US YOUTH WORLD TEAM SHOWS TOP PERFORMANCE
AT YOUTH WORLD SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP

Busan, Korea (July 18, 2005) – A little more than halfway through the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships in Busan, Korea, the members of the US Youth World Team are demonstrating to the world that they know how to sail and do it well. After seven races have been completed in all classes, the U.S. competitors are in the top six in each of the five classes they’re competing in. The weather on Suyong Bay where the racing takes place (site of the 1988 Olympic regatta) has been warm and humid, with average winds of 4 to 7 knots, to the liking of the U.S. competitors.

Laser Radial – Paige Railey: 1st overall
In the 31-boat Laser Radial fleet, Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) has taken a commanding lead. After seven races, Railey is now 26 points ahead of Great Britain’s Alison Young who is in second place. Despite suffering her first wobble today in the last race by finishing 13th, Railey still has the largest lead of any class in these World Championships.

Laser – Royce Weber: 4th overall
US SAILING Coaches Mike Kalin and Rob Hallawell have begun calling USA’s Royce Weber (Surf City, N.J.) the “comeback kid.” Even though Weber crossed the starting line early in race six and had to re-start (rounding the first mark in second-to-last place), he came back and ended up finishing third in that race. After his Brazilian opponent was later disqualified, Weber ultimately finished second in that race. He is now in fourth place overall in the 36-boat fleet.

420 Girls – Megan Magill/Briana Provancha: 2nd overall
In the 21-boat 420 Girls fleet, Californians Megan Magill and Briana Provancha (San Diego) have seen their great downwind speeds pay off. They are currently sitting in second place with 23 points overall. It will be difficult for the team to catch up with their French counterparts who have only eight points overall, but Magill/Provancha will not give up easily.

420 Boys – Adam Roberts/Nick Martin: 5th overall
The USA’s 420 Boys representatives, Adam Roberts and Nick Martin (San Diego, Calif.) did not have good starts in Monday’s two races, but have shown a strong performance overall, currently ranking in fifth place with 47 points, 23 points behind the leaders from Singapore. With many teams inconsistent, Roberts and Martin are still in the hunt for a medal in the 32-boat fleet.

Hobie 16 – TJ Tullo/Jerry Tullo: 6th overall
While brothers TJ and Jerry Tullo (Staten Island, N.Y.) are currently in sixth place overall, they are still within medal range. With a first-place finish in Race 3 and a second-place in Race 5, the brothers are showing that they are not to be forgotten. According to coach Hallawell, their speed and boathandling skill have shown improvement throughout the Championships.

With Team USA’s strong performance thus far in the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship, the Team is in the running for ISAF’s prestigious Volvo Trophy, which is annually awarded at this event to the country whose team shows the best overall performance. The competitors are enjoying a day off on Tuesday to tour the city of Busan, racing continues on Wednesday July 20 and runs through Friday July 22.

For the latest news about the members of the US Youth World Team, including reports from coaches Mike Kalin and Rob Hallawell, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics/YouthWorld/2005/team.htm. For the latest results from the event, please visit the event website at www.worldyouthsailingbusan.com.

The US Youth World Team is sponsored by Extrasport, Gill, Harken, Nautica, New England Ropes, Rolex Watch U.S.A., Sperry Top-Sider, Team McLube, Vanguard Sailboats, Vineyard Vines, West Marine, and Zodiac of North America.

The US Youth World Team is managed by 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 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.  

Latest results through Monday, July 18 (day off on Tuesday, July 19):
Laser Radial: Paige Railey - 1st overall:
1-2-1-1-2-1-(13): 8 pts, 31 boats
Laser: Royce Weber - 4th overall
(15)-2-8-2-3-13-8: 36 pts, 36 boats
420 Girls: Megan Magill/Briana Provancha - 2nd overall
2-(10)-8-4-4-2-3: 23 pts, 21 boats
420 Boys: Adam Roberts/Nick Martin - 5th overall
5-5-21-4-7-5-(33/OCS): 47 pts, 32 boats
Hobie 16: TJ Tullo/Jerry Tullo - 6th overall
8-5-1-(9)-2-5-9: 30 pts, 11 boats

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