2012 US Team Racing Championship Day Two Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jake Fish
US Sailing Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
401.683.0800 x614
LARCHMONT, N.Y. (October 20, 2012) - Saturday proved to be another banner day of racing on Larchmont Harbor at the US Team Racing Championship, hosted by the Larchmont Yacht Club. The 12 teams are halfway through the second Round Robin stage and the leaderboard includes some familiar names. New York Yacht Club’s Team Extreme leads the way with 13 wins and 2 losses. They are followed closely by Silver Panda who is 12-3 and the Larchmont Yacht Club is 12-5.
The 2009 US Team Racing Champions, Team Extreme includes skippers Zachary Brown (San Diego, Calif.), Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, USVI), Stuart McNay (Chestnut Hill, Mass.), and crew Emmet Smith (New Haven, Conn.), Marla Menninger (New York, N.Y.), and Michael Hession (Chicago, Ill.) make up NYYC Team Extreme.
New York Yacht Club’s Silver Panda will be a factor in Sunday’s final day of competition. Although some of the members have changed over the years, Silver Panda has captured this title on five occasions, including 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2002. Skippers Colin Merrick (Portsmouth, R.I.), Peter Levesque (Tiverton, R.I.), Trevor Moore (Naples, Fla.) and crew Andrew Schneider (Marblehead, Mass.), Carrie Amarante (Wayne, N.J.), and Caroline Levesque (Tiverton, R.I.) make up this year’s edition of Silver Panda. Merrick, Amarante, Peter Levesque, and Caroline Levesque return to compete this year from the 2010 championship team.
The home team from the Larchmont Yacht Club is enjoying a great regatta. The team includes Danny Pletsch (Greenwich, Conn.), Clay Bischoff (New York, N.Y.), Michael Menninger (San Francisco, Calif.), Jennifer Watkins (New Orleans, La.), Kendra Emhiser (New York, N.Y.), and Meredith Powlison (Newport, R.I.). See the updated results and standings.
Racing got underway after 11:00 am in six knots of breeze. The wind picked up later in the afternoon to approximately 13 knots.
The plan for Sunday is to complete the second Round Robin and depending on time, proceed to the quarterfinals or semifinals and finals. Start time is approximately 10:00 am.
PRO Cynthia Parthmos made the call to move to the outer harbor course for the start of Round Robin 2, where there was over 10 knots of breeze with fewer shifts than the westerly inside the harbor. The decion proved to be on target, as the three-race cycles were being completed in approximately 15 minutes.
"The starts were incredible to watch," said Parthemos. The competition is all so tight and the boat handling is nothing short of amazing. My position on the signal boat was the best seat on the course, not to mention being able to simply turn around and watch the leeward mark roundings."
Check out the roster for a full list of teams competing in Larchmont, N.Y. this weekend.
For results, standings, video highlights by Chris Love, photos by Peter Braune, and more information from the 2012 U.S. Team Racing Championship, please visit the event website.
For breaking news and race results from Larchmont, stay connected with US Sailing through Twitter and Facebook.
US Sailing’s Championship of Champions is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Gill North America, Hobie Polarized, and Old Pulteney. This championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
Championship Notes
• Teams are racing in Vanguard 15s.
• Each competing team shall consist of three skippers and three crews.
• Teams were selected or invited by the U.S. Team Racing Championship Committee from team resumes, applications, and qualifying events.
• The intended format is a round robin followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals (subject to change).
• The intended course is a digital N.
• The racing area will be located in the waters of the Larchmont Harbor.
• The highest finishing U.S. team qualifies to represent the United States at the 2013 ISAF Team Racing World Championship.
• Olympians competing this week: Stu McNay (Team Extreme) - 2012, 2008 in the 470; Erik Storck (Storm Trysail Club) - 2012 in the 49er; Trevor Moore (Silver Panda) - 2012 in the 49er
• Other US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider member - Charlie Buckingham (Minor Threat)
• US Sailing Olympic Development Team members competing: Zachary Brown (Team Extreme), Chris Barnard (Newport Harbor Yacht Club), Frederick Strammer (Lauderdale Yacht Club)
• Championship Personnel:
- Edward R. Padin, Event Chairman
- Glenn Oliver, US Team Racing Championship Committee Chairperson
- Jed Kelly, Regatta Committee Chairman
- Cynthia A. Parthemos, Event Principal Race Officer
- Liz Walker, US Sailing Championships Director
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 Sperry Top-Sider. 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 Sperry Top-Sider preparation, US Sailing National 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/ or contact David Pritchard at david.pritchard@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.
About 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. The award-winning Old Pulteney portfolio includes the World Whisky of the Year title, in Jim Murray’s 2012 Whisky Bible Awards. Visit us at http://www.oldpulteney.com/.