they finished second to Barkow's team at the 2005 Yngling Worlds, so the heat will be turned up as such. "We'll try to throw her a few curves, at least, if we can."

Smeal added that she keeps an eye on the top ten boats and the local Maryland teams, of which there are 14. "We know if we are near them, we're going the right direction."

Marker 88, one of the Maryland teams skippered by the 17-year-old Sara Morgan Watters, were pleased with their performance today, even though the scoreline read 24-14-33. The 14th was their regatta best, and they were close in that race to Carol Cronin aboard Team Spidey, who sits in fifth overall. "Carol went to the Olympics!," said Marker 88 crew Christina Murray, referring to Cronin representing the USA in the Yngling class at the 2005 Games. "That was so exciting!" The Team Marker crew members have never sailed in a regatta of this size and caliber before, their experience being relegated to dinghy sailing at the local Severn Sailing Association. Cronin's 11th in the race to which Murray referred became a throwout, and she keeps three sixth-place finishes and a second.

The Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship title sponsor is Rolex Watch U.S.A. Platinum level sponsors are Condé Nast Media Group, Fairchild Publications, Inc., The Golf Digest Companies, Annapolis Volvo and Hinckley Yachts. The Gold level sponsors are Bank of America, Fawcett Boat Supplies, Liljenquist & Beckstead, Brown-Forman Wines, Appleton Rum, Tuaca, Finlandia Vodka, and Brown-Forman Spirits America. The Silver level sponsors include North Sails and Quantum Sails. Bronze level sponsors include J Boats, J Port Annapolis, J World Annapolis, Annapolis Bank and Trust, AGA Correa, Boatyard Bar and Grill, Sterling Brokerage, Grog & Gruel Provisioning, VC Performance Rigging Courtney Sue Handbags, US Watercraft, Anne Arundel County EDC, SpinSheet Magazine, Café Gurus, Royal Folly B&B, and the AYC Foundation. The Official Gear sponsor is Helly Hansen. The Rolex IWKC 2005 is a US SAILING Championship hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club.

For more information and results, visit www.ussailing.org/riwkc or www.race.annapolisyc.org/2005rolex. Event video coverage will be available on demand at www.t2p.tv.

(end)

(top-ten results attached)

Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship
Day 2

Place, Skipper Name, Hometown, Finish Positions, Total

1. Sally Barkow, Nashotah, Wis., USA, TEAM 7, [3]-1-1-2-1, 5
2. Jody Swanson, Buffalo, N.Y., USA, 2-2-[18]-4-5, 13
3. Cory Sertl, Rochester, N.Y., USA, LUCY, 1-[9]-2-9-3, 15
4. Sharon Ferris, Russell BOI, NZ, TEAMONENEWPORT, 7-[11]-3-1-6, 17
5. Carol Cronin, Jamestown, R.I., USA, TEAM SPIDEY, 6-6-6-[11]-2, 20
6. Julie Sitzmann, Orr's Island, Maine, USA, DOGS PLAYING POOL, 16-3-4-3-[18], 26
7. Phebe King, Annapolis, Md., USA, TEAM HELLY HANSEN, 10-4-7-7-[25], 28
8. Lorie Stout, Annapolis, Md., USA, STOUTGEAR.COM, 5-7-10-[15]-9, 31
9. Dominique Provoyeur, Cape Town, SA, DEVONVALE SAILING TEAM, 4-[13]-11-13-4, 32
10. JoAnn Fisher, Arnold, Md., USA, TEAM FISHER, 11-[14]-5-5-11, 32