US Youth Sailing Championship Day One Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jake Fish
US Sailing Communications Manager
401.683.0800 x614
jakefish@ussailing.org
CASCADE LOCKS, Ore. (August 15, 2012) – Four fleets set sail on the Columbia River Gorge for the opening day of the 2012 US Youth Championships, a US Sailing National Championship. The day was highlighted by close competition at the top of the leaderboards in high wind speeds surpassing 15 mph.
The 33 boat Club 420 division was the first fleet to start today. Max Simmons (Rowayton, Conn.) and Riley Legault (Bonita Springs, Fla.) came flying out of the gates, winning the first and third races, and placing second in race two. This team finished second by one point at the C420 North Americans in July. They have an eight point lead over Bradley Adam (East Greenwich, R.I.) and Charles MacBain (Portsmouth, R.I.), the current North American Champions.
In the 29er division, Scott Buckstaff (Belvedere, Calif.) and James Moody (Tiburon, Calif.) opened the regatta with a bang by winning all three races today. The duo competed on the Gorge last weekend at the 29er North Americans, where they finished eighth out of 34 teams. Moody is no stranger to success in the 29er fleet, having finished third at the ISAF Youth Worlds in 2010. In 2010, Moody was sailing alongside Antoine Screve (Ross, Calif.), who is currently seven points behind the leaders in second place. Screve is sailing with with Mac Agnese (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) this week.
Greg Martinez (Houston, Texas) stole the show in the Laser Fleet. Martinez was one of two sailors in the 15 boat fleet to finish with three top five finishes, and came away with back to back wins in the first two races. This has been a solid year for this rising star, winning the Orange Bowl Youth Regatta and a tenth place finish at the Laser North Americans in July. He will start tomorrow with a three-point lead over Ian Ikeda (Duxbury, Mass.).
Mitchell Kiss (Holland, Mich.) had two bullets and a second place finish to take an early lead over Erika Reineke (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), the defending champion and two-time ILCA Youth World Champion. Kiss continues his worldwide tour this summer by coming back to the US after winning a bronze medal at the ILCA Worlds in Australia, and finishing fourth at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Ireland.
Visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Youth/US_Youth_Champs.htm for daily recaps, standings, results, videos, photo galleries and more. To get up-to-the-minute updates from the championship, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
US Sailing’s U.S. Youth Sailing Championships is sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider, Zim Sailing, Gill North America and SWITLIK Survival Products. The championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.
Championship Notes
• Regatta dates are Wednesday through Saturday (Aug. 15-18). Racing begins Wednesday at 12 pm PDT and at 10:30 am PDT on Thursday through Saturday.
• There are a total of 12 sailors representing the US Sailing Development Team this week: Andrew Cates, Zack Downing, Kai Friesecke, Paris Henken, Connor Kelter, Mitchell Kiss, Greg Martinez, Niki Medley, Erika Reineke, Erik Weis, Christopher Williford, Dane Wilson
• Three races are required to be completed to constitute a series. When fewer than six races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores. When six or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score.
• The top placing male in the Laser and the top placing female in the Laser Radial fleet qualify for the U.S. Singlehanded Championships.
• US Sailing Championship medals will be awarded to competitors who finish first through fifth in the Laser Radial and C420 fleets. Medals for competitors who finish first through third will be awarded in the 29er and Laser Full Rig fleets.
• The David M. Perry Perpetual Sportsmanship Trophy will be awarded, as well as sportsmanship keepers, in each discipline.
• Steve Wrigley is U.S. Youth Championship Chair and Jarvis Brecker is the Event Chair.
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 Sperry Top-Sider
Since 1935, Sperry Top-Sider has been the leading brand of footwear for those with a Passion for the Sea®. From its introduction of the world’s first siped rubber outsole for non-marking traction to advanced technical fabrication to combat the elements, Sperry Top-Sider remains the vanguard of high-performance amphibious footwear for life and activities in, on and around the water.
Available around the globe in independent, marine, outdoor, department stores and on www.sperrytopsider.com, Sperry Top-Sider is the official footwear of the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas, Sperry Top-Sider Charleston Race Week, the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider and the National Safe Boating Council.
Since early 2010, the brand has launched 18 Sperry Top-Sider retail stores in the US – retail stores dedicated to the Passion for the Sea® lifestyle. Sperry Top-Sider is a division of the Collective Brands Performance and Lifestyle Group, a subsidiary of Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS). For more information, please visit www.sperrytopsider.com.
About Zim Sailing
Zim Sailing, headquartered in Warren, R.I. is the fastest growing manufacturer of one-design sailboats in North America. Currently, Zim manufactures and distributes the Optimist, Club 420, CFJ and the Byte CII. Zim’s customers include high schools, colleges, yacht clubs, community sailing centers and the passionate dinghy sailor. Zim boats have won several local, regional, National and North American championships since the company’s creation in 2008. Zim is dedicated to the success and growth of dinghy sailing. Zim’s experienced staff and support vehicles can be found at many regattas. For more information, please visit www.zimsailing.com or email info@zimsailing.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 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.