July Junior Olympic Sailing Festival Events

by Marlieke de Lange Eaton on 4 Jul 2008 Throughout the country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, over 2,000 young sailors are preparing to participate in US SAILING's Junior Olympic Sailing Festival (JO) events scheduled for the month of July.

Ten events in nine states including Michigan, Florida, Hawaii, Connecticut, California, Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts and New Jersey are slated for the coming month. The JO Festival program, sponsored by West Marine, Gill and Active.com, is a nationwide series of regattas designed to promote the enjoyment of sailing and development of skills to young sailors as well as to provide a pathway for aspiring Olympic competitors.

During the course of the 2008 JO Festival season, which continues through December, approximately 4,000 junior sailors will race in a wide range of one-design classes in 21 events held in 14 states. Since the inception of the festival in 1997, approximately 35,000 sailors between the ages of 8-21 have participated in over 200 events offering various levels of competition, skill building and fun activities designed to encourage a life-long involvement in the sport of sailing. Additionally, US SAILING's JO Festival has provided a training-ground for scores of aspiring Olympic sailors.

July 2008 US SAILING Junior Olympic Festival events:

July 4-6 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Bayview Riverfest
Bayview Yacht Club, Detroit, Mich.
Marc Hollerbach - mhollerbach@southoakland.com
http://byc.com/bycjr/riverfest/

July 4-6 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Gulf Coast
Pensacola Yacht Club, Fla.
Claire Rees - cfrees@cox.net
www.pensacolayachtclub.org

July 7-11 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Hawaii
Hawaii & Waikiki Yacht Clubs, Honolulu, HI
Guy Fleming - guynsyd@hawaii.rr.com
www.waikikiyachtclub.com/sail-jrolymp08flyer.pdf

July 8 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Larry White Youth Regatta
Niantic Bay Yacht Club, Niantic, Conn.
Wick Haylon - RWCLAX13@aol.com
www.nbyc.org/JuniorOlympicsNoticeofRace.pdf

July 10-13 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Southern California
California Yacht Club, Marina del Rey, Calif.
Rick Turner - rturner148@earthlink.net
www.calyachtclub.com/default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&pageid=255127&ssid=114665&vnf=1

July 10-16 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Texas Youth Race Week
Texas Corinthian, Lakewood & Houston Yacht Clubs, TX
Margie Crawford - marjoriecrawford@comcast.net
www.texasyouthraceweek.com

July 12-13 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Chesapeake Bay
Hampton Yacht Club, Va.
Dave Herring - dherring954@cox.net
www.hamptonyc.com/jobo/junior_olympics.htm

July 17-18 USA Junior Olympic Windsurfing Festival - East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championship
Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, Mass.
Nevin Sayre - Nsayre@aol.com
www.vhyc.org/Windsurfing%20Championship%20Page.html

July 26-27 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Northern California
Sequoia Yacht Club, Redwood City, Calif.
Eric Anderson - hiker4u@aol.com
www.pysf.us/

July 28-29 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Mid-Atlantic
Island Heights Yacht Club, N.J.
Buzz Reynolds - jreynolds345@comcast.net
www.ihyc.com/JrOlympicsFramePage.htm