FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marlieke de Lange Eaton, 401-683-0800
Dana Paxton, Media Pro Int'l for Rolex, 401/849-0220
US SAILING’S 2007
Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship
Countdown to Competition
Shoreacres, Texas, USA (November 13, 2007) – All of the women sailors
gathered here at the Houston Yacht Club on the eve of US SAILING’s 2007
Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship share a love of sailing
and see competing in this regatta as an achievement of a lifetime. There are
many who have competed before and some who are new to sailboat racing. What
keeps them coming back is the unique sense of camaraderie and the feeling
that they are taking part in something really special on the international
sailing stage. They are part of sailing history.
The winning skipper will receive a coveted Rolex timepiece and see her name
engraved on the Bengt Julin trophy, donated to US SAILING for this regatta
in the 1980s and named for the beloved late advocate of keelboat sailing.
Two past champions are competing this week, Cory Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) the
regatta’s first champion in 1985, and Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.), the
two-time defending champion. Both have attained much success in their own
careers, both named Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year for their achievements in
years that included victory at this regatta.
Fresh from representing US SAILING at the International Sailing Federation (ISAF)
meetings in Estoril, Portugal, Sertl described the preparations her team is
taking for this, her 10th time competing. “We will try and put together
everything we have learned as a team over the past few months and hopefully
if we’re patient and consistent we can have a good result here,” she said of
her teammates Amy Moran, Jane Mastrandrea and Annemarie Cook. “First of all,
we’re going to go out and have a good time.” The four women – drawn together
by a link through their children’s sailing activities – are all good
friends, happy to be a team. “They’re all really fun people to spend time
with. We sailed a bit together over the summer to make sure we can get the
spinnaker up and things like that.”
For Sally Barkow it is – quite literally – a long trip back to the Rolex
IWKC. She and two of her teammates – Debbie Capozi and Annie Lush – will
arrive at HYC tomorrow morning after a flight from Brazil where they
recently won the Vitoria Brasil Women’s (match racing) Cup. They will join
fourth crew Amanda Callahan who has been in Texas preparing.
For Susan Mattis-Turnham this is the third time she has made the trek to the
Rolex Women’s from her home in Duluth, Minn. With her husband David serving
as crew support, her Stellar Jay team – Amy Carlson, Connie Bloom and
Katherine Danielson – can concentrate on racing, knowing that all the
logistical details are taken care of after a 24-hour drive to Galveston Bay.
As a tribute, Carlson brought with her the burgee for Britain’s Narrow Seas
Yacht Club (Burnham on Crouch, Essex), where her great-grandfather Henry
Allingham sailed for many years, as a symbolic nod to her family’s love of
sailing passed through the generations to her. It is also being flown in
honor of Allingham who is the last surviving founding member of the Royal
Air Force and was recently honored as Britain’s oldest citizen. Born in
1896, Allingham gave his granddaughter the flag after he received the Pride
of Britain award in October.
Another British tie is with Emma Paull, who is representing her home of
Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Her team “Loose Cannon” is taking a
unique approach to realizing their dream of competing in this regatta.
“Bitter End Yacht Club graciously donated a week’s holiday for two at their
well-known resort for us to sell,” said Paull. “Most people know what a
wonderful facility Bitter End has and this is a great way to experience it.
And it’s tax-deductible.”
Never having sailed on Galveston Bay, Paull and her team – Rebecca Paull
Roulette, Linda Phillips and Clair Burke – arrived over the weekend and
began practicing. “We went out yesterday and had some practice starts and
our boat speed seemed good,” she said. “So now it’s down to tactics. I have
to say, I think everyone seems to be fairly even. We noticed yesterday, no
one was slow, nobody was really fast. Whoever is the best sailor, really,
has the best brain will do well.” Paull admitted that nerves were a factor,
but she has a way of keeping her head in check. “I think I’m going to have a
(gasp) tomorrow morning on the starting line. I’ll be a bit funky; I think
everyone will be. You start to see all these people and the nerves build. If
you don’t have the nerves, you don’t have the adrenalin and that’s what
makes you a good sailor, doesn’t it?”
The Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship is celebrating its
12th anniversary of offering women of all abilities the opportunity for
top-level competition. The 11-race series – held November 14-17 and hosted
by the Houston Yacht Club – features evening social activities and
culminates with the traditional Rolex gala and awards presentation where a
Rolex timepiece will be awarded to the winning boat’s skipper.
Additional information as well as a full list of competitors and the regatta
schedule can be found on the websites
www.ussailing.org/riwkc
and the Houston-specific www.riwkc.com.
Daily racing videos will be available each evening at 9pm (CST) on
www.t2p.tv.
The Rolex IWKC title sponsor is Rolex Watch U.S.A. Other sponsorships to
date include: Platinum level - James & Camille Tichenor, Vince & Margaretta
Morvillo for Sea Lake Yacht Sales, and Societe Generale; Gold level - Kirby
Inland Marine, Port of Houston Authority, Channel and Lynchburg Shipyards;
Silver level - Sterling Bank, Houston Pilot's Association, Segue Websites,
Mount Gay Rum, Veolia Water and KO Sailing. The Rolex IWKC is a US SAILING
Championship and hosted by the Houston Yacht Club.
About the Rolex IWKC: Inaugurated in 1985 at the instigation of US
SAILING's Women’s Championship Committee, the Rolex IWKC quickly became the
premier women’s sailing event in the U.S. and worldwide. Held biennially,
the event provides women keelboat and offshore sailors high quality racing
and an opportunity to compete with top national and international women
sailors. The winning team will receive US SAILING’s Bengt Julin Trophy.
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 elite athlete preparation, US SAILING championships,
disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events.
The Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship joins other
prestigious Rolex-sponsored events including the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex
Fastnet Race, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, the Rolex Big Boat Series
and the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.
About the Houston Yacht Club: The Houston Yacht Club has one of the
most active racing programs in the United States, hosting regular events
from weekly club series to North American and World Championships. Members
are active in race management with two US SAILING certified national race
officers, five regional race officers and four judges calling HYC home. A
two-time winner of the US SAILING award for Excellence in Race Management,
the Houston Yacht Club continues its 100-year-old tradition of organizing
regattas and promoting Houston as a nationally recognized yacht racing and
recreational boating center. The oldest yacht club in Texas, HYC celebrated
its centennial in 1997.
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 U.S. 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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