FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Marni Lane
617-671-8332
401-683-0800 x671
 

US SAILING'S ROGACHENKO WINS GOLD MEDAL AT  

2006 LASER RADIAL YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

 
Portsmouth, R.I. (August 14, 2006) — US Sailing Team member Kyle Rogachenko (Collegeville, Pa.) became the first American to win the Laser Radial Youth World Championships in the boys’ Gold fleet Saturday. Rogachenko was part of the US Laser Radial Youth World Team, a five-person team of top youth sailors sent to the event by US SAILING, the national governing body of the sport, and Vanguard Sailboats, an official sponsor of the US Sailing Team. Another American sailor, Claire Dennis (San Francisco, Calif.), won the girls’ fleet, holding off her closest competitor, Spain’s Susana Romero, by two points.

Rogachenko, 18, who finished eighth at last year’s Laser Radial Youth World Championship in Fortaleza, Brazil, called his win “amazing.” He said his goal was originally to finish in the top five, so when he realized he was in the running to win the regatta after the first few days, he was surprised. “It feels like all the sailing and training I do is paying off,” he added.

Because of the “really tough” and lighter air conditions, Rogachenko said, “whoever got the first shift was able to stay in the front.” In addition to boat speed, he said his plan was to “look for [wind] pressure because the shifts will come with the breeze.”

Hosted by the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey, just outside Los Angeles, the Laser Radial World Championship consisted of three world championships: Men, Women and Youth. Held from August 5-12, 181 sailors from 22 countries competed for the Youth World Champion title over six days of racing.

As part of a nationwide program to support youth development for sailing, the US Radial Youth World Team was created by Vanguard and US SAILING to encourage young sailors to get more experience on the international race course. The five sailors received grants to help off-set the expenses incurred while attending the World Championship. The sailors, who must be between the ages of 15 and 18, were selected based on their individual rankings on the Laser Radial Grand Prix in 2005.

For photos and final results from the Laser Radial Youth World Championship, please visit the California Yacht Club's event website at www.calyachtclub.com or the International Laser Class Association website at www.laserinternational.org.

About Vanguard
Demonstrating its continued commitment to the development of youth sailing, Vanguard Sailboats is providing sponsorship support for the US Laser Radial Youth World Team for a fifth consecutive year. Vanguard is the leading world manufacturer, and largest US supplier, of recreational and high performance small sailboats. Vanguard products include the Sunfish and Laser, two of the most recognized brands in the sailing world. Vanguard was started in 1967 and is located in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. For more information please visit www.teamvanguard.com.

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

-End-