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
US SAILING's
2008 Rolex Miami OCR
Olympic and Paralympic Sailors "Test Against the Best"
Miami, Fla. (January 27, 2008) – Though the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games are four years away, it's not too early to begin serious training.
That's why 2.4mR sailor Mark Bryant (Estero, Fla.) is at US SAILING’s Rolex
Miami OCR in Coconut Grove where 375 sailors from 34 countries have
converged to "test against the best."
Bryant, a US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member, last year lost the U.S.
Paralympic Team Trials for his class by one point, so he has been training
with the French 2004 Paralympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Champion
(2005/2007) Damien Seguin to improve his game for the next time around. They
will both compete in the Rolex Miami OCR, which starts tomorrow and
continues through Friday with fleet racing in four Olympic classes (Laser,
Laser Radial, Star, and Yngling) for able-bodied sailors and three
Paralympic classes (2.4mR, SKUD-18 and Sonar) for disabled sailors. Medal
races in the Olympic classes will take place Saturday, replicating the
format of the 2008 Olympic Regatta which will take place in August in
Qingdao, China.
"The best of the best are here, especially in the Yngling and Star classes,
which both have their worlds in Miami after this," said US SAILING's Olympic
Committee Chair Dean Brenner, noting that if it were not for the likes of
Bryant, there would be only two types of sailors at this year's Rolex Miami
OCR: those who have been named to their 2008 national Olympic and Paralympic
sailing teams and those who are hopeful they can still be named.
"That's what's giving the event a unique twist," said Brenner. "It's an
Olympic year so every major regatta is a major test for top athletes, and
this event is the Olympic and Paralympic selection event for some countries.
Many of the athletes are thinking about 2008 and some are thinking beyond to
2012."
Seguin will represent France in Qingdao, and indeed Bryant will have to
compete here against the USA's 2.4mR representative to the Paralympic Games,
John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis.), the fellow sailing team member he just missed
edging out in the Trials.
"Seguin is the best in the world, so you might as well train against the
best," said Bryant. Seguin, who says France is cold this time of year, has
come because the Rolex Miami OCR is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF)
Grade One ranking event in a warm climate.
Other US SAILING Team AlphaGraphics members competing are: LASER
RADIAL--Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), Paige Railey (Clearwater,
Fla.), Sarah Lihan (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); STAR--John Dane/Austin Sperry
(both Gulfport, Miss.), George Szabo (San Diego, Calif.) sailing with crew
Rick Peters of Marina del Rey, Calif.; Mark Mendelblatt (St. Petersburg,
Fla.), sailing with Mark Newbrook; YNGLING--Sally Barkow/Carrie Howe/Debbie
Capozzi (Nashotah, Wis./Grosse Pointe, Mich./Bayport, N.Y.); SKUD-18--Nick
Scandone/Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Fountain Valley/Calif./Marblehead, Mass.),
Scott Whitman/Julia Dorsett (Brick, N.J./Boca Raton, Fla.); SONAR--Rick
Doerr /Tim Angle/Bill Donohue (Clifton, N.J./Boston, Mass./Brick, N.J.),
Paul Callahan/Roger Cleworth/Tom Brown (Cape Coral, Fla./Lithia,
Fla./Northeast Harbor, Maine), Bert Foster/David Burdett/Jim Thweatt
(Wayzata, Minn./Lutherville, Md./West Sacramento, Calif.)
About the Rolex Miami OCR
Established in 1990 by US SAILING, the Rolex Miami OCR annually draws elite
sailors Olympic and Paralympic medalists and hopefuls from around the world.
In non-Olympic years, the regatta is especially important as a ranking
regatta for sailors hoping to qualify for the US Sailing Team and the US
Disabled Sailing Team, which annually distinguish the top three sailors in
each Olympic or Paralympic class. The 2008 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 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 has also joined to support
the event.
In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR is
also sponsored by: AlphaGraphics, Nautica, LaserPerformance, Gill, New
England Ropes, Sperry Top-Sider, Extrasport, RIBCRAFT, Nikon, Harken, Team
McLube, and Trinity Yachts.
For complete and up-to-the-minute regatta information and resources,
including the Notice of Race, entry list, on-line registration, schedule,
hosts and area information, please visit:
www.RolexMiamiOCR.org.
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
supporting the US Sailing Team, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing,
and offshore, one-design and women's events. In 2008, Rolex will sponsor
over 20 prestigious yachting events globally, including New York Yacht Club
Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex and the US-IRC Rolex National
Championship, 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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