Rolex Miami OCR for Olympic and Paralympic Sailors

by Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Intl on 20 Oct 2005 From January 22 to 27, 2006, US SAILING's Rolex Miami OCR returns to the waters of Biscayne Bay, bringing together the world's top Olympic and Paralympic class competitors.

The 17th annual US SAILING Rolex Miami OCR is a mainstay on the winter circuit for sailors who are campaigning for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event is ranked by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) as a Grade 1 event and features competition in 13 Olympic and Paralympic classes. The Notice of Race for the event is now available at www.ussailing.com

The competition will be raced in all events selected for the next Olympic Games: 49er, 470 (Men & Women), Finn, Laser, Laser Radial, Neil Pryde RS:X (Men & Women), Star, Tornado, and Yngling. Racing will also be held for the 2.4mR and Sonar, two of the three events selected for the 2008 Paralympic Games. ISAF is scheduled to announce a third and new Paralympic class in November, but due to the short time-frame, this equipment will not be used in the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR.

The Pan American Sailing Federation and ISAF have selected the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR as a country qualifier for the 2007 Pan American Games for the Laser, Laser Radial and Neil Pryde RS:X (Men and Women) classes.

New Winter Circuit
US SAILING has teamed up with several U.S. and North American Class Associations to create a new Winter Circuit for Olympic and Paralympic class sailors in the Biscayne Bay area. Thus far, twenty regattas and training camps in various classes complementing the Rolex Miami OCR have been scheduled to date, with more to come.

On-Line Registration
On-line registration will open by November 14, 2005 for competitors and coaches. Early registration is recommended and encouraged by discounted fees for entries received by January 16, 2006. Registrations received after January 16, 2006 will be subject to late fees.

Online registration, regatta and Winter Circuit information can be found at www.ussailing.com

Established in 1990 by US SAILING, the Rolex Miami OCR annually draws elite sailors, Olympic and Paralympic medalists, and future Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls from around the world as they prepare for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Regattas. In 2005, more than 320 sailors representing 26 countries competed. The regatta is especially important as a ranking regatta for sailors hoping to qualify for the US Sailing Team, which annually distinguishes the top-five sailors in each Olympic class. The event is not a qualifying regatta for the US Disabled Sailing Team since the IFDS World Championships will be held simultaneously in Australia.

Regatta Headquarters for the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR are at the US Sailing Center, with classes hosted by several other sailing organizations in the area.

In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2006 Rolex Miami OCR is also sponsored by all the partners that support the US Sailing Teams: Nautica, Vanguard Sailboats, Extrasport, Gill, Harken, Zodiac, Sperry Top-Sider, New England Ropes, Vineyard Vines, and McLube. Rolex is also a sponsor of the US Sailing Teams.