RANKING SYSTEM ANNOUNCED FOR
2006 US DISABLED SAILING TEAM

Portsmouth, R.I. (October 3, 2005) - US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has determined the ranking system for the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team. Each year, US SAILING names the members of the US Sailing Disabled Team based on athletes’ performances at a series of qualifying regattas. The 2006 ranking system names two qualifying events for each Paralympic class. US SAILING’s 2006 Rolex Miami OCR is not a qualifying event for the Team, because the IFDS (International Federation for Disabled Sailing) World Championships will be held simultaneously in Australia.

The classes currently selected for the 2008 Paralympic Games are the Sonar and the 2.4mR (a triplehanded and singlehanded keelboat respectively). The IFDS is scheduled to announce a third Paralympic class, a doublehanded keelboat, next month. Subsequent to the naming of that class, US SAILING will announce a ranking system for that class in order to name its athletes to the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team.

Created in 1998, the US Disabled Sailing Team annually distinguishes the top three ranked sailors in each of the classes selected for the next Paralympic Games. A complete overview of qualifying events for the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team is available at www.ussailing.org/olympics/paralympic/2006/rankingsystem.htm. The 2008 Paralympic Games are scheduled for September 6-17, 2008 in Beijing, China. The Paralympic Regatta will be held in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing.

The 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team will be named in the spring of 2006 when all qualifying events have been completed.

The US Disabled Sailing Team is coached by Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.). Sponsors of the 2005 US Disabled Sailing Team are Extrasport, Gill, Harken, Nautica, New England Ropes, Rolex Watch U.S.A., Sperry Top-Sider, Team McLube, Vanguard Sailboats, Vineyard Vines, and Zodiac of North America.

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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