Junior Women??s Singlehanded Championship Preview

In just a matter of weeks, nearly 70 of the country’s top junior women sailors will arrive in Bay Head, NJ, to compete for one of sailing’s most prestigious titles, the US SAILING National Junior Women’s Singlehanded Champion.

The Championship, which will be held from 31 July-6 August, is an “open format,” bringing together a variety of competitors from local sailors to regional and world champions. In addition to being crowned a U.S. national champion, the competitors will also vie for a spot on the 2005 US Youth World Team, which represents the USA at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship next year. Bay Head and Mantoloking Yacht Clubs, two of the country’s oldest sailing organizations, will host this year’s event.

The exciting competition will be raced in Laser Radials provided by leading boat manufacturer and event sponsor Vanguard Sailboats. The Laser Radial carries similar performance characteristics as the very popular Laser, but the Radial’s slightly less powerful sail plan makes it the perfect boat for smaller singlehanded sailors and youth sailors. This design has done much to advance the sport of sailing and sailboat racing among women.

Before the Championship begins, competitors will participate in a two-day racing clinic led by Mike KALIN, US SAILING’s Youth Development Coach, and other prominent sailing coaches, including five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Betsy Alison. The clinic will give the competitors the opportunity to improve their sailing skills under guidance from top-level instructors, get accustomed to local sailing conditions, as well as scope out the competition on the water.

The winner of the Championship will be awarded the Nancy Leiter Clagett trophy by US SAILING. The trophy gets its namesake from one of the country’s renowned female sailors, Nancy Leiter, who was a champion in many classes of boats. Commonly known among sailing enthusiasts as “The Leiter,” the perpetual trophy was created by the late C. Thomas Clagett in memory of his wife and for the purposes of encouraging sailing among junior girls in the United States.

Further details are available from the US SAILING Website at the address below.