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Newport Beach, Calif. (July 16, 2013) – Sailors participating in US Sailing’s Junior Olympics Sailing Festival at Newport Harbor Yacht Club celebrated Olympic Day on July 11 with special guest Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.), a member of US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider in the Finn class and 2016 Olympic team aspirant. Olympic Day is observed annually around the world to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games. Over 150 sailors from Southern California gathered for a question and answer session in which Paine explained how his international sailing career began in Southern California and has taken him around the world competing at the highest level. “Sailing at the Olympics is extremely hard to achieve, and being able to strive for perfection is something I’ve always been passionate about,” said Paine. “Being able to say you’re the best in the world is fantastic and I’d love to be able to say that.” Before the young sailors headed out on the water for practice races, he shared strategy and tactics for racing dinghies that can be applied to any regatta. “One of the things the West Coast has is the reliability of conditions from San Diego up to San Francisco,” he said. “The wave and weather conditions are different and depending on what type of training you want to do you can drive to it.” Paine reminded everyone that not every regatta will bring success. “There will be regattas when you have bad days, but take something away from that,” he said. “Realize that it’s one more step and when you get to the big show, the event you want to well at, you’ve taken that step.” The Olympic Day celebration highlighted the So Cal Junior Olympics Sailing Festival, which took place July 12-14, and joined over 700 Olympic Day events around the U.S. Exclusive video of US Sailing Team Olympic Day: http://youtu.be/Bje2Q-EN3QI The 2016 Olympic Games are scheduled for August 5-21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. About Olympic Day Olympic Day, held annually, is celebrated by thousands of people in more than 160 countries. Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability. In 2012, more than 200,000 people in 529 communities across the United States hosted 632 Olympic Day celebrations. Host organizations and cities joined more than 550 Olympians and Paralympians in proclaiming Olympic Day and celebrating Olympism in their communities. Athletes Nowadays, Olympic Day is developing into much more than just a sports event. Based on the three pillars “move”, “learn” and “discover”, National Olympic Committees are organizing sports, cultural and educational activities. www.teamusa.org/olympicday US Sailing’s Junior Olympic Program is a nationwide series of regattas for youth ages 8 to 21. Each event is hosted by a different club or organization, but all events share a common goal: to promote the enjoyment of sailing and development of skills to young sailors as well as provide an Olympic pathway for talented junior sailors. Events mix Olympic-style competition with elements of learning and fun for all levels–from beginning racers to those with Olympic aspirations. In 2013, 25 events are planned in the continental United States and Hawaii and over 4,500 sailors expected to participate.