Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship - Pre-Event Clinic Added to Schedule of Events

Annapolis, Md. (September 4, 2003) – Organizers of the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship (Rolex IWKC) have announced a pre-event “Road to Rolex” clinic on September 25. The Rolex IWKC is scheduled for September 27 to October 3 at the Annapolis Yacht Club and already has attracted 62 international teams before the September 10 entry deadline. The “Road to Rolex” clinic series, now in its fourth year, is a unique educational component of the Rolex IWKC and has provided hundreds of women sailors a chance to learn from five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.) as well as other high-profile sailing coaches. Alison, who will vie for an unprecedented sixth Rolex IWKC title this year, wrote the instruction manual and helped to develop the now four-year-old instructional series. Greg Fisher, from Rolex IWKC sponsor North Sails, will lead the September 25 clinic and all competitors are welcome to participate. The Rolex IWKC is one of US SAILING's national championships.

In 2003, five “Road to Rolex” clinics were held: at the Rochester Yacht Club with Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and 2001 Rolex IWKC champion Cory Sertl; at the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club with Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Liz Baylis (San Rafael, Calif.); at the Oklahoma City Boating Club with 1999 J/22 World Champion Mark Foster; in Annapolis with 1997 Rolex IWKC champion and U.S. Naval Academy coach Nancy Haberland, Jahn Tihansky of J World Sailing School, Scott Nixon of Quantum, and Sandy Grosvenor; and in South Africa with Ian Ainslie.

For more information or to register for the September 25 “Road to Rolex” clinic, email Mikulski at SuMikulski@aol.com. Deadline for registration is September 15.

Organizers are using the Internet to promote the regatta and provide
information: www.race.annapolisyc.com/rolexkeelboats is focusing on Annapolis details; www.ussailing.org/riwkc has the official Notice of Race and Entry Form in PDF format, event history and news releases. There is a web server list to get direct information by email.