FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Marni Lane
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US SAILING TEAM LEADS THREE EVENTS AT

OLYMPIC TEST REGATTA IN QINGDAO, CHINA

 
Portsmouth, R.I. (August 25, 2006) — Half-way through the regatta, the US Sailing Team (USST) holds the lead in three events at The Good Luck Beijing - 2006 Qingdao International Regatta, the first of two annual Olympic Test Events in Qingdao, China. First place position holders are: Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) in the Laser Radial class after seven races; Stuart McNay (Boston, Mass.) and Graham Biehl (San Diego, Calif.) in the 470 Men after four races; and Star crew George Szabo (San Diego, Calif.) and Eric Monroe (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) after six races.

World number one Railey has moved past Great Britain’s Penny Clark and New Zealand’s Jo Aleh in the Laser Radial fleet. Railey used her discard of eighth place in the fifth race, becoming the only Laser Radial competitor to discard a single-digit result.

“I am just taking one race at a time,” said Railey, who is pleased with her performance so far. “There [are] still many races left, so I am going to try to stay consistent and sail with a positive mind set.”

The US Sailing Team dominates the top two positions in the Star fleet after six races. The world number one team of Szabo and Monroe are in first place with only 11 points, after scoring an impressive three bullets. Andy Horton (Newport, R.I.) and Brad Nichol (Lake Sunapee, N.H.) follow close behind in second place, only one point behind Szabo and Monroe, thanks to a bullet in the sixth race. Great Britain’s Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell closely trail the two American teams with only 13 net points.

McNay and Biehl will wear the yellow leader dot when racing resumes in the 470 Men fleet Saturday after two days off. They hold a six point lead over France’s Nicolas Charbonnier and Olivier Bausset and Spain’s Francisco Sanchez and Alejandro Ramos.

There are three days of racing left, as fleets rotate reserve days. On Sunday, every class will race. Each event series consists of 10 races, except the 49er which has 15 races. The top ten competitors in the first 10 races will qualify for the Medal Race, currently scheduled for August 30. Results for the Medal Race will be double weighted.

US SAILING has launched a new web site dedicated to the 2006 Qingdao International Regatta, complete with daily results, photos, sailor profiles and behind-the-scenes journals and audio reports from USST members and staff. The personal, first-hand accounts provide insight into the conditions, competition and daily life in Qingdao, China. For the latest updates, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics/qingdao.htm. High resolution pictures are available upon request. 

The first of two annual Olympic Test events, the Good Luck Beijing - 2006 Qingdao International Regatta gives 464 top sailors from 41 countries the opportunity to test the conditions, venue and competition for the 2008 Olympic Games. The event is held from August 18-31, 2006, at the Qingdao International Marina in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing. 

Ranked a Grade 2 event by ISAF, the regatta features the Olympic sailing competition’s nine classes: Finn (men); 470 (men and women); Laser (men); Laser Radial (women); Neil Pryde RS:X (men and women); 49er, Star, Tornado (all open); and Yngling (women). 

About the US Sailing Team

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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