Southwestern Yacht Club Awarded US SAILING Trophy

by Marlieke de Lange Eaton on 18 Oct 2008 US SAILING, national governing body for the sport of sailing, has awarded its prestigious trophy for excellence in race management, named the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy, to Southwestern Yacht Club of San Diego, Calif.

Southwestern Yacht Club (SWYC) was selected from a list of 9 nominated sailing organizations for outstanding organization and execution of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Sailing in the 49er, held in October 2007. The regatta was held over a 14-day time period (several days of measurement and check-in; a day for final tuning, practice and the Opening Ceremonies; eight days of scheduled racing and a reserve day. All 24 scheduled races were completed in difficult weather conditions. The Olympic Sailing Committee Regatta Representative, Jerelyn Biehl, summed it up: 'The club's practice and training made the Olympic Trials a perfect event.'

The Trophy was presented to SWYC's Vice Commodore and event chair Margo King Hemond by US SAILING President Jim Capron and Race Management Committee Secretary John Strassman earlier this evening during an awards dinner at US SAILING's Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla. Principal Race Officer (PRO) Bruce Greene was also in attendance. Southwestern Yacht Club was also nominated for their management of the 2007 U.S. Men's and Women's Championships.

Emblematic of excellence in race management, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy was awarded originally by St. Petersburg Yacht Club in the late 1960s to recognize the club that ran the best regatta. The trophy was retired for several years until it was donated to US SAILING in 1977. The winner is selected on the basis of race management superiority and evaluation by participating skippers. To be eligible for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy in 2009, events must be held between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009. Regatta organizers may obtain program information on US SAILING's web site. Entries must be postmarked no later than September 7, 2009.

For more information on US SAILING's St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy, please visit www.ussailing.org/racemgt/St_Pete_Trophy/index.asp.

The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.