2011 U.S. Singlehanded Championship Day One Recap
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
401.683.0800 x614
jakefish@ussailing.org
CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (July 22, 2011) – The 39 sailors competing in day one of the 2011 U.S. Singlehanded Championship were blessed with spectacular sailing conditions on Friday. Perfect breezes in the 15 to 20 knot range swept through the Columbia River Gorge. The men's and women's fleets completed four exciting races each in the first of three days at this US SAILING National Championship event. 
Frederick Vranizan (Shoreline, Wash. / Seattle YC) took a commanding nine point lead in the men's Laser division. Vranizan won races one and three. He finished third in race two and second in race four. The former St. Mary's College of Maryland sailor has been campaigning for the Olympics in the Laser since graduating. He is followed by fellow Seattle Yacht Club member Michael Karas (Kirkland, Wash.) who finished today with 16 points (9-1-3-3). Karas finished third at the U.S. Singlehanded Championship in 2006 and second in 2000.
Christine Neville (Oakland, Calif. / ILCA) was dominant in the women's Laser Radial fleet and has a six point advantage. She won races one and four, and finished second in races two and three. Neville finished fourth out of 12 in last year's event. Sky Adams (Santa Barbara, Calif. / Santa Barbara YC) is in second place with 12 points. Adams posted a solid scoring line to stay in contention (4-4-1-3). She finished third at the 2010 U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship.
Neville and Vranizan excelled in the windy, shifty conditions. They got off to clean starts and were able to accelerate downwind consistently. The temperature was in the high 70s with winds coming from the northwest. The forecast predicts 10 knots coming in from the east tomorrow with temperatures in the 80s. Racing begins at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday (racing times subject to change).
For more details on the U.S. Singlehanded Championships, including a list of competitors, results, standings, recaps, photos, Notice of Race, Preliminary Sailing Instructions, history and more, please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USSinglehandedChampionship.htm.
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The U.S. Singlehanded Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., LaserPerformance, Gill North America and Hobie Polarized. The Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
Championship Notes
The U.S. Singlehanded Championship is a qualification and select invitation event... Last year marked the first-ever women’s division for the U.S. Singlehanded Championship… A maximum of 12 races are scheduled… Competitors took part in Rolex Clinics on Thursday, July 21… US SAILING Medals will be awarded to the top three in each division… The winning skipper of the Men’s Division will have his name engraved on the George O’Day Trophy.
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
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.
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/or contact Lance Jones at Gill 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.