North America’s Premier Regatta Olympic and Paralympic Class Racing Set for January, 2013

Portsmouth, R.I. (November 19, 2012) – US Sailing’s premier competition for Olympic and Paralympic class sailboat racing returns to Miami, Fla. January 27 – February 2, 2013. Now known as the ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, the regatta serves up six days of elite-level competition in the 13 sailing events selected for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Event organizers have posted the Notice of Race. Online registration is open for competitors and coaches, and ends on January 7, 2013.

“When the US Sailing Center was established in 1990, our goal was to run top-notch sailing events and become known as the North America’s best location for sailors looking to build an Olympic or Paralympic campaign,” said Event Chairman Gary Bodie. “Since that time US Sailing’s Miami Olympic Classes Regatta has drawn the world’s elite sailors, including Olympic and Paralympic medalists and hopefuls, and now the regatta’s new name reflects the event’s level of competition. We look forward to welcoming the world’s best once again to Biscayne Bay.”

One of the highlights of the winter Olympic and Paralympic circuit, the ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami is the only North American regatta to be included in the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) 2012-13 Sailing World Cup series.

For fleet racing in the Olympic classes, the regatta will consist of a five-day opening series (Monday – Friday) and a double-point medal race (Saturday). The top 10 finishers in the opening series of each class will advance to the medal race. Competitors in the Paralympic classes will have five days of fleet racing (Monday-Friday) and no medal race. Medals will be awarded to the top three boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class on Saturday, February 2.

Regatta Headquarters will be located at the US Sailing Center Miami, an official Olympic training center, in the Coconut Grove section of Miami, Fla. Event organizers have partnered with the City of Miami to provide world-class venues for competition. Additional hosts for the event include Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami Rowing Club and Shake-a-Leg Miami. These sailing organizations host classes onshore, as well as help run the on-the-water racing. The Coral Reef Yacht Club also hosts the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

The 2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami is sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider, Harken McLube and the University of Miami Hospital.

About US Sailing’s ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami

Established in 1990 by US Sailing, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami annually draws elite sailors, including Olympic and Paralympic medalists and hopefuls from around the world. The regatta is open to boats competing in events chosen for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition and the 2016 Paralympic Sailing Competition. The 10 Olympic classes are: Laser Radial (women’s one person dinghy), Laser (men’s one person dinghy), Finn (men’s 2nd one person dinghy), RS:X (men’s and women’s board), 49er (men’s skiff), 49er FX (women’s skiff), 470 (men’s and women’s two person dinghy), and Nacra 17 (mixed two person multihull). The three Paralympic classes are: 2.4mR (one person keelboat), SKUD-18 (two person keelboat) and Sonar (three person keelboat). In addition to being an ISAF Sailing World Cup ranking event, the regatta also will aid in selecting members of the 2013 US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider.

About US Sailing
The ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami is organized by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, which 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 Top-Sider. For more information, please visit us at www.ussailing.org.

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Press Contact: Dana Paxton, US Sailing, 401-683-0800 x615, danapaxton@ussailing.org