NOMINEES ANNOUNCED FOR US SAILING’s 2006
ROLEX YACHTSMAN & YACHTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Portsmouth, R.I. (December 13, 2006) – In recognition of their outstanding on-the-water achievements in the calendar year that comes to a close later this month, US SAILING has announced the U.S. sailors who have been short listed for its 2006 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US SAILING's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are widely regarded as the sport's ultimate recognition for U.S. sailors as evidenced by the notable sailors who have won the coveted awards multiple times: Ed Adams, Betsy Alison, Dave Curtis, Dennis Conner, Courtenay Dey, JJ Isler, John Kostecki, Ken Read, Jody Swanson and Ted Turner.

Nominees for US SAILING's 2006 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award: Bacardi Cup Champion John Dane (Gulfport, Miss.); Thistle National Champion Greg Fisher (Annapolis, Md./Columbus, Ohio); International-14 World Champion Howard Hamlin (Long Beach, Calif.); Volvo Ocean Race winning navigator aboard ABN Amro One Stan Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.); Star Kiel Week Champion Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg, Fla.); and Audi Etchells World Champion Jud Smith (Marblehead, Mass.).

Nominees for US SAILING’s 2006 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award: Semaine Olympique Francaise Yngling champion Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.); Laser Radial Youth World Champion Claire Dennis (Saratoga, Calif.); U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Champion Sarah Lihan (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); ISAF World Sailing Games Laser Radial Champion Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.); and US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR Laser Radial Champion Anna Tunnicliffe (Perrysburg, Ohio/Plantation, Fla.).

For additional information on the accomplishments of each nominee this year, please visit www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex.

The nominees will be reviewed by a panel of noted sailing journalists who discuss the merits of each nominee and vote by secret ballot to determine US SAILING's 2006 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. The winners will be announced in January and honored at a later date during a luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in New York City, where they will be presented with Rolex timepieces.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
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 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.

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