GREAT SAILING AWAITS AT THE MASS BAY SAILING YOUTH REGATTA

2 August 2002 (Marblehead, MA/Portsmouth, RI)- Pleon Yacht Club, Marblehead, MA will be the sight of this year’s Mass Bay Sailing Youth Regatta-USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival. The festival will begin on August 11 and conclude on August 14. All youth sailors who have not reached their 21st birthday before December 31, 2002 are eligible for entry. Sailors racing in the Club 420, Laser, Laser Radial, Optimist, and JY 15 classes are invited to this energetic and fun filled competition. The event is sponsored by Mass Bay Sailing, West Marine, Gill North America, and FOODMASTER,

The USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Mass Bay will begin with boat drop off and registration on Sunday, August 11 between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Monday, August 12 will begin with late registration from 8-9 am followed by a skipper’s meeting, a safety boat operator/coaches meeting. The first races will begin with a shot of the harbor gun at 11:00 am, Monday, August 12. Races will conclude on Monday with the dinner at the yacht club. Races will begin on Tuesday, August 13, at 9:30 and will conclude with dinner at 6:00 pm at the yacht club. Races will begin again on Wednesday, August 14 at 9:30 and conclude with an awards ceremony at 3:00 pm that same day.

Membership in US SAILING is required for each competitor (helmsman and crew for doublehanded classes). The cost of a youth membership is $15.00 per year and a family membership is $75.00 per year. Competitors may acquire membership at the registration desk, although pre-registration is encouraged. If you are already a member, bring your membership card to registration. Competitors can join online at www.ussailing.org. Family members should request individual membership cards for each child by calling the US SAILING membership office at 1-800-US SAIL1. A valid Massachusetts Bay Sailing Association membership is required of every competitor. The cost of a year-long membership to the Massachusetts Bay Sailing Association is $10.00.

The entry fee for all classes is $60.00 per sailor. The application, with all appropriate waiver forms included, should be mailed with a check payable to the Pleon Yacht Club, attn: Mary Ellen Hart, 85 Tedesco Street, Marblehead, MA 01945. The postmark deadline is August 5. The NOR and other applicable information is available at <http://www.pleon.org/regattas/>.

USA Junior Olympic medals will be given for the first three places won in each fleet. Massachusetts Bay Sailing trophies may be given, depending on fleet size.

All coaches and other on the water support personnel must check-in during the regular scheduled registration periods using the official coaching and support boat registration form. Coaches who bring proof of US SAILING certification will be given appropriate access and recognition, and a free hat.

For further information, contact event chair Rob Gorman at rgorman@attbi.net <mailto:rgorman@attbi.net>.

For information on USA Junior Olympic Sailing, contact Lee Parks at US SAILING, juniorolympics@ussailing.org or 401/683-0800; visit the web site at http://www.ussailing.org/youth/racing/jo.

USA Junior Olympic Sailing is a grass-roots youth development program that defines a path for youngsters to become involved in sailing and develop their skills though events nationwide, with a goal of making sailing a life-long sport. The United States Olympic Committee Junior Olympic Program involves more than 3,500,000 participants in over 20 sports annually. The USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival program is sponsored by West Marine, the nation’s largest specialty retailer of recreational boating supplies and apparel. It offers its broad assortment to boaters worldwide through its 232 retail stores, an international catalog mail order division, a wholesale division and an Internet site, www.westmarine.com. West Marine is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the US SAILING Junior Olympic Sailing Festivals, as part of a continuing commitment to encourage youth to enjoy boating as a positive recreational activity. The United States Sailing Association is the national governing body for the sport of sailing, the mission of which is to encourage participation and excellence in sailing and racing in the United States. The organization achieves its goals through member organizations and volunteers, located throughout the United States, who are supported by an administrative staff located at the organization’s headquarters in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. For more information about US SAILING, visit the website at www.ussailing.org.