US SAILING HIRES JIM TEETERS FOR OFFSHORE PROGRAMS

Portsmouth, R.I. (October 18, 2005) – US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, announced today that Jim Teeters (Newport, R.I.) has joined the organization as Associate Offshore Director. Teeters brings to US SAILING a strong capability in yacht design and offshore rating rules. He has 24 years of experience as a yacht designer, which he gained while working for Sparkman & Stephens and Langan Design. He understands the inner workings of rating rules through a decade of membership on the IMS International Technical Committee and has long been known as the “brains” behind the AMERICAP rule. These skills combined with his naval architectural background will ensure the continued smooth growth of the new (to the US) IRC fleet.

Teeters’ addition to the US SAILING staff ensures that the Offshore office will continue as the country’s responsive, timely offshore sailboat rating organization and the authoritative source for U.S. offshore sailing information. Because of Teeters’ yacht design and rating rule expertise, US SAILING will be able to expand its services to racers, most notably in the area of performance optimization.

US SAILING’s Offshore Department is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the offshore racing rating systems active in the U.S. These include IRC, IMS, AMERICAP and MORC. The office also administers the sail numbering system, the publication of offshore rules, regulations, time-allowance tables, safety reports, the distribution of bulletins relating to rule changes and event schedules plus the sanctioning of ISAF approved Safety at Sea Seminars and training.

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.  

(End)