| Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship
Olympic Gold Medalist to Coach Junior Sailors at Rolex Next Step Program
US SAILING and Rochester Yacht Club (RYC) announce that applications are now being accepted for the Next Step to Rolex Program for junior women sailors age 13-17. As a key initiative of US SAILING's Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship the two-day clinic includes intensive training with keelboat experts, with the goal of one day seeing the graduates on the starting line of the international regatta. U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist and US SAILING's 2008 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe is scheduled to be among the presenters at this year's program, scheduled for October 2-4 and hosted by RYC (Rochester, N.Y.).
"Interested sailors are asked to apply online and submit a letter outlining why they are interested in participating and to provide a recommendation from their sailing organization or coach," said Cory Sertl, RYC's chair of the Next Step to Rolex, as well as a noted junior sailing coach and two-time winner of the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship (2001, 1985). The program will begin on Friday evening at RYC and then participants will move onto the water for the following two days, ending on Sunday afternoon.
This event is eligible for US SAILING's Sailorship program, a financial aid program for juniors attending US SAILING events. Space is limited and applications must be received by July 31, 2009. Accepted sailors will be notified in late August. To apply for the 2009 Next Step to Rolex Program, visit http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/RIWKC/NextStep.htm.
The Next Step to Rolex Program was established in 1997 to expose and mentor juniors interested in taking the "next step" toward advanced women's sailing. Since its creation as a complementary component of the Rolex IWKC, the Next Step to Rolex Program has served as an inspiration for hundreds of young women from across the U.S. and abroad.
For more information about the 2009 Rolex IWKC, contact Event Chair Anne Beadling by email at riwkc09@gmail.com or the Rochester Yacht Club at 585-342-5511. The event website is http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/RIWKC.
About the Rolex IWKC: Inaugurated in 1985 at the instigation of US SAILING's Women's Championship Committee, the Rolex IWKC quickly became the premier women's sailing event in the U.S. and worldwide. Held biennially, the event provides women keelboat and offshore sailors high quality racing and an opportunity to compete with top national and international women sailors. The winning team will receive US SAILING's Bengt Julin Trophy.
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 supporting elite athlete preparation, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women's events.
The Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship is part of the Rolex Yachting Portfolio that includes over 20 world-class sailing events taking place around the world such as the Rolex Miami OCR, New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex US-IRC National Championship, Rolex Osprey Cup and Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
About the Rochester Yacht Club: Incorporated in 1877, the Rochester Yacht Club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2002 and is still going strong. The first regatta was held in 1877 with eight sail boats competing and most recently it hosted 102 boats at the J/22 World Championship. Its purpose is to provide and encourage interests and instruction in areas of yachts and yachting, seamanship, racing and traditions of yachting. By car, RYC is seven miles from the heart of Rochester, Monroe County, New York, and it is located on the south shore of Lake Ontario and accessible from the Genesee River.
About US SAILING: The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership 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.
To receive press releases, regatta daily reports and to download high-resolution images, copyright free for editorial purposes, register online at www.regattanews.com, the press-specific website for Rolex sailing events.
Media contact:
Media Pro International
Dana Paxton
Email: dana.paxton@mediapronewport.com
Tel: +1 401-849-0220
US SAILING
Jake Fish
Email: jakefish@ussailing.org
Tel: +1 401-683-0800
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