For Immediate Release
Contact: Cynthia Goss
203-453-2731
U.S.
Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship Comes Down to Close Tie-Breaker
Texas Sailor Carolyn Prioleau and U.S. Virgin
Island Racer Mayumi Roller Finish 1-2
Marblehead (Mass.) August 3, 2007 — When winner of the U.S. Junior Women's
Singlehanded Championship Carolyn Prioleau (Houston, Texas) came off the water
in Marblehead after three days of racing at this US SAILING National
Championship, she summed up this sailing contest in a few simple words: "It
was really close, up until the last beat." But Prioleau was by no means
exaggerating: this battle in Laser Radials for the singlehanded title came
down to a final race that was a dramatic nail-biter—a scenario that no
Hollywood screenwriter could have improved upon for plot twists and suspense.
Prioleau, Mayumi Roller (St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands), and Eliza Richartz
(Old Lyme, Conn.)—the three women who outsailed the 51-boat fleet to finish
1-2-3 in this championship sponsored nationally by Vanguard Sailboats and
hosted by the Pleon Yacht Club—had a healthy points spread going into the
final day of racing, with Prioleau in first, Roller 5 points behind in second,
and Richartz 11 points behind Roller in third. But those points were
considerably compressed as this fleet sailed toward the final finish in 10 to
15 knots of breeze.
Entering the final race, Prioleau could not let Roller get more than three
boats away to keep her lead. But the fact that Roller got away from her at the
start; that Richartz was on a roll after winning Thursday's last race and
Friday's opener; and that Prioleau was positioned in the teens and well
outside her three-boat cushion as Roller rounded the first weather mark in
fifth place set the stage for a final race that kept regatta watchers on the
edge of their seats.
Prioleau finished the last race in sixth, and Roller finished in third to end
the regatta in a points tie. Richartz—who was clearly "dialed in," as she
reported, on this final day—won the final race to sit only 8 points behind the
leaders for a third. Winds for the opening two days of the series ranged from
a first day of lighter-air racing (5-10 knots) to racing in a stronger
seabreeze on day 2.
Prioleau is a veteran of this championship: she finished fifth last year and
was the top-finishing skipper from 2006 to return for another run at the
title. Caribbean sailor Mayumi Roller is a newcomer to this event—but not to
world-class competition: she had traveled from Brazil, where she raced in the
Pan Am Games, to compete in Marblehead. "This is one of the top events for
young women sailors and I felt that I had to be here … It was worth the trip,”
said Roller at regatta's end, clearly thrilled with the field of competition
and the outcome of her performance.
After awards were handed out, the newly named U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded
Champion Carolyn Prioleau had an immediate date to take her sailing global, as
a competitor in the World Youth Laser Radial Championship 2007, which takes
place in the Netherlands next week. As regatta winner in Marblehead, she
engraves her name on the Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy, an award that
has helped launch the careers of many young women sailors; past winners
include an Olympic medalist, two winners of the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year
Awards, and numerous one-design champions. This perpetual trophy was created
by the late C. Thomas Clagett Jr. in memory of his wife for the purpose of
encouraging sailing among young women in the United States. Nancy Leiter
Clagett herself was a member of Pleon Yacht Club
Tiffany Dube (Beverly Hills, Calif.) was winner of the C. Thomas Clagett Jr.
Sportsmanship Award, an award created to honor Tom Clagett's dedication to
junior women's sailing and his Corinthian spirit. Jessica Claflin (Cumberland,
R.I.), who mixed some early mid-fleet finishes with several top-10 races on
the two final days of the regatta, was named the Most Improved Sailor of the
championship.
For more information on the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship,
visit the event’s website at
www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjrw/single. The U.S. Junior
Women’s Singlehanded Championship is part of US SAILING’s National
Championships series; for more information about these events, visit
www.ussailing.org/championships.
About Vanguard Sailboats
Demonstrating a continuing commitment to youth sailing, Vanguard Sailboats,
manufacturer of the Laser Radials sailed in this event, is once again
sponsoring the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship. Vanguard
Sailboats has been a dedicated sponsor of numerous U.S. National Championships
for more than a decade, encouraging sailors in the United States to enjoy the
sport while also ensuring great competition. Visit their website at
www.teamvanguard.com.
About US SAILING
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.
FINAL RESULTS: 51 boats/top 5 (10 races, 1 discard)
1. Carolyn Prioleau (Houston, Texas); 2, 1, 1, 4, 7*, 1, 1, 2, 4, 6: 22 points
2. Mayumi Roller (St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands); 1, 4, 3, 1, 1, 4, 3, 6*, 2,
3: 22 points
3. Eliza Richartz (Old Lyme, Conn.); 3, 3, 2, 8, 2, 15*, 9, 1, 1, 1: 30 points
4. Caroline Wright (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); 23, 2, 6, 7, 10, 2, 2, 52\OCS*, 13,
5: 70 points
5. Corey Hall (St. Petersburg, Fla.); 19, 11, 52\DSQ*, 9, 8, 3, 4, 8, 8, 7, 77
points
*indicates discarded race
-ends-