NANCY RICHARDSON RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD
FOR SAIL TRAINING

Portsmouth, R.I. (January 22, 2007) - Nancy Richardson of San Pedro, Calif., a lifelong supporter of boating safety through education and training, has received US SAILING's Timothea Larr Award for her lifelong commitment to quality sailing education. The award is the US SAILING Training Committee's highest honor, presented annually to an individual whose vision and guidance has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of sailor education and training in the United States. Richardson was presented with the award by Rich Jepsen, US SAILING Training Committee chair, on Saturday at US SAILING’s National Sailing Programs Symposium in New Orleans, La.

Richardson has devoted much of her life to sailing, sail training with youth on tall ships, as well as marine education and safety. Among the numerous organizations she has been involved in are US SAILING, the American Sail Training Association, Girl Scouts of the USA, the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, and much more.

A turning point in Nancy Richardson’s life occurred when, as a Mariner Girl Scout in New Jersey, she sailed on the tall ship “Yankee.” That experience affected her profoundly, and since then, she has dedicated her professional and volunteer work to promoting participation and excellence in sailing. She has worked tirelessly to enable others, especially young people, to experience sailing adventures too.

During her 23 years at the Girl Scouts of the USA, among the positions she held on the national staff was Marine Education Program Specialist. She was involved in the development of guidelines and standards for water activities and safety programs. Some of her published work included: “On-the-Water Education: An Overview” and “The Gift of Water”, which covered program safety and service.

With her advocacy of the values of teamwork, leadership and challenges involved in sailing, she helped ensure a place for sailing education and activities in Girl Scout programs. An example of the Girl Scouts’ continuing commitment to sailing is its “Smooth Sailing” interest project to recognize the sailing skills of girls aged 11-17. Through years with the Girl Scouts, the American Sail Training Association, and her current involvement with the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, she has worked with many Mariner Girl Scout local groups to make their participation in sail training activities a reality.

During her long involvement with the American Sail Training Association (ASTA), she has served as co-chair of the Board of Directors, chair of its Sail Training and Education Committee, and is currently a member of its Commodores Council/Advisory Board. She played an important role in developing national program guidelines for sail training vessels that are recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard.

About US SAILING’s Timothea Larr Award
First presented in 2002, the Timothea Larr Award recognizes a person whose vision and guidance have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of sailor education in the United States. Past recipients of the award are Susie Trotman, Steve and Doris Colgate, John Malatak, and Jo Mogle. For more information about awards presented by US SAILING’s Training Committee, please visit www.ussailing.org/training/awards.  

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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