US SAILING Announces 2008 Schedule Of U.S. National Championships

 US SAILING, the national governing body for the sport, has determined its 2008 schedule for Adult and Youth National Championships. The 17 events, which began in January and continue through September, will be hosted by sailing organizations across the country and raced in a wide range of classes of boats.

From fleet, match and team racing to one design, offshore and disabled sailing, the championships offer fierce competition for sailors of all ages. Most of the events also provide advanced racing clinics for the competitors. The US SAILING Championships are sponsored nationally by Rolex Watch U.S.A., LaserPerformance, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, Nautica, and Dry Creek Vineyard.

While some participants are selected by sailing resume, the course to the majority of championships is either open or based on a ladder structure that begins at the local club level and progresses to regional finals before reaching the National Championship.

Since the first US SAILING Championship Trophy was awarded in 1921, 10s of thousands of sailors have competed in a national championship, either at the national or at the local qualifying level. Many of the championships' winners have gone on to compete at the highest levels: winning Olympic medals and world championship titles, being named US SAILING Rolex Yachtsmen and Yachtswomen of the Year, and much more.

For more information about US SAILING's U.S. National Championships, please visit www.ussailing.org/championships or contact Liz Walker, US SAILING's Championships director, at 401-683-0800 or via e-mail at championships@ussailing.org. 

The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, R.I., the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the U.S. 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 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams.

For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org. 
Adult Championships Calendar

• U.S. Multihull Championship (Hobie Alter Cup); April 22-26; Gulfport Yacht Club, Gulfport, Fla.; Capricorn F18 - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A.
• U.S. Disabled Sailing Championship (Chandler Hovey and Judd Goldman Trophies); June 6-9; American Yacht Club, Rye, N.Y.; Ideal 18, Sonar, SKUD 18, 2.4mR - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyard and UBS
• U.S. Singlehanded Championship (O'Day Trophy); August 6-10; Sayville Yacht Club, Sayville, N.Y.; Sunfish - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and LaserPerformance
• U.S. Team Racing Championship (Hinman Trophy); August 15-17; Erie Yacht Club, Erie, Penn.; Vanguard 15 - Sponsored by Rolex Watch

S.A., Nautica, LaserPerformance, and Dry Creek Vineyard

• U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship (Allegra Mertz Trophy); September 10-14; Rochester Yacht Club, Rochester, N.Y.; Sonar - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard
• U.S. Men's Sailing Championship (Mallory Cup); September 16-20; San Francisco Yacht Club, San Francisco, Calif.; J/24 - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard
• U.S. Women's Sailing Championship (Adams Cup); September 18-21; Oklahoma City Boat Club, Oklahoma City, Okla.; J/22 - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A.
• U.S. Match Racing Championship (Prince of Wales Bowl); September 24-28; Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Bay, N.Y.; Sonar - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard
• U.S. Championship of Champions (Jack Brown Trophy); September 24-27; Sayville Yacht Club, Sayville, N.Y.; Sunfish - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and LaserPerformance
• U.S. Offshore Championship (Lloyd Phoenix Trophy); September 26-28; Columbia Yacht Club, Chicago, Ill.; Tartan Ten - Sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard

Youth Championships Calendar

• U.S. Youth Multihull Championship (Arthur J. Stevens Trophy); January 18-21; Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach, Calif.; SL16
• U.S. Youth Sailing Championship; June 26 - July 1; San Francisco Yacht Club, San Francisco, Calif.; Laser, Club 420, Laser Radial - Sponsored by Nautica and LaserPerformance
• U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship (Ida Lewis Trophy); July 7 - 15; Sausalito Yacht Club, Sausalito, Calif.; Club 420 - Sponsored by LaserPerformance

Chubb U.S. Junior Championships

• U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship (Sears Cup and Judges Trophy); July 28 - August 1; Chicago Yacht Club, Chicago, Ill.; Lightning - Sponsored by Chubb Group
• U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship (Bemis Trophy); July 28 - August 1; Chicago Yacht Club, Chicago, Ill.; Club 420 - Sponsored by Chubb Group and LaserPerformance
• U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship (Smythe Trophy); July 28 - August 1; Chicago Yacht Club, Chicago, Ill.; Laser - Sponsored by Chubb Group and LaserPerformance
• U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship (Leiter Trophy); August 3-8; Macatawa Yacht Club, Holland, Mich.; Laser Radial - Sponsored by LaserPerformance