Early Entry Discount Period Approaching for 2016 International Women’s Keelboat Championship
Portsmouth, R.I. (April 26, 2016) – The American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y. will host the new International Women’s Keelboat Championship in provided J/70 class sailboats on August 14-20, 2016. Twenty-four teams from around the world will be invited to compete, with the intention of an even ratio of North American and intercontinental teams. Teams representing eight countries have already submitted applications. There will be a $250 discount on the entry fee for applications received by Sunday, May 1, 2016.
More than ever, this championship will offer women keelboat and offshore sailors high quality racing on the international stage without the need to provide their own boats or sails. To ensure a fast and competitive racing format, additional changes have been made to speed up the action. The format consists of fleet racing with a twist. The championship features two flights of 12 boats each with teams rotating after every two races. Each team will race an equal number of races against the others. Races will be approximately 15 minutes in duration. Host clubs will ensure quick rotations and on-the-water judging, in addition to an improved viewing experience for spectators.
The Magenta Project will host a clinic led by three-time International Women’s Keelboat Champion, Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, and Olympian Sally Barkow on Monday 15 August. Barkow will host a presentation on her experience as a competitor in the 2015 Volvo Ocean Race that same evening.
The International Women’s Keelboat Championship was inaugurated in 1985 through the efforts of US Sailing’s Women’s Championship Committee. The event became one of the premier women’s sailing event in the U.S. and worldwide. The Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, R.I. became host for the event and hosted the championship until 2001, before it moved around the country to different venues. The trophy is named for Bengt Julin, an international judge and strong supporter of women’s sailing. Julin presented the very first trophy to Betsy Alison and retired the original to her after she had won it three times consecutively. Alison had an unbroken winning streak competing against teams from a dozen or more nations from 1991 through 1997.
Learn more and submit your application to race at the 2016 International Women’s Keelboat Championship.
Contact: Liz Walker, Championships Director, lizwalker@ussailing.org
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. 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 US Sailing Team Sperry. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.