The 2011 U.S. Match Racing Championship Gets Underway Off Newport Beach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
401.683.0800 x614
CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. - (October 13, 2011) – Patience paid off on Thursday for the 12 teams competing at the 2011 U.S. Match Racing Championship, a US SAILING National Championship event hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club in sunny Corona del Mar, Calif. Due to light breezes, just two flights were completed in Stage One’s single round robin. The Race Committee and competitors waited for sufficient wind for three hours off Newport Pier, before finally finding light gusts of 3 to 4 knots, north of the Pier towards Santa Ana River. Racing began at approximately 3:00 p.m.
It was a great start for skippers Taylor Canfield (St. Thomas, USVI), Chris Nesbitt (San Diego, Calif.) and Nevin Snow (San Diego, Calif.), who went a perfect 2-0. Canfield defeated Mark Johnson (Appleton, Wis.) and Scotty Dickson (Long Beach, Calif.). Nesbitt beat Shawn Ryan (Metairie, La.) and Spencer Powers (Boston, Mass.). Snow defeated Dan Aeling (San Diego, Calif.) and Brian Angel (El Segundo, Calif.).
Hear what Canfield had to say about the day of racing and the expectations he has for his team at this year’s U.S. Match Racing Championship.
Other notable contending skippers include three-time Champion Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.) and defending 2010 Champion Shawn Bennett (Tiburon, Calif.), who each went 1-1. Ryan defeated Perry and Johnson beat Bennett in Flight Two. The single round robin is scheduled to resume on Friday at 11:30 a.m. pt.
Stage One - Single Round Robin Results
Flight 1:
Brian Angel def. Bruce Stone
Taylor Canfield def. Mark Johnson
Shawn Bennett def. Scotty Dickson
Dave Perry def. Spencer Powers
Chris Nesbitt def. Shawn Ryan
Nevin Snow def. Dan Aeling
Flight 2:
Taylor Canfield def. Scotty Dickson
Shawn Ryan def. Dave Perry
Nevin Snow def. Brian Angel
Mark Johnson def. Shawn Bennett
Chris Nesbitt def. Spencer Powers
Dan Aeling def. Bruce Stone
Teams are racing for the Prince of Wales Bowl this week in Governor’s Cup 21 boats through Sunday, October 16. Five of the top six teams from the 2010 U.S. Match Racing Championship have returned to race again this year.
The winning skipper of this event will receive an invitation to race in the 2012 Knickerbocker Cup, a Grade 2 event and World Tour Qualifier. Also, the highest placing skipper at the 2011 U.S. Match Racing Championship who does not receive an invitation to the Congressional Cup will receive an invitation to race in the 2012 Ficker Cup, a Congressional Cup Qualifier and Grade 2 event. The U.S. Match Racing Championship is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 3 event.
Read the official 2011 U.S. Match Racing Championship preview.
The U.S. Match Racing Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Gill North America, Hobie Polarized Sunglasses and Old Pulteney Single Malt Whisky. Please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USMRC.htm for results, standings, daily reports and more. Also, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ussailing for regular updates from Corona del Mar, Calif. The Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
Championship Notes:
• Eligible skippers qualified or were offered a select invitation to compete.
• The intended format for this event is:
• Stage 1 - A single round robin. Places 9 – 12 will advance to Stage 2. Places 1-8 will advance to Stage 3.
• Stage 2 – A single round robin to determine places 9-12 in the regatta.
• Stage 3 – A knockout round for Stage 1 places 1-8, first to score at least three points. The four winners will advance to Stage 4. The others will be places 5-8 in the regatta.
• Stage 4 - A semi final knockout series, first to score at least 3 points. The winners will advance to Stage 6. The others will advance to Stage 5.
• Stage 5 – A Petit Final knockout series, first to score at least 2 points, to determine places 3-4 in the regatta.
• Stage 6 – A Finals knockout series, first to score at least 3 points, to determine places 1-2 in the regatta.
• The course will be windward/leeward, windward/leeward, with starboard rounding, finishing downwind.
• Racing to begin at 11:30 a.m. pt (subject to change).
• Racing will be conducted in the Pacific Ocean adjacent to Newport Beach.
• The skippers and their crew members placing first, second and third in this regatta will be awarded US SAILING Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, respectively.
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 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/orcontactLanceJonesatGill NA, (678) 730-5581 / e-mail: lance@gillna.com.
About Hobie Polarized
Hobie Polarized is a leading designer, developer, marketer and distributor of polarized eyewear. The brand’s innovative lens technology allows total glare reduction, 100% UV protection, enhances contrast and provides optimum visual acuity. The company’s products are sold worldwide and are used by watermen at all skill and lifestyle levels. The Hobie Polarized headquarters is located in Plainview, New York. For further information, please visit the company’s website at www.hobiepolarized.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/.