US SAILING’s Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship
MONTEREY PENINSULA YACHT CLUB TO HOST ROAD TO ROLEX CLINIC

Annapolis, Md. (June 1, 2005) – On August 27-28 the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club (Monterey, Calif.) will host a Road to Rolex Clinic in preparation for US SAILING’s Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship (Rolex IWKC), scheduled for September 17-23 at the Annapolis Yacht Club in Annapolis, Md., USA. Liz Baylis (San Rafael, Calif.), the 2002 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and four-time Rolex IWKC veteran, will conduct the sailing clinic, which features both on the water aboard the International J/22 keelboat and onshore learning about fleet racing tactics.

Registration for the two-day clinic is $120 per team. Each participant will receive a copy of the “Road to Rolex” clinic manual written by Betsy Alison, a five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. Alison has won the biennial Rolex IWKC five times and is an internationally recognized sailing educator and coach.

“Competing in Rolex IWKC is one of my most memorable sailing experiences,” said Donna Womble, clinic coordinator and a past Rolex IWKC competitor. “And I want to make sure that more women sailors from throughout California participate in 2005. This clinic is a terrific way to prepare for September’s competition.”

To register for the Road to Rolex Clinic at the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club, email Donna Womble at dsw@wombatdigs.com or 831-915-9719.

Liz Baylis, a member of the US Sailing Team (Yngling) and 2008 Olympic aspirant, is the 2002 ISAF Women’s Match Racing champion. A frequent big boat crew, Baylis competed in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup challenger races for the America's Cup with America True, and is currently preparing for July’s Transpac Race.

The “Road to Rolex” clinics were initiated in 1997 to provide women sailors with additional opportunities to hone their sailing skills. Locations where past clinics have been held include a dozen U.S. locations, South Africa and Holland.

The Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club is located at Municipal Wharf #2, Monterey, Calif. 93940, Phone: (831) 372-9686, www.mpyc.org.

About the Rolex IWKC: Inaugurated in 1985 at the instigation of the US SAILING’s Women’s Championship Committee, the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship quickly became the premier women’s sailing event in the U.S. and worldwide. Held biennially, the event provides women keelboat and offshore sailors high-quality racing and an opportunity to compete with top national and international sailors. Rolex Watch U.S.A. has sponsored the regatta since its inception. The event is part of US SAILING’s Adult National Championships series.

The Notice of Race is available online at www.ussailing.org/riwkc. For more information about the 2005 Rolex IWKC, register for email alerts at www.ussailing.org/riwkc and www.race.annapolisyc.org/2005rolex.

About US SAILING: The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing and sailboat racing. Headquartered in Portsmouth, R.I., 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, visit www.ussailing.org.

(end)