Weaver Captures US Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jake Fish
US Sailing Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
401.683.0800 x614
Chicago, Ill. (July, 11 2012) – The final day of racing at the US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship was sailed in a mild easterly breeze of 6 to 8 knots with minimal chop. After numerous postponements and general recalls at the start of the day, Hanne Weaver seized control, and locked up an impressive victory over the field of 48.
After surging to the front after yesterday’s racing, Weaver (Gig Harbor, Wash.) quickly extended her lead with a win in today’s opening race. The first place finish sealed the win for Weaver. She sailed with remarkable consistency throughout the Championship. Weaver placed in the top five in seven of ten races, including five top three finishes, and bullets in races five and nine.
The second day was the windiest of the three days, and opened the door for her to jump to the front of the pack. Weaver believes that her training and physical fitness played a huge role in her ability to capture the title.
“I was nervous coming into the regatta because I sail against all of these girls at a lot of events,” said Weaver. “I liked the breeze, and it was noticeable during the clinic that I was one of the strongest girls in the group. I exercise on a daily basis in addition to my sailing. I also do a great deal of sailing at the Gorge in Oregon.”
The high school senior will continue to push herself this summer. She plans on competing in the Laser Radial North American Championship, US Singlehanded Championship, US Youth Championship, and CORK Olympic Class Regatta later this summer. Looking ahead at next year, she has Rolex Miami OCR marked on her calendar as a goal.
“I want to compete at OCR in Miami, and try to make the US Sailing Team”. Weaver has dreams of making the Olympic Team for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
Just behind Weaver was a three way skirmish for second place. Lindsey Baab (Saratoga, Calif.) edged Dana Rohde (Richmond Hill, Ga.) and Lola Bushnell (San Francisco, Calif.), with two points separating the three sailors. The trio shuffled around the top of the leaderboard for the latter part of the regatta. Baab put an exclamation point on her series with a win in the final race to steal the second place spot on the podium.
The reward for winning this Championship is the prestigious Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy. The top three individuals were awarded trophies, and the top five individuals received US Sailing Championship medals. Later this evening, a sailor will also be rewarded with the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Sportsmanship Award.
The Championship was preceded by a two day clinic put on by US Sailing, and hosted by Chicago Yacht Club on Lake Michigan in Laser Radials. The competitors received top level coaching from US Sailings Junior National Coach, Brian Clancy, and a team of notable sailing coaches from across the country.
For results, photos and more details about the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Youth/USJrWomensSinglehanded.htm. This Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
The U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship is sponsored by Gill North America and Switlik Survival Products, and is supported by the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trust.
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*Preview content provided by Conner Blouin, US Sailing Communications Assistant.
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 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 SWITLIK Survival Products
SWITLIK is proud to be a sponsor of the U.S. Youth and Junior Sailing Championships, the pinnacle of performance dinghy sailing for America’s young adults. These fine young sailors exhibit the same type of drive, performance and perseverance that goes into every SWITLIK product.
Established in 1920, SWITLIK has been family owned and operated for four generations. Known worldwide as a manufacturer of the highest quality personnel safety and survival products for the marine, aviation and military/government markets, SWITLIK products are designed and manufactured in the USA to meet the toughest performance standards. From the world's finest race marks to the most trusted survival equipment and technical protective clothing, SWITLIK products are defined by Quality, Performance and Innovation, every day, in all we do. SWITLIK - Simply the best for over 90 years. For more information, please visit www.SWITLIK.com.
About Clagett Trust
Support for the U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship is made possible in part by funds provided by the late C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. to perpetuate his unwavering dedication to Junior Women's Sailing. His support is in memory of his late wife, Nancy Leiter Clagett, a world class sailor, and of Ida Lewis, the heroic daughter of a lighthouse keeper. This support is intended to encourage young American women to enhance their sailing ability, with emphasis on sportsmanship, by providing the opportunity to compete in national-level competition with guidance from high-level coaching. Tom Clagett's family continues to assist in fulfilling his vision.