FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jake Fish, US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (November 18, 2009) – The finale of US SAILING’s 2009 National Championship season takes place this week, as top yacht clubs teams compete for the Prince of Wales Bowl at the U.S. Match Racing Championship (USMRC). Tampa Bay will be the setting, as the St. Petersburg Yacht Club (Fla.) will host four days of racing in Sonars for 10 elite teams on Nov. 19-22. This year’s USMRC features three, multiple time winners and an Olympic Gold Medalist.
The four-time champion, Pequot Yacht Club (PYC; Southport, Conn.), will send two teams to this year’s championship, including defending U.S. Match Racing Champion, Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.). He won this title on two occasions for PYC in 2008 and 2006, and once for the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club in 1982. Perry is joined by crew, Chris Museler (who won with Perry in ’08 and ’06) and Doug Clark.
They will be challenged by the King Harbor Yacht Club (KHYC; Redondo Beach, Calif.), who is led by the two-time U.S. Match Racing Champion, Brian Angel (El Segundo, Calif.) and his crew of Mike Delanty and Payson Infelise. They won titles on behalf of KHYC in 2007 and 2005. PYC’s ‘Team Perry’ and KHYC’s ‘Team Angel’ squared-off in the final match in 2007 and 2006. They were on path to collide again in the finals last year, but inclement weather conditions shortened the semifinals and cancelled the final match. Perry did not compete in 2005.
Another former champion returning for a shot at his third Prince of Wales Bowl is David Dellenbaugh (Easton, Conn.), representing PYC. Dellenbaugh won in 2002 and 1984. He is joined by crew, Ralf Steitz (who won with Dellenbaugh in ’02) and Rick Dominique.
US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) member and Olympic Gold Medalist in the Laser Radial Fleet, Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla.), will race in her second match racing championship this month and her first U.S. Match Racing Championship. ‘Team Tunnicliffe’ will represent the combined team of North Cape Yacht Club (NCYC; La Salle, Mich.) and Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). She is joined by crew, Liz Bower, and fellow USSTAG members Debbie Cappozi and Molly O’Bryan-Vandemoer. They are making their first run at the USMRC. The newly crowned 2009 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year, Tunnicliffe, finished second at US SAILING’s 2009 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship last weekend in St. Thomas, USVI. Women’s match racing will make its Olympic debut in 2012, and Tunnicliffe has committed to this discipline for her next Olympic campaign.
Complete results, daily reports, photos, Twitter updates, live race tracking by Kattack and video highlights by Sailgroove are available on the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMRC.htm.
This event is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyard, PredictWind, SailProud and Kattack. The U.S. Match Racing Championship for the Prince of Wales Bowl is part of US SAILING’s National Championships series. For more information about these events, visit www.ussailing.org/championships.
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. Please visit us at http://www.rolex.com/.
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. For more information on Dry Creek Vineyard please visit www.drycreekvineyard.com.
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. 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. Please visit us at http://sailproud.com/.
About PredictWind
PredictWind provides professional subscriptions giving participants access to a revolutionary set of tools to pre-empt weather conditions. PredictWind combines sophisticated wind prediction technology with local topography maps to create the highest resolution marine forecast available. Used by the winner of the last two Americas Cups, PredictWind is the choice of experts and boasts outstanding feedback from some of the world’s best sailors. www.predictwind.com.