08/12/06 Junior Single- & Doublehanded Champs Crowned

Kemah, TX (August 12, 2006) – Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) has won the 2006 U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship in impressive style taking home US SAILING’s Smythe Trophy. Last year’s champion, Cameron Cullman (Rye, NY) took second place after a tie breaker with Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.). In the battle for the U.S. Doublehanded Championship for US SAILING’s Bemis Trophy, it all came down to the last race as the top two boats were only two points apart. Then, the teams were tied at 15 points. In the tie breaker, Portland Yacht Club’s Alan Palmer (Yarmouth, Me) and Katherine Gullick (Portland, Me) edged out Sam Williams (Summit, NJ) and Margaret Rew (Princeton, NJ) sailing for Bay Head Yacht Club with teammates Molly Lucas (Little Silver, NJ) and Sam’s sister, Charlotte in third.

Palmer, Gullick, Williams and Rew were all smiles at the end and congratulated each other warmly. Palmer laughed, “It is stressful to count points the entire day.” And everyone congratulated Lucas and Rew on their win in the final race. Buckingham who had not taken less than third until the final race credited the recent Laser Radial Worlds as good training for this event. “I am stoked!” he said after winning. Next week, Buckingham will also sail in the U.S. Singlehanded Championship for US SAILING’s O’Day trophy.

At the Awards ceremony following the racing, outgoing champion, Cullman was awarded the Faye Bennet Sportsmanship Award by his peers. The Bemis Sportsmanship Award went to Paige Conlin (Bellport, NY).

Sponsored by Chubb Insurance Group and Vanguard Sailboats, the event was sailed in Laser and Club 420s. Vanguard’s sponsorship provides identically matched boats in each division, ensuring that each team is equally matched. This makes winning these championships one of the top honors in a junior sailor’s career. Texas Corinthian Yacht Club did an outstanding job of running a good, fair series. After not being able to sail the first day, the committee was able to get off a seven race series.

For complete results and photos, visit the event websites at www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/single (U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship) and www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/double (U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship).

The U.S. Junior Single- and Doublehanded Championships are part of US SAILING’s Chubb U.S. Junior Championships, which also includes the U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship. A national sponsor of the Junior Championships, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies have played a major role in helping these young sailors achieve their goals of competing in these National Championships. Throughout the year, Chubb has provided racing clinics at the regional qualifying levels, giving these aspiring national champions access to some of the best coaches nationwide.

The sponsors of the events, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and Vanguard Sailboats, have played a major role in helping these young sailors achieve their goals of competing in these National Championships. Throughout the year, Chubb has provided racing clinics at the regional qualifying levels, giving these aspiring national champions access to some of the best coaches nationwide. Vanguard Sailboats has long been a major supporter of youth sailing in the U.S., in addition to supplying the boats for the single- and doublehanded events. Over the years, Vanguard’s wide range of support has helped enhance the sport on many levels, from guiding a new sailor into their first Opti, to taking experienced sailors to world championships and beyond.

About Chubb
Member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers through 8,000 independent agents and brokers worldwide. Since its founding in the seaport district of New York City in 1882, Chubb has been a leading insurer of marine-related operations. Chubb provides insurance and loss control services to marina operators, charterers, ship repairers, stevedores, terminal operators, wharfingers and vessel builders. It also insures yacht owners. Chubb’s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia. More information on Chubb can be obtained at www.chubb.com.

About Vanguard Sailboats
Demonstrating a continuing commitment to youth sailing, the U.S. Junior Singlehanded and Doublehanded Championships are once again sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats, manufacturer of the Laser and Club 420 boats used in the events. Vanguard Sailboats has been a dedicated sponsor of numerous U.S. National Championships for more than a decade. Vanguard supports and sponsors sailing at many levels, encouraging sailors in the U.S. to participate in and enjoy the sport, and ensuring great competition among sailors. Visit their website at 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.

Final results
U.S. Singlehanded Championship (Laser)
1 Charlie Buckingham/Newport Harbor YC (Newport Harbor, CA)   3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2,   [19] 11.00
2 Cameron Cullman /American YC (Rye, NY) [8], 7, 1, 3, 2, 3, 1, 17.00
3 Caleb Paine /SWYC (San Diego, CA) 2, 4, 4, 2, [8], 1, 4 17.00
4 Cole Allsopp /Severn Sailing (Annapolis, MD) 5, 1, [10], 5, 4, 4, 3   22.00
5 Josh Garber /Minnetonka YC (Deep Haven, MI) 1, [15], 3, 8, 3, 6, 11 32.00