U.S. OLYMPIC SAILING PRE-TRIALS ANNOUNCED

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (August 9, 2002) - The Olympic Sailing Committee of US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has announced the dates of its Olympic Sailing Pre-Trials for the nine Olympic classes (eleven events) which have been selected for the 2004 Olympic Regatta - Europe (women), Finn (men), 470 (men and women), Laser (open), Mistral (men and women), 49er, Star and Tornado (all open), and Yngling (women) - to be held as follows: October 31-November 3, 2002 - for Mistrals at the US Sailing Center-Martin County (Stuart, Fla.) November 14-17, 2002 - for 470 and Lasers at Houston Yacht Club (Houston,
Texas)
February 7-9, 2003 - for Yngling and 49ers at Key Biscayne Yacht Club (Key Biscayne, Fla.) February 7-9, 2003 - for Tornados at Miami Yacht Club (Miami, Fla.) February 7-9, 2003 - for Europe and Finns at Lauderdale Yacht Club (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) May 15-18, 2003 - for Stars at Coral Reef Yacht Club and the U.S. Sailing Center (Miami, Fla.)

The winners of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Pre-Trials will receive an entry to the Olympic Practice Regatta to be held in Athens, Greece, in August, 2003. In addition, the Pre-Trials Regattas will be ranking events counting toward the 2003 U.S. Sailing Team Ranking System, except in the Mistral class where the Pre-Trials will be the sole ranking event. The U.S. Olympic Sailing Pre-Trials are open to foreign and U.S. competitors, except in the Laser and Mistral classes, which are doubling as the Pan Am Games Trials (see www.ussailing.org/pressreleases/2002/PAGtrialAnnounced.htm.