US SAILING’s ROLEX INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S KEELBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP: Barkow Clinches Title with One Race to Spare

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (Sept. 22, 2005) – Not since the early days of US SAILING's Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Regatta when Betsy Alison began her streak of five wins has this regatta seen a performance from one sailor and her team as has been witnessed this week in Annapolis. Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) and her Team 7 crew clinched the title at the conclusion of today’s racing on Chesapeake Bay with one day --and one race-- to spare. With a scoreline totaling 14 points in 10 races, Barkow topped a 42-boat fleet stocked with impressive competitors such as Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jody Swanson (Buffalo, N.Y.), both noted as a Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, who are currently in second and third-place, respectively. Two races were held today on Chesapeake Bay by host Annapolis Yacht Club.

"It feels fantastic to win," said Barkow, who is No. 1 on the US Sailing Team in the Olympic Yngling class. "We’re pretty lucky to win it with one race to spare. We took every race and sailed consistently and that was the game." Barkow’s crew is the same as her Yngling team – Carrie Howe and Debbie Capozzi – with the addition of Annie Lush. All four won the 2003 Rolex IWKC title.

Barkow and crew will sit out the final race and let the rest of the fleet enjoy themselves. After devoting the past two years to full-time sailing with the goal of earning a berth for the 2008 Olympic Games, Barkow explained that she needs the rest.

Sertl, who is in second-place overall, also appears to be able to sit out tomorrow’s race. "The way we figured it, we don’t think we have to sail tomorrow, but we’ll make that decision in the morning," she said noting that Carol Cronin (Jamestown, R.I.), currently in fourth-place overall, might be awarded redress by the jury for picking up a crew person who had fallen overboard, changing her fifth-place finish in today’s last race. Sertl is sailing with Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Pease Glaser, Dina Kowalyshyn and Suzy Leech.

Cronin described the last race where soon after rounding the leeward mark in third place, she was headed back upwind as Stephanie McMahon’s (Rochester, N.Y.) boat was sailing downwind toward them. McMahon lost crew member Teresa Strout (Fairfax,Va.) overboard when the boat accidentally jibed. "We tacked because we didn’t want to hit them," said Cronin, who won this regatta as crew in 1999. "Then we saw their team mate in the water and quickly went head to wind. She swam right to us and jumped on. We were able to get going again, and sail with her, but we lost the two boats we were covering, so that is why we were filing for redress." Later Cronin was awarded a third-place by the International Jury, bringing her point score to 48, one point behind Swanson.

Sertl won the race, which was held on a triangle course. "Pease said that we’re probably the only ones here old enough to remember triangle courses," joked Sertl noting that when this regatta was first held in J/24s in the late 1980s and early 90s, triangle courses were more common. "We started at the pin, because there was room there. But Jody was down there and I was careful to start to leeward of her, because there were a lot of waves and it is important to have a clear lane to steer. Once we had that and had clear air, we made the boat go fast, then we tacked and had the whole fleet behind us."

New Zealand’s Sharon Ferris is in fifth-place, with local standout JoAnn Fisher (Arnold, Md.) in sixth. Fisher captured two second places today.

The regatta continues through Friday, with one final race planned.

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.

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(preliminary results)

Day 4 – Top 10 of 42

Place, Skipper Name, Hometown, Finish Positions, Total
1. Sally Barkow, Nashotah, Wis., TEAM SEVEN, USA, 3-1-1-2-1-3-1-1-1-[10], 14 points
2. Cory Sertl, Rochester, N.Y., USA, LUCY, 1-[9]-2-9-3-7-2-6-7-1, 38
3. Jody Swanson, Buffalo, N.Y., USA, 2-2-[17]-4-5-4-10-7-9-3, 46
4. Carol Cronin, Jamestown, R.I., USA, TEAM SPIDEY, 6-6-6-[11]-2-8-9-2-6-5, 50
5. Sharon Ferris, TEAMONENEWPORT, Russell BOI, NZ, 7-11-3-1-6-2-8-14-[15]-4, 56
6. JoAnn Fisher, Arnold, Md., USA, TEAM FISHER, 11-14-5-5-11-11-4-[17]-2-2, 65
7. Lorie Stout, Annapolis, Md., USA, STOUTGEAR.COM, 5-7-9-[15]-9-1-5-11-14-12, 73
8. Julie Sitzmann, Orr's Island, Maine, USA, DOGS PLAYING POOL, 16-3-4-3-17-20-[29]-4-3-6, 76
9. Anna Tunnicliffe, Norfolk, Va. USA, 12-8-[28]-16-13-5-6-5-4-19, 88
10. Derby Anderson, Annapolis, Md., USA, [15]-5-12-8-12-14-7-8-8-15, 89