2006 U.S. Youth Sailing Championship Moves to Michigan
29er Added As New Event

Portsmouth, R.I. (December 16, 2005) – The 2006 U.S. Youth Sailing Championship, the country’s top event for young sailors organized by US SAILING, will be held June 22-29, 2006 and hosted by Grosse Point Yacht Club in Grosse Point, Mich. Originally scheduled to be hosted by Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, La., which received significant damage during Hurricane Katrina, the event location was moved to Grosse Point to allow Southern Yacht Club the time to re-build and host the event in 2007. Applications for the event will be accepted January 2 – March 15, 2006. The event is sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats and Nautica.

Traditionally sailed in Club 420s (doublehanded dinghy), Lasers and Laser Radials (both singlehanded dinghies), a fourth class has been added for this year’s event: the 29er. A doublehanded skiff much like the Olympic 49er class, the 29er is being introduced as part of US SAILING’s Olympic development program.

The U.S. Youth Championship every year brings together up to 150 of the country’s top youth sailors and features two days of advanced racing clinics and three days of high level racing. Competitors are selected based on sailing resumes which must be submitted online at www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/youthchamp.  The application period for the 2006 event opens on January 2, 2006 and closes at midnight Eastern Time on March 15.

The U.S. Youth Sailing Championship is a qualifying event for the US Youth World Team: the highest eligible finisher of the Laser fleet at the U.S. Youth Championship will represent the U.S. at the 2006 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Weymouth, England in July.

For more information about the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship, please visit the event website at www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/youthchamp. The event is part of US SAILING’s Youth and Junior Championship series. For more information on these National Championships, please visit www.ussailing.org/championships or e-mail championships@ussailing.org.  

Demonstrating a continuing commitment to youth sailing, the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship is once again sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats, Official Sponsor of US SAILING, and Nautica, the Official Apparel Supplier to the US Sailing Team.

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 Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

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