US SAILING INCREASES PRESENCE AT STRICTLY SAIL PACIFIC
Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series And Safety-At-Sea Seminar

Portsmouth, R.I. (April 11, 2005) – US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, will be present in full force at this week’s Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show in Oakland, Calif. In addition to having a booth throughout the event, US SAILING has organized a Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series featuring Olympic Gold Medalist Kevin Burnham, as well as a Safety-At-Sea Seminar. Strictly Sail Pacific is taking place this week, from Wednesday April 13 through Sunday, April 17 at Jack London Square in Oakland, Calif.

The Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series featuring Kevin Burnham will be held on Friday, April 15, at 4:45 p.m. in the St. Francis Room. Burnham will share his unique story of a quest for gold like no other sailor can; his enthusiasm will inspire sailors of all ages. When Burnham won a gold medal with skipper Paul Foerster in the 470 class in Athens last summer, Burnham earned the distinction of becoming the oldest gold medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games. Burnham will also be at the US SAILING booth all day on Friday to autograph his famous “back flip” photo, taken by Daniel Forster, showing Burnham doing a back flip off the boat after winning the gold medal. After the Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series, Burnham will also be available at the Mount Gay Rum cocktail party at the Harken booth.

On Sunday, April 17, a US SAILING Safety-At-Sea Seminar will take place in the Spinnaker Room at the Waterfront Plaza Hotel starting at 8 a.m. through 4 p.m. The Seminar, moderated by Ralph Naranjo, is the most authoritative daylong seminar on safe seamanship, heavy-weather tactics, and boat preparation. It is a certified safety program for offshore sailors, required for many races and recommended for anyone who wants to learn about safety relating to offshore sailing. For more information on the Seminar, please visit www.ussailing.org/safety/seminars.

For more information on Strictly Sail Pacific, such as a complete list of the show’s special events and show exhibitors, as well as a seminar schedule, please visit www.sailamerica.com.

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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