US Sailing’s 2014 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (October 6, 2014) – US Sailing has announced that it is now accepting nominations for its 2014 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards, widely acknowledged as the foremost individual sailing honors in the nation. Through November 30, 2014, each member of US Sailing may nominate the one male and one female sailor they believe has turned in the most outstanding on-the-water performance during the 2014 calendar year. Nominations can be made online through US Sailing’s website at rolex.ussailing.org.
Established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. since 1980, the annual presentation of US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards recognize the individual male and female U.S. sailor who has demonstrated on-the-water excellence at international and/or national events to earn their place in the history of the sport. For the 2013 competitive season, Sperry-Top Sider Melges 24 World Champion Brian Porter (Fontana, Wisc.) and Lightning Atlantic Coast Champion Jody Starck (Amherst, N.Y.) were awarded the prestigious distinction. For Stark, it was the third time she earned the honor; Porter, a first-time winner, joins 73 previous recipients, including those who have earned the honor multiple times: Ed Adams, Betsy Alison, Sally Barkow, Dennis Conner, JJ Fetter (Isler), Allison Jolly, John Kostecki, Buddy Melges, Ken Read, Cory Sertl, Lynne Shore, Anna Tunnicliffe and Ted Turner.
At the conclusion of the nomination period (October 1-November 30, 2014), a shortlist of nominees will be presented to a panel of accomplished sailing journalists who discuss the merits of each and vote by secret ballot to determine the individual award winners. The winners will be honored on Thursday, February 26, 2015, during a luncheon at New York Yacht Club in Manhattan, when they will be presented with specially-engraved Rolex timepieces.
Who is your choice for US Sailing’s 2014 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year? Submit your nomination at rolex.ussailing.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jan Harley, Media Pro Int’l for Rolex Watch U.S.A., 401.849.0220 or
Jake Fish, US Sailing, 401.683.0800, jakefish@ussailing.org
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. 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 US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex, headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its OYSTER watches, all certified as chronometers for their precision, are symbols of excellence, performance and prestige. Pioneer in the development of the wristwatch as early as 1905, the brand is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the OYSTER, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the PERPETUAL rotor self-winding mechanism, introduced in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities, as well as philanthropic and patronage programs.
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