FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Jake Fish, US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800
LAKE CARLYLE, Ill. (October 17, 2009) – Skip Dieball and crew Jody and Tom Starck expanded the four point lead they had through 14 races yesterday by dropping an impressive, 2-1-3, line in today’s three races to win US SAILING’s Championship of Champions by a 13 point margin.
“Most national championships are tough enough,” said Dieball. "Coming here to face 19 other national and world champions is incredibly challenging. Winning this regatta is really gratifying. We’ve been sailing for 10 years in Lightnings and I hope we do it for 10 more.”
Dieball (Toledo, Ohio) has had an outstanding season. He won the Highlander National Championship and Interlake National Championship this summer. Dieball now has 17 national championships to his resume. As a team, Dieball and the Starcks (Jody is a former two-time US SAILING Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year) won the 2004 Lightning North American Championships.
Greg Fisher (Annapolis, Md.), the 2008 Thistle National Champion, with crew Dan and Tobi Moriarty (St. Louis, Mo.) finished second with a 3-2-[15] line today. The two-time Lightning North American Champion, Allan Terhune (Arnold, Md.) with crew Catherine Terhune (Arnold, Md.) and Dave Perkowski (Crownsville, Md.) ended the championship 17 points behind Dieball in third. Terhune posted an 8-9-2 line today. Paul Cayard (Kentfield, Calif.) and Chris Raab (Sunset Beach, Calif.) won races today.
Winds were 8-10 mph for the first race and built to about 12 mph by the end of the final race. As the winds grew, there were definite pressure differences across the course, providing exciting competition for the many spectator boats surrounding the course.
Twenty of the country's top one-design sailors competed for the Jack Brown Trophy this week. This year’s championship was hosted by the Carlyle Sailing Association outside of St. Louis, Mo. The regatta, sponsored nationally by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. and Sail Proud, and locally by North Sails, is known as one of the toughest one-design competitions in the United States. All of the competitors qualified for this event by winning a National and/or North American Championship in a one-design class.
Final results, daily reports, and photos from US SAILING's 2009 Championship of Champions are available on the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/CofC.htm.
- Race recap contributions made by Betty Struckhoff.
Final Standings: Top 5
Pos Skipper Results Total Points
1. Skip Dieball 9-6-[14]-6-6-[9]-3-2-5-1-3-1-3-5-2-1-3- ; 56
2. Greg Fisher 1-1-10-5-4-1-4-4-6-6-[12]-9-9-4-3-2-[15]- ; 69
3. Allan Terhune 6-12-3-3-2-3-1-3-1-8-2-[16]-10-[17]-8-9-2- ; 73
4. Stuart Robertson 4-5-2-4-9-10-9-1-2-9-6-6-[12]-10-[17]-7/RDG-7/RDG- ; 91
5. Augie Diaz 3-8-4-13-13-15-2-6-4-[17]-1-2-1-[15]-4-14-8- ; 98
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 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.
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 US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, offshore, one-design and women's events.
About SailProud
SailProud is a lifestyle apparel company focused on a dedication to transitional performance and stylish, nautical design. The brand is now focused on growing to become a passionate community of sailors, yachters, and maritime enthusiasts worldwide. Every garment created by the company has been ruthlessly engineered and tested to be simply the best apparel for having a great day on the water, on shore, or anywhere else your day might take you. Besides manufacturing some of the softest and most comfortable shirts on the planet, SP apparel truly works - onmoisture wicking, odor prevention, temperature management, and more. At SailProud we pride ourselves on a relentless focus on quality, performance, and comfort - all while remaining passionate about growing the sport and giving back to worthy causes.