FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800
Bids Being Accepted for 2011 Road to Rolex Clinics and
US SAILING’s 2013 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship
US SAILING’s 2013 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (July 15, 2010) - US SAILING’s Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship Committee is pleased to announce that bids are now being accepted from sailing organizations around the world to host clinics for women sailors in preparation for US SAILING’s 2011 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship (IWKC). The 2011 event is hosted by the Rochester Yacht Club (N.Y.) from Aug. 29 – Sept. 1.The Road to Rolex clinics foster the participation of women in keelboat racing. US SAILING will hire the coaches and will provide all clinic materials. Past Road to Rolex clinic instructors have included Betsy Alison (a five-time winner of the championship), Molly Vandemoer, and Elizabeth Kratzig.
“Any organization can apply to host a clinic,” said Gayle Finster, Road to Rolex Clinic Coordinator. “They just need keelboats, and women sailors who are interested. Participants do not have to be attending the Rolex IWKC to join in the clinic.”
US SAILING’s goal is for each clinic to have between 5-10 boats, so that the instruction is intense, and they can practice sailing with a slightly larger fleet. At Road to Rolex Clinics with more than five boats participating, the host organizer will run a series of short races at the conclusion of the clinic. The winner will receive a $200 credit toward her entry fee in the Rolex IWKC.
Clinic requests can be downloaded at http://riwkc.ussailing.org and should be submitted to US SAILING prior to October 1. Hosts will be notified in early 2011.
For clubs who are interested in hosting the championship, US SAILING will be selecting a host for 2013 and 2015 in late 2010. “Running US SAILING’s Rolex International Women’s Championship is a fantastic experience,” said Taran Teague, Rolex IWKC Committee Chair and 2005 event chair at Annapolis Yacht Club. “By selecting a host for 2013 now, it gives the club an opportunity to see how the championship is run from beginning to end.”
Interested clubs are requested to submit a complete bid package by October 1. Packages can be downloaded at http://riwkc.ussailing.org.
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, promotes integrity, and fosters growth 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 http://home.ussailing.org/home.htm .
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 the Rolex IWKC: Inaugurated in 1985 at the instigation of the US SAILING’s Women’s Championship Committee, the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship quickly became the premier women’s sailing event in the U.S. and worldwide. Held biennially, the event provides women keelboat and offshore sailors high-quality racing and an opportunity to compete with top national and international sailors. Rolex Watch U.S.A. has sponsored the regatta since its inception. The event is part of US SAILING’s Championships calendar. The Preliminary Notice of Race for the 2011 Rolex IWKC is available at http://riwkc.ussailing.org.