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Yngling sailors Sally Barkow, Carrie Howe, and Deb Capozzi will most likely be one of the teams competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials (photo Walter Cooper/US SAILING |
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Narragansett Bay will be the host of two Olympic sailing events in October of 2006 and 2007. After several Narragansett Bay sailing organizations formed a partnership and won the bid to host sailing Olympic Pre-Trials and Trial events, the Rhode Island Sailing Foundation will host the events under the leadership of Dr. Robin Wallace. Other organizations who have joined the the partnership to organize and run the events include Sail Newport, New York Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club, the State of Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay Marine Community.
The Laser fleet, one of the classes that will compete in the waters off Newport to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games. Photo Walter Cooper, US SAILING Pre Trials will run from October 12-15, 2006 and provide a warm up regatta for the the Olympic Trials set for October, 2007. Paralympic classes sailing in the Newport area include: Sonar (3 people), 2.4mR (1 person) and UD 18 (2 people, coed or 2 women). The Yngling (3 women) will serve as the Women’s keelboat class. The Olympic Trials will include two Laser classes—the Laser Full Rig (men) and the Laser Radial (women) that will race on courses off of Third Beach in Middletown. Using Third Beach as a venue will serve as a challenge as the Olympic sailing events will require a mini-sailing village complete with office trailers, a hospitality tent, judging facilities & boat set-up. Alternative racing areas for all circles include offshore of Brenton State Park and north of the Newport Bridge depending on weather conditions and class requirements. In order to successfully implement this event, there will be an enormous need for volunteers. It is estimated that over 100 race management volunteers will be needed on the water with an additional 30 people per venue on the shore. Individuals, organizations and businesses interested in volunteering or donating, please contact: Kim Cooper at Sail Newport, via email at kim.cooper@sailnewport.org or by calling 401-846-1983. |
For race organizers, the keys to success for these Trails will be planning and meeting in order to raise sufficient funds and motivate area sailing enthusiasts to volunteer to make this a world-class event that showcases Narragansett Bay and all it has to offer! Dr. Robin Wallace says, “We are thrilled for the opportunity to showcase the beautiful sailing venue on Narragansett Bay while at the same time making an impact on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team.” Sail Newport is a non-profit organization headquartered in Fort Adams State Park that has hosted dozens of local, regional, national and world-class sailing events. For more information, check their website www.sailnewport.org.
The Rhode Island State Committee which is appointed by Executive Order of The Governor, was created in 1974 at the urging of John Nicholas Brown. It is charged with helping sailing organizations promote the waters of Rhode Island as a venue for major sailing events at a regional, national and international level. The Committee is funded by grants from the Rhode Island Legislature to the Economic Development Council and by the City of Newport. For further information call: 401-846-3131
US SAILING's Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Nick Scandone will most likely be one of the top competitors in the 2.4mR to compete for a spot on the U.S. Paralympic Team - Sailing. Photo Dan Nerney/Rolex. © 2006 Newport Harbor Guide. All rights reserved.return to Newport Harbor Guide Articles |
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