FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cynthia Goss
203-453-2731
Barnegat
Bay to Showcase
Youth Talents
at US SAILING CHUBB U.S. Junior
Championships
Single-, Double- and Triplehanded
National Championships to Take Place in August
Portsmouth, R.I. (August 2, 2007) – Barnegat Bay will
be a showcase of the nation's top youth sailing talent when some 93 sailors
from throughout the country gather along the New Jersey shore for the US
SAILING Chubb U.S. Junior Championships. Sponsored by the Chubb Group of
Insurance Companies and Vanguard Sailboats, these championships will be held
August 11-16 and will feature single-, double-, and triplehanded events.
The U.S. Junior Singlehanded and Doublehanded Championships for the Smythe and
Bemis Trophies will be hosted jointly by the Bay Head and Mantoloking yacht
clubs (Bay Head/Mantoloking, N.J.), and sailors will compete in Lasers and
Club 420s. The U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship for the Sears Cup will be
hosted by the Lavallette Yacht Club (Lavallette, N.J.) in Nomads. Sailors from
throughout the continental U.S. and Hawaii will represent their yacht club or
sailing organization in the competition.
The stage is set for tight racing in the singlehanded
fleet: two sailors who have been at the top of this fleet in recent years and
ended tied in points last year are returning for a shot at winning the title.
Cam Cullman, racing for American Yacht Club (Rye, N.Y.), won the Smythe Trophy
in 2005 and finished second in 2006, and Caleb Paine, racing for Southwestern
Yacht Club (San Diego, Calif.), captured third last year. At the 2006 event,
Cullman and Paine ended the regatta in a points tie, with Cullman taking
second on the tie-breaker.
In the doublehanded racing for the Bemis Trophy, Taylor Lutz, who finished
fourth at this championship last year, will race this year with James
Pottharst for the Lakewood Yacht Club (Seabrook, Texas). The Chicago Yacht
Club team of Stephanie Hudson and Laura McKenna—who took second at the 2007
U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship earlier this summer, missing the
championship title by only two points—will prove to be tough rivals.
Returning to vie for the triplehanded Sears Cup—a US SAILING championship that
dates back to 1930—will be Scott Hoffman with Evan Hoffman and Eric Alamillo.
This team from the Mission Bay Yacht Club (San Diego, Calif.) finished second
at this championship last year and will compete for the national title against
10 other teams.
At each championship, a one-day clinic will precede three days of racing.
Elizabeth Kratzig, a former member of the U.S. Sailing Team, will coach
singlehanded racers; John Vandemoer, United States Naval Academy’s head
intercollegiate sailing coach, will coach the doublehanded teams; and Ned
Jones of Vanguard Sailboats, along with an experienced coach, will work with
the triplehanded sailors.
Sponsors Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and Vanguard Sailboats have played
a major role in helping the young sailors competing along the Jersey shore in
August achieve their goal of vying for these National Championships.
Throughout the year, Chubb has provided racing clinics at the regional
qualifying levels, giving aspiring champions access to some of the nation's
best coaching talents. Vanguard Sailboats has played a major role in
supporting youth sailing in the United States; this year, as manufacturer of
the Nomad, Club 420, and Laser, Vanguard is supplying boats to all three
events.
During the competition, daily results, updates, and photos will be posted at
the websites for each event, with singlehanded competition at
www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/single; doublehanded
competition at
www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/double; and triplehanded
competition at
www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/triple.
US SAILING’s Chubb U.S. Junior Championships are part of US SAILING’s National
Championship series. For more information about these championships, visit
www.ussailing.org/championships.
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, Vanguard Sailboats is
a sponsor of US SAILING's Chubb Junior Championships and supplies the Nomads,
Club 420s, and Lasers sailed at these events. A dedicated sponsor of numerous
U.S. National Championships for more than a decade, Vanguard Sailboats
supports and sponsors sailing at many levels—encouraging sailors in the U.S.
to participate in and enjoy the sport and ensuring great competition. Visit
their website at
www.teamvanguard.com.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing
body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode
Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the
United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for
instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations
and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides
administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country,
including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing
Teams. For more information, please visit
www.ussailing.org.
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