CONTACT: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int’l for Rolex, 401-849-0220, barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com;
Marlieke de Lange Eaton, US SAILING, 401-683-0800, MarliekeEaton@ussailing.org
2008 US
SAILING Rolex Miami OCR:
Half the Classes, Double the Intensity
Miami, Fla. (October 4, 2007) – Though it will have fewer classes for its
2008 edition, US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR again will fulfill an annual
promise to supply world-class racing to sailors eyeing the next Olympic and
Paralympic Games. The event, scheduled for its 19th running January 27 to
February 2, will deliver elite level competition in four of the Olympic
classes (Laser, Laser Radial, Star, and Yngling) and all three Paralympic
classes (2.4mR, SKUD-18, and Sonar) chosen for the 2008 Games in Qingdao,
China. Racing will be eliminated, however, for another seven of the Olympic
classes (49er, 470 Men & Women, Finn, Neil Pryde RS:X Men & Women, and
Tornado) due to near-direct conflicts with their world championships held
overseas.
“The 2008 Rolex Miami OCR will be abbreviated, yes,” said US SAILING’s High
Performance Director Director Gary Bodie, “because it is critical,
especially in an Olympic year, for sailors to attend their world
championships. For those classes without conflicts, however, it’s business
as usual, which means full-on competition among the best sailors in the
world and even more excitement because we are so close to the Olympics and
Paralympics.”
Bodie explained that the Rolex Miami OCR traditionally is the only
International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade-One ranking event in the U.S.
for competition in all 14 Olympic and Paralympic classes. Last year, it
hosted more sailors -- 855 from 49 countries -- than it ever had before,
with a whopping 71 percent of the athletes having traveled from abroad. He
attributes the event’s exploding popularity to a combination of things:
Miami’s mild winter-season weather, the performance benchmark provided by
the US Sailing Team, for which the event is typically a mandatory ranking
regatta; and a winter circuit started two years ago by US SAILING in
coordination with several U.S. and North American Class Associations. The
circuit, like the Rolex Miami OCR, is predominantly sailed on Miami’s
Biscayne Bay, and this year – although smaller than normal because of the
missing classes -- includes the Star Worlds in April and the Yngling Worlds
the week following the Rolex Miami OCR.
“We’ll definitely see the world coming to Miami for these classes,” said
Bodie, adding that last year’s Star class winners Fredrik Loof/Anders
Ekstrom from Sweden and the USA’s Yngling class winners Sally Barkow/Carrie
Howe/Debbie Capozzi (Nashotah, Wis./Grosse Pointe, Mich./Bayport, N.Y.) are
expected to be sailing in those star-studded fleets.
For the Laser classes, the international battle is destined to be heated.
Skandia Team GBR has named the Rolex Miami OCR as a determining regatta for
choosing its Olympic team members in the Laser Radial class. Last year’s
men’s competition was decided among 69 boats by a single point separating
Portugal’s Olympic hopeful Gustavo Lima from Australia’s Tom Slingsby, who
is today the world’s #1-ranked Laser sailor and current world champion.
For the Paralympic classes, SKUD-18 defending champions Scott Whitman/Julia
Dorsett (Brick, N.J./Boca Raton, Fla.) will match up against their fellow US
Disabled Sailing team members and recently-named 2007 IFDS Disabled Sailing
World Champions Karen Mitchell/JP Creignou (Deerfield Beach, Fla./St.
Petersburg, Fla.). Another USA team, that of Rick Doerr/Tim Angle/Bill
Donohue, (Clifton, N.J./ Marblehead, Mass./ Brick, N.J.), will be looking to
a Rolex Miami OCR victory as a re-validation of their own IFDS World victory
for the USA in the Sonar class. Medalists from the Paralympics and IFDS
World Championships also are expected to compete in the 2.4mR class, where
U.S. sailors will have the opportunity to sail against an extremely talented
fleet on their home waters.
The Rolex Miami OCR consists of five days of fleet racing from Monday
January 28 through Friday, February 1, and one day of top-ten medal racing
(for Olympic classes only) on Saturday, February 2, replicating the new
Olympic format that will debut in Qingdao.
Regatta Headquarters for the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR are at the US Sailing
Center, where the Laser classes also will be located. The Stars will be
hosted at Coral Reef Yacht Club, the Ynglings at Key Biscayne Yacht Club,
and all Paralympic classes at Shake-A-Leg Miami’s facilities. The City of
Miami and the Miami Dade Sports Commission also have joined to support the
event.
In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR is
also sponsored by all the partners that support the US Sailing Team: Nautica,
Vanguard Sailboats, Gill, Sperry Top-Sider, Ribcraft, Harken, New England
Ropes, Extrasport, Nikon, and Team McLube. Rolex is also a sponsor of the US
Sailing Team.
The preliminary Notice of Race is available at
www.RolexMiamiOCR.org,
which will be updated regularly with up-to-the-minute regatta
information and resources, including schedules, results, entry lists, hosts
and area information, The final NOR will be posted November 1, with
pre-registration (only available on-line) starting November 15. Competitors
must register before January 21, 2008 to receive discounted entry fees.
About Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc.
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,
offshore, one-design and women's events. In 2008, Rolex will sponsor over 20
prestigious yachting events globally, including the New York Yacht Club Race
Week at Newport presented by Rolex, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Big Boat
Series, Rolex Capri Sailing Week, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Rolex
Fastnet Race and the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
About US SAILING
The Rolex Miami OCR is organized by US SAILING, national governing body of
the sport. 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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