US SAILING Announces Allocation Process
For New Olympic Class Board Neil Pryde RS:X

Portsmouth, R.I. (May 2, 2005) – US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has announced the selection process for allocating six Neil Pryde RS:X boards to U.S. sailors before the boards are launched on the mass market. US SAILING is currently accepting applications online from boardsailors nationwide who are able and willing to commit to purchasing the new Neil Pryde RS:X and using it at events throughout the upcoming summer.

Last fall, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) selected the Neil Pryde RS:X as the new boardsailing event for the 2008 Olympic Games, replacing the Mistral. The Neil Pryde RS:X is a newly designed board which will not be available for the mass market until late summer.

In order to give top boardsailing athletes an opportunity to get acquainted with the new board before it becomes available to the mass market, ISAF has set a priority system for its worldwide Member National Authorities (MNAs) and allocated six boards to U.S. athletes, charging US SAILING with the responsibility to assign the boards.

Interested sailors can get more information and apply online by visiting www.ussailing.org/olympics/rsxinformation05.htm  through Sunday, May 15, midnight Eastern Time, and US SAILING membership is required of each applicant. A review panel will then discuss the merits of each application, determine a top 10 priority list and notify applicants by May 23. The boards will be sold through the RS:X retailer in the U.S., Adventure Sports in Miami, Fla. The allocations will be made to those deemed most likely to win the Olympic selection trials for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The US Sailing Team is managed by US SAILING, national governing body of the sport. Headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING’s mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing 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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