Dave Perry Wins Fourth U.S. Match Racing Championship
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
401.683.0800 x614
CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. (October 16, 2011) – Skipper Dave Perry (Southport, Conn.) won his fourth U.S. Match Racing Championship on a sunny, windy Sunday afternoon off Newport Beach. Perry, with crew Mike Rehe (Harper Woods, Mich.) and Chris Museler (Portsmouth, R.I.) defeated Taylor Canfield (St. Thomas, USVI) in the finals today 2-0, to claim his fourth Prince of Wales Bowl. This four-day US SAILING National Championship was hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, Calif.
Perry advanced to the finals after edging skipper Chris Nesbitt (San Diego, Calif.) earlier this afternoon in six thrilling matches. After winning the first match, Nesbitt battled back to win the next two. In match three, a 0.75 penalty deduction was applied to Perry for causing boat damage during contact on a Rule 14 violation by Nesbitt. Perry was forced to win three straight matches to advance, which his team achieved due to their great starts. Team Perry went 14-5 this week overall.
In a first-to-two-wins finals series between two generations of match racers, Perry won two straight over the number one seed Canfield in the finals. “This time the old prevailed over the new, so the young guys still have to go through us,” smiled Perry. “I love aggressive sailors who love to win and hate to lose and Taylor is one of those guys. He has beaten me before and I know how good he is. We need guys like him in the sport.”
Canfield sailed with Tod Reynolds (Chicago, Ill.), Stephanie Roble (East Troy, Wis.) and Jennifer Wilson (Chicago, Ill.) this week. They were 15-1 overall, including the Single Round Robin, First Knockout Series and this afternoon’s semifinal three-win sweep over skipper Brian Angel (El Segundo, Calif.). Also, Canfield defeated Perry in a first round match on Friday.
Angel, a two-time U.S. Match Racing Champion, and crew Michael Delanty (Redondo Beach, Calif.) and Steven Natvig (Redondo Beach, Calif.) defeated Nesbitt and crew Travis Wilson (Chula Vista, Calif.) and Steven Pickel (San Diego, Calif.), 2-1 in the Petit Finals to finish third.
Perry, the top ranked U.S. match racing skipper by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), won his first U.S. Match Racing Championship back in 1982. He also won in 2006 and 2008. The 2011 Championship marks his third title representing the Pequot Yacht Club (Conn.). Museler won with Perry at the 2006 and 2008 Championships. Perry is also the women’s match racing coach for the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics.
Sunday was the best day of sailing all week for the competitors. Breezes ranged from 10 to 12 knots throughout most of the day with heavy chop. Racing was conducted between Balboa Pier and Newport Pier.
Perry received an invitation to race in the 2012 Knickerbocker Cup and 2012 Ficker Cup, two Grade 2 events and World Tour Qualifiers.
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, daily reports, photos and video highlights and interviews. The Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
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/.