FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jake Fish, US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800 x614
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (September 21, 2009) – In conjunction with the Bay-Waveland Yacht Club in Bay St. Louis, Miss., US SAILING presents the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sailing Championships on Sept. 23-26, 2009. These two national championships, rich in tradition, feature four days of racing in Flying Scots on St. Louis Bay.
Teams competing at this year’s championships are fueled with motivation. The men will sail for bragging rights to the Clifford. D. Mallory Trophy, while the women contend for the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Cup. The winner of the women’s championship will receive a Sperry Top-Sider grant towards the entry fee to US SAILING’s Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship on Oct. 7-10, 2009. The men’s champion receives a Sperry Top-Sider grant towards the entry fee to a NOOD Regatta of their choice. The 2009 U.S. Men’s and Womens’ Sailing Championships has proven to be a strong draw for several regional yacht club teams. Six teams representing yacht clubs based on the Gulf Coast hope to bring home a national championship.
Founded in 1952, the U.S. Men’s Sailing Championship has a long history of crowning sailing legends such as Buddy Melges, Jr., Cornelius Shields, John Kolius, Dave Ullman and six-time champion, Scott Young. This year’s fleet is stacked with talented sailors and former champions. Three-time U.S. Men’s Sailing Champion, Zachary Fanberg (New Orleans, La.), sailing for host Bay-Waveland Yacht Club, returns to try and win the Mallory Trophy for a fourth time. Fanberg won three consecutive titles from 2003 to 2005. He is joined by crew, David Blouin (Long Beach, Miss.), with whom he won with in 2004, and Melissa Ridgeway (Homewood, Ala.). Fanberg also has a win at the 2007 Lipton Cup GYA Championship on his resume. Returning from last year’s championship is 2008 runner-up, Ken Kleinschrodt (Mobile, Ala.), who is representing the Buccaneer Yacht Club. Last year, Kleinschrodt finished just five points behind winner, Scott Young. He is joined by crew, John Marshall (Mobile, Ala.) and Donovan Brennan (Mobile, Ala.). In 2005, Marcus Eagan (Metairie, La.) crewed for Fanberg during his most recent national championship. This year also representing Bay-Waveland Yacht Club, Eagan will crew for brother, Andrew Eagan (Metairie, La.), along with Katherine Santa Cruz (Bay St. Louis, Miss.).
The U.S. Women’s Sailing Championship was originated in 1924, and believed to be the first women’s championship ever held in the world - surely the first in North America. Past winners include sailing icons - Betsy Alison, Sally Lindsay Honey, Allison Jolly, Timothea Larr, Cory Sertl, and Jody Swanson. Nine teams will gather for this year’s championship. Sailing for the Southern Yacht Club is US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member, Katy Pilly-Lovell (New Orleans, La.), with her crew Clerc Cooper (New Orleans, La.) and Anne Edwards (Baton Rouge, La.) will compete for the Adams Cup. Lovell has a pair of second place finishes at the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship in 2006 and 2007. Fresh off a win at the 2009 Flying Scot Women’s North American Championship, Corinthian Sailing Club’s Greta Mittman (Garland, Texas) with crew, Heidi Gough (Coppell, Texas) and Natalie Mauney (Dallas, Texas), should play a big factor in this year’s event. Whitney Loufek (Costa Mesa, Calif.) of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, with crew Megan Pluth (San Diego, Calif.) and Cryssa Byers (Newport, R.I.) return from last year’s championship in Oklahoma City, where they finished fourth.
Complete results, daily reports, and photos from the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sailing Championships are available on event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMensandWomensChampionships.htm.
The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sailing Championships are part of US SAILING’s National Championships series. For more, go to http://championships.ussailing.org/Default.htm.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership 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 AlphaGraphics. 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 Dry Creek Vineyard
Recognized in sailing circles and known for its sailboat labels. The Dry Creek Vineyard family has expressed its passion for sailing since the early 1980s by designing wine labels featuring classic sailing yachts. Founded in 1972 by David S. Stare, Dry Creek Vineyard is located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, Calif. The winery is known for producing some of California's finest Fum-Blancs and Zinfandels. Their wines are easy to recognize due to the spirited yacht paintings that appear on each bottle from Dry Creek Vineyard. For more information on Dry Creek Vineyard please visit www.drycreekvineyard.com.
About Sperry Top-Sider
Since 1935, Sperry Top-Sider has been the leading brand of footwear for those with a Passion for the Sea. From its introduction of the world’s first siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction, to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains the vanguard of high-performance amphibious footwear. Available through independent, marine, outdoor and department stores, Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas, Key West Race Week, the Salt Water Sportsman seminar series and the National Safe Boating Council. Based in historic Lexington, Massachusetts, Sperry Top-Sider is a division of The Stride Rite Corporation, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE:PSS). For more information, please visit www.sperrytopsider.com.