BEST SAILORS IN U.S. HEAD TO CALIFORNIA
FOR U.S. SINGLEHANDED CHAMPIONSHIP

Portsmouth, R.I. (August 17, 2005) – Today and tomorrow, 23 of the country’s best singlehanded sailors are arriving in Long Beach, Calif. to compete in the U.S. Singlehanded Championship for US SAILING’s George O’Day Trophy. The sailors of the U.S. Singlehanded Championship have come a long way to be able to compete in the National Championship: they defeated more than 100 sailors nationwide in elimination rounds at local sailing organizations across the country. The event is sailed in Lasers, provided by Vanguard Sailboats, out of Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. The Championship kicks off on Thursday, August 18, with a Rolex clinic and racing will take place from Friday through Sunday. The event is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., as are all of US SAILING’s Adult National Championships.

Competitors for the U.S. Singlehanded Championship are selected through ladder events starting at the local club level, as well as up to six additional sailors who are selected based on their sailing resume. In addition, the regatta is also open to sailors representing the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, the Interscholastic Sailing Association (high school sailing), the U.S. Youth Championship, and the military. Some of the competitors who have qualified for this prestigious Championship include US Sailing Team-member Ryan Minth (New York, N.Y.) who finished third at the event last year and Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI) who won the U.S. Youth Championship earlier this summer and finished second at the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship last weekend.

The George O’Day Trophy was presented to US SAILING in 1962 by friends of O’Day who was well-known to sailors through his company manufacturing small boats. He also won an Olympic Gold medal in 1960 as helmsman in the 5.5 Metre class.

For more information about the U.S. Singlehanded Championship, please visit http://www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/ussc.  

The U.S. Singlehanded Championship is part of US SAILING’s National Adult Championships series. For more information about the series, please visit www.ussailing.org/championships or contact US SAILING’s Championships Manager Liz Walker at LizWalker@ussailing.org.  

About Vanguard Sailboats
The U.S. Singlehanded Championship for US SAILING’s George O’Day Trophy is once again sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats, manufacturer of the Lasers 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 of all ages 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 Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including Olympic Games preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events. In 2005, Rolex returns for its eighth year of sponsoring US SAILING's adult sailing competitions. The 11-event series provides unparalleled competition in identically matched boats where winning is a matter of teamwork and strategy, not design and equipment. Since 1997, Rolex’s sponsorship has provided grants to host clubs for the purpose of improving competition and subsidizing clinics.

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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