Online Registration and Notice of Race Now Available
for US SAILING’s 2007 Rolex Miami OCR

Miami, Fla. (November 15, 2006) – From January 21 to 27, 2007, the world’s top Olympic and Paralympic class sailors will be sailing on the waters of Biscayne Bay at US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR. For Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, the 18th annual event is one of the world’s top competitions that will help the sailors prepare for the competition in China in 2008. The event is ranked by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as a Grade 1 event and features competition in all 14 Olympic and Paralympic classes. In 2006, more than 610 sailors representing 40 countries competed. Online registration and the Notice of Race for the world-class event are now available at www.RolexMiamiOCR.org.

One Additional Race Day
The 2007 US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR marks five days of fleet racing and one day of medal racing, which is one extra day compared to previous years. Saturday’s medal races follow the new Olympic and Paralympic format lining up the top 10 teams in each class on the starting line on the final day of racing.

The competition will be raced in all events selected for the next Olympic Games: 49er, 470 (Men & Women), Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Neil Pryde RS:X (Men & Women), Star, Tornado, and Yngling. In addition, racing will be held for all the classes selected for the 2008 Paralympic Games: 2.4mR, SKUD-18, and Sonar.

On-Line Registration
On-line registration is now open for competitors. Early registration is recommended and encouraged by discounted fees for entries received by January 15, 2007. Registrations received after January 15, 2007 will be subject to late fees. Online registration and regatta information, including the Notice of Race, can be found at www.RolexMiamiOCR.org.

Expanded Winter Circuit
After last year’s success of a new winter circuit, US SAILING has teamed up once again with several U.S. and North American Class Associations to organize a winter circuit for Olympic and Paralympic class sailors in the Biscayne Bay area. Thus far, 20 regattas and training camps in various classes complementing US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR have been scheduled, with more to come. An overview of all the winter circuit events currently scheduled is available at www.RolexMiamiOCR.org.  

Established in 1990 by US SAILING, the Rolex Miami OCR annually draws elite sailors Olympic and Paralympic medalists and hopefuls from around the world. The regatta is especially important as a ranking regatta for sailors hoping to qualify for the US Sailing Team and the US Disabled Sailing Team, which annually distinguish the top three sailors in each Olympic or Paralympic class.

Regatta Headquarters for US SAILING’s 2007 Rolex Miami OCR are at the US Sailing Center, with classes hosted by other area sailing organizations and Parks which include: Coral Reef Yacht Club, Key Biscayne Yacht Club, Miami Yacht Club, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Shake-A-Leg Miami, and Crandon Park Marina. The Miami Dade Sports Commission is also supporting the event.

In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2007 Rolex Miami OCR is also sponsored by all the partners that support the US Sailing Team: Nautica, Vanguard Sailboats, Zodiac, Gill, Harken, Sperry Top-Sider, Nikon, New England Ropes, Extrasport, and McLube. Rolex is also a sponsor of the US Sailing Team.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including Olympic Games preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events.

About US SAILING
The Rolex Miami OCR is organized 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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