Smith and Railey receive top sailing awards

by Marlieke de Lange Eaton on 3 Mar 2007 Jud Smith (Marblehead, Mass.) and Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) took center stage today during a special luncheon at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan. The sailors are US SAILING's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year, this country's most prestigious honor in the sport. They were recognized for their outstanding on-the-water performances during the 2006 calendar year and presented with engraved Rolex timepieces.

Smith was recognized for his victories at several Etchells regattas, including the World Championship, as well as for his wins in several other classes. In addition to the Etchells Worlds, Smith won the class' North American Championship, Lands' End Annapolis NOOD Regatta, Florida State Championship and Acura Miami Race Week. Proving his versatility on other boats, Smith also won the Rhodes 19 National and East Coast Championships. He also crewed on the class winners at the Rolex Big Boat Series, the Lands' End Chicago NOOD Regatta and the Verve Cup.

'Winning this award feels different than I expected,' said Smith. 'I've always thought that the sailors who have won the award in the past had reached the pinnacle in their careers. I don't feel I've reached my ultimate goal yet; I still have time before I 'arrive'.'

Railey, the youngest woman ever to receive the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award, was recognized for her accomplishments on foreign waters. Among the US Sailing Team member’s victories were the Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères, France; the ISAF World Sailing Games in Neusiedl, Austria; and the Good Luck Beijing-2006 Qingdao International Regatta, the first test event in China at the venue of the 2008 Olympic Regatta. At home, Railey also triumphed at the Laser Radial North American and Midwinter East Championships.

'It feels really fantastic to win this,' said Paige Railey, who won the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year award last fall and hopes to represent the USA at the 2008 Olympic Games. 'It's so nice to come home and receive this award from the U.S. sailing community, and I look forward to continuing on this path.'

A video Podcast from the awards luncheon, produced by the luncheon emcee Gary Jobson, will be available on the US SAILING website at www.ussailing.org after 9 p.m. Eastern time today.

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About the Rolex Yachtsman & Yachtswoman of the Year Awards
Established in 1961 by US SAILING and sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. since 1980, the Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards recognize outstanding on-the-water achievement within the calendar year. These prestigious awards are viewed by the sail-racing industry as among the nation's top sailing distinctions. More information on these awards is available at www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A.
Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to America's Cup defenders in 1958, the company has consistently recognized and encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing, including supporting the US Sailing Team, US SAILING championships, disabled sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events. In 2007, Rolex will sponsor over 20 prestigious yachting events globally, including Block Island Race Week and the Rolex US-IRC National Championship, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex Capri Sailing Week, Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, Rolex Fastnet Race, and the Rolex International Women's Keelboat Championship.

About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing and sailboat racing. Headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization's mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing in the U.S. US SAILING offers training and education programs, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including the US Sailing Teams and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.