FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Marlieke de Lange Eaton
401-683-0800
Pitt/Shafer Win U.S. Multihull Championship
Gulfport,
Fla. (April 28, 2008) - US SAILING has kicked off its 2008 season of U.S.
National Adult Championships - all of which are sponsored by Rolex Watch
U.S.A - with the U.S. Multihull Championship, which wrapped up on Saturday.
Nigel Pitt (Hartwell, Ga.) and Alex Shafer (Clermont, Fla.) won the event
hosted by Gulfport Yacht Club in Gulfport, Fla., after several days of
intense racing on Capricorn F18s. The team was presented with the Hobie
Alter Cup Saturday evening at the awards ceremony.
The newly crowned champions jumped into the lead on day three of the
regatta, but the lead was never comfortable enough until they secured the
title on the final day of racing. Last year's champions, John Casey
(Longwood, Fla.) and John Williams (Long Beach, Calif.) finished second
overall, just two points behind the winners. And just three points further
down were John Tomko (Canyon Lake, TX) and Ian Billings (Austin, TX) rounded
out the podium finishers.
For Pitt and Shafer, winning the Championship was a long time coming, after
having competed in the event for several years and often finishing in the
top three. This time around, midway through the regatta, chances of winning
once again looked pretty slim for Pitt and Shafer. The team was in the lead
going into day three, but was disqualified in a race after colliding with
another boat, which resulted in them moving down to third overall at the end
of that day. Their persistence on days four and five paid off, however.
First held in 1987, the U.S. Multihull Championship is sailed annually, each
year in a different multihull class at a different venue around the country.
It is currently seeking host clubs for the next few years. The U.S.
Multihull Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., which sponsors
all of US SAILING’s National Adult Championships. This year’s Championship
was sailed on Capricorn F18s, supplied by Fun in
the Sun, Inc, and Australian High Performance Catamarans.
For complete results, photos, and daily reports from the event, please visit
the event website at
www.ussailing.org/championships/adult/usmhc.
For more information about US SAILING’s National Championships, visit
www.ussailing.org/championships or contact US
SAILING’s Championships Director Liz Walker at
championships@ussailing.org.
The perpetual trophy was presented and named the Alter Cup in 1986 in honor
of Hobie Alter, Sr. and his extraordinary promotion of one-design multihull
sailing and racing programs. Over the years, the event has become one of the
nation's major sailing championships, having featured world champions from
numerous classes, Olympic medalists and several national champions from the
multihull ranks.
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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