College Sailing Standouts Capture U.S. Team Racing Championship
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
401.683.0800 x614
SHOREACRES, Texas (October 2, 2011) – A team comprised of Collegiate All-Americans making their first appearance at the 2011 U.S. Team Racing Championship came away with the prestigious George R. Hinman Trophy on Sunday. Minor Threat went 9-1 in today’s six team Championship Stage, a Double Round Robin. Minor Threat collected two wins today over 2009 Champions, New York Yacht Club Team Extreme, who went 8-2 and finished second. Larchmont Yacht Club finished third. This US SAILING National Championship event was hosted by the Houston Yacht Club in Vanguard 15s on Galveston Bay.Each member of Minor Threat has been an ICSA (Intercollegiate Sailing Association) All-American at least once. All three skippers are three-time ICSA All-Americans. Members of Minor Threat include skippers Cy Thompson (St. Thomas, USVI), Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.), Tyler Sinks (San Diego, Calif.) and crew Kelly Stannard (Salem, Conn.), Lucy Wallace (Middletown, R.I.) and Alex Taylor (Boston, Mass.). Buckingham garnered College Sailor of the Year honors for 2011.
Buckingham, who had sailed in this Championship in high school and twice in college, had this to say about how the team came together: “We’ve always respected each others’ attitude and abilities on the water, so we decided to sail together.”
He was also impressed with the level of competition this year. “This year’s talent is the most stacked I’ve ever seen, top to bottom. This was evident by how close the races were throughout.”
Buckingham also explained why his team faired so well this week, especially in matches against NYYC Team Extreme. “We eliminated the first round mistakes and got much better starts. We were very confident getting off the line. It was critical that we cover them (NYYC Team Extreme) or they’ll take off on us. We couldn’t afford to give them an inch after we got an early lead.” Minor Threat’s only loss today came against the Larchmont Yacht Club.
All six o
f Team Extreme’s returned to action from the 2009 Championship team and last year’s squad that finished third. Zachary Brown (New Haven, Conn.), Emmet Smith (New Haven, Conn.), Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI), Marla Menninger (New York, N.Y.), Stuart McNay (Boston, Mass.), and Michael Hession (Chicago, Ill.) make up NYYC Team Extreme. The all Yale team is comprised of former 2008 Olympians, McNay (470) and Barrows (Laser).
Conditions on upper Galveston Bay were fair with wind gusts at 10 to 12 knots. The top six teams raced each other twice. Teams competing in the Championship Round consisted of NYYC Team Extreme (1st Round: 12-2), Minor Threat (1st Round: 10-4), Team Trouble (1st Round: 10-4), Spinnaker - BUSA (1st Round: 9-5), Larchmont Yacht Club (1st Round: 9-5) and Seattle Slideshow (1st Round: 8-6).
The 2011 U.S. Team Racing Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., LaserPerformance, Gill North America and Old Pultney Single Malt Whiskey. Please visit the event website at http://bit.ly/ustrc11 for results, final standings, daily reports, rosters, photo galleries, videos and more. The Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
For an inside look at the Championship, read the US SAILING Blog, featuring entries from Kelly Stannard of Minor Threat.
Championship Notes:
- Each competing team consists of three skippers and three crews.
- Racing was conducted on upper Galveston Bay on a digital “N” course.
- US SAILING medals for permanent possession will be awarded to the top three placing teams.
- The winning team will receive the George R. Hinman Trophy, which they will have appropriately engraved and may hold until 60 days prior to the following year championship.
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 AlphaGraphics. For more information, please visit us at
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. For more information, please visit us at www.rolex.com.
About LaserPerformance
LaserPerformance is a global company formed from a merger between Vanguard Sailboats and Performance Sail craft Europe. LaserPerformance is the world’s largest supplier of recreational and high performance sailboats. LaserPerformance products include the Sunfish and the Olympic class Laser, two of the most recognized brands in the sailing world. LaserPerformance has offices in Portsmouth RI (US), Long Bucky (UK), Melbourne (AU), Middle East (UAE), and Hong Kong. For more information on LaserPerformance, call 401-683-0960 or visit their website at www.laserperformance.com.
About Gill North America
Gill NA, with headquarters near Atlanta, Ga. is the sole distributor and licensee of Gill-brand foul weather gear in North America including Caribbean, Central America, US and Canada. Gill is an apparel and accessories leader in the worldwide marine industry for over three decades and specializes in high tech, breathable waterproof clothing. The company tests, designs and markets a variety of performance-oriented, award-winning apparel and accessories for virtually every type of boating activity with product lines that include foul weather gear; interactive layering systems; footwear; gloves; bags; junior gear; scholastic gear and team wear. Available through hundreds of dealers nationally, Gill NA is the sole distributor and licensee of Gill-brand foul weather gear in North America, where it is the top selling yachting clothing brand. For more information on Gill NA, visit the company website at http://www.gillna.com/orcontactLanceJones at Gill NA, (678) 730-5581 / e-mail: lance@gillna.com.
Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky
Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky is crafted at Pulteney Distillery in Wick, Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1826 by James Henderson at the height of Wick’s herring boom. The distillery lies in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, which was one of the most important and biggest herring fishing ports in Europe.
Old Pulteney Single Malt whisky has a long standing association with the sea and is known as the “Maritime Malt.” Its carefully crafted taste carries the windswept and rugged character of the North, the salty and fresh air of the North Sea, and the distillery’s rich maritime heritage runs through every drop of this fine malt.
For more information on Old Pulteney please visit http://www.oldpulteney.com/.