BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup, Annapolis Maryland

ANNAPOLIS, MD., June 5, 2010 – Close racing in hot, shifty conditions through today’s final contests of the semi-final and five-match final rounds in the 20^th annual BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup international women’s match-racing regatta produced a similar result to last year, with the French team skippered by Claire Leroy topping San Franciscan Genny Tulloch and her team 3-2 to retain Leroy’s title as champion for another year.

The regatta, which began Wednesday with the start of a double round-robin before the semi-final and final rounds, was sailed on the Chesapeake Bay out of Eastport Yacht Club by 10 of the world’s top-ranked female match racers in J/22s.

In the semi-final pairings, which were all tied up at the end of Friday’s racing, Tulloch and her crew, including Molly Carapiet, Katie Pettibone, and Jen Chamberlin, outfought Sally Barkow and her crew this morning, going on to win the series 3-2, while Leroy made short work of Floridian Anna Tunnicliffe and her team in just two more races to earn the spot to race Tulloch and defend her title.

The final series was a nail-biter, with Tulloch coming from behind in the second race to beat Leroy, and solidly in the lead throughout to win the fourth race, but Leroy and her team, including Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou, and Claire Pruvot, were able to hold the challengers off for a second straight year and win the other three.

Familiarity with her competition from racing here, in Europe, and in the Virgin Islands, helped boost Leroy’s confidence throughout the regatta as she faced off against women she has met – and defeated – in the past.

“In the final, we were against Tulloch, as always,” Leroy said. “She did a really good job. She was very aggressive and it was a really tough day to beat her.”

“Things were very challenging today,” said Principal Race Officer Sharon Hadsell. “It was light and shifty and they had a lot of tough decisions to make, but ultimately they all had to make the same decisions. It was very tactical with lots of shifts. All in all, it was a great regatta.”

The field of sailing talent at this year’s regatta was stellar, with seven of the world’s top-twenty ranked skippers – including five of the top ten – and top-notch crews in the fleet, including present and past Rolex Yachtswomen of the Year, Olympians, and world champions. Three of the semi-finalists are among the top contenders to represent the U.S. in the new women’s match-racing discipline at the 2012 Olympics, while defending champion Leroy, from Nantes, France, held the number-one international ranking spot for an unprecedented run of nearly five years before slipping to the number two spot in April.

ANNAPOLIS, MD., June 4, 2010 – With the completion of the full double round-robin portion of the 20^th annual BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup international women’s match-racing regatta this afternoon, six of the 10 highly-ranked teams of female sailors went home early while the top four teams advanced to the semi-finals.

Of these teams, three are among the top contenders to represent the U.S. in the new women’s match-racing discipline at the 2012 Olympics, and the fourth is defending BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup champion Claire Leroy, from Nantes, France, who held the top international ranking spot for an unprecedented run of nearly five years before slipping to the number two spot in April.

Sally Barkow of Nashota, Wisconsin, a former Olympian and Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year for 2005 and 2007 and three-time winner of this regatta, took the top spot in the fleet after winning every race in the second half of the round robin and losing only two in the first half, with Anna Tunnicliffe of Fort Lauderdale, the reigning Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and skipper of one of two U.S. Sailing Team Alphagraphics, in second with one loss in each half of the round-robin. Although their point totals are the same, Barkow earned the top spot by virtue of beating Tunnicliffe in each of their two meetings.

The regatta, which is being sailed out of Eastport Yacht Club in J/22s on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, continues through Saturday, when the winners of the semi-final round will meet in the final round and the other two will sail a petit-final series.

Sailing with Barkow are Elizabeth Kratzig, Suzy Leech, and Jennifer Wilson. Tunnicliffe’s team includes Molly Vandemoer, Debbie Capozzi, and Liz Bower, while Molly Carapiet, Katie Pettibone, and Jen Chamberlin are sailing with Tulloch. Leroy’s crew includes Elodie Bertrand, Marie Riou, and Claire Pruvot.

Conditions today continued hot with light air and lumpy seas, adding to the challenges of competition.

“We had some definite up and down races,” Barkow said. “When the light air comes in the angles get wider and it’s a little more tricky, the decisions get a little more difficult.”

With a straight run through today’s seven flights of the round-robin, Barkow’s team is demonstrating remarkable consistency.

“We’re working on the fine details now,” she explained, “figuring out when to communicate and when to just concentrate on the boat speed.”

With another hot day with light air predicted for Saturday, the field may have narrowed, but the regatta is far from over.

“We still have to win two more races tomorrow,” Barkow said. “And then there’s the finals.”

The regatta concludes with the awards party at Eastport Yacht Club Saturday evening. The public is invited to attend; a $30 cover charge includes dinner, drinks, and dancing to live music.

NEWS From BoatUS
Boat Owners Association of The United States
880 S Pickett St., Alexandria, VA 22304
BoatUS Press Room at http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: D. Scott Croft, 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com
Photo Available at: http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/hiRes/521.jpg
Photo Caption: City of Annapolis Proclamation "Celebrate Women in Sailing Week".

Mayor of Annapolis Proclaims "Celebrate Women in Sailing Week"
To Coincide with 20th BoatUS Santa Maria Cup, June 1-5, 2010

ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 4, 2010 - City of Annapolis, Maryland, Ward Eight Alderman Ross H. Arnett, III, read a proclamation from Annapolis Mayor Joshua J. Cohen proclaiming this week, "Celebrate Women in Sailing Week," to coincide with the BoatUS Santa Maria Cup Women's Match Racing Championship . The competition is now being hosted by Eastport Yacht Club and runs through Saturday, June 5.

"This proclamation is a great way to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the BoatUS Santa Maria Cup," said Claire Wyngaard of BoatUS. The recreational boat owners association has sponsored the race for fifteen years. "It also reinforces the importance of women's sailing programs not only in America's sailing capital, but in every community with sailboats on the waterfront."

With a field that includes 10 teams of the top-ranked female match racers in the world -- including six of the top 11 -- the "match race" format pits identical 22-foot sailboats in one-on-one duels, with each boat carrying crews of four. Some in the racing world are saying the competition is an early look into the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games.

The Santa Maria Cup began in 1991 when women were refused entry into Baltimore's Columbus Cup. At the time was said to be "the first women's regatta of its type to be held in the United States," reported the Baltimore Sun. Today, the event is an International Sailing Federation Grade 1 event, and continues to attract the top women's match racing skippers.

After two days of double round robin competition, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2008 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Anna Tunnicliffe is leading with 10 wins. Racing resumes today with finals tomorrow.

For more information on the BoatUS Santa Maria Cup, go to www.BoatUSSantaMariaCup.org . For more information on women in boating, go to: www.BoatUS.com/women .

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About BoatUS:
BoatUS - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.

ANNAPOLIS, MD., June 3, 2010 -- Hot and sticky conditions with the threat of thunderstorms were not enough to stifle racing today, and the 20^th annual BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup international women’s match-racing regatta continued with an additional six flights, completing the first half of the double round-robin phase and two of the remaining nine in the second half in breezes ranging from 5 to 12 knots before the breeze died in the face of an oncoming line of squalls.

Sailing with Tunnicliffe are her U.S. Sailing Team Alphagraphics teammates Molly Vandemoer and Debbie Capozzi, along with Liz Bower.

Tunnicliffe and her team, eyes focused on the new women’s match-racing event in the 2012 London Olympics, are using this event as a training exercise as well as serious competition. “We’re sailing well,” she said, “working on some parts of our game, but there is still a lot of racing ahead. There are plenty of good teams here and any one of them can jump on you if you make a mistake.”

Defending champion Claire Leroy of France finished the first half of the round robin with wins in seven of the nine races, and added two more victories in the early second half, while American Sally Barkow, who has won this regatta three times previously, has an equivalent record, and handed Tunnicliffe her only loss so far in today’s second race, the seventh flight in the first half of the round-robin.

American Genny Tulloch is not far behind with eight wins to date, including seven in the first half of the round-robin. Like Tunnicliffe and Barkow, she, too, has her eye on the U.S. slot for the 2012 Olympics, heightening the excitement surrounding this regatta.

Brazilians Juliana Senfft and Raquelhora Aimone did not race in the seventh flight, and will have to make it up later, so their totals are one short of the others’.

The Women’s International Match Racing Association (WIMRA) and National Sailing Hall of Fame are holding a Garden Party honoring the competitors and umpires of the 20^th Anniversary BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup tomorrow evening, Friday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at Historic Annapolis Foundation’s Paca House, 186 Prince George Street. The party is open to the public, and net proceeds will benefit WIMRA. Tickets are $25 and are available at the Eastport Yacht Club bar or by contacting Susan Nahmias susan.nahmias@nshof.org or 410-990-9001.

For more information and live results and commentary from the water, go to the event website, www.boatussantamariacup.org.

ANNAPOLIS, MD., June 2, 2010 -- Light and shifting breeze kept the racers ashore through the morning today, but by noon a light southeasterly had settled in enough to get racing underway in the first day of the 20th annual BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup international women’s match-racing regatta being sailed out of Eastport Yacht Club on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. Ten teams of the top-ranked female match racers in the world, including six of the top eleven, are facing off in the series, which runs through Saturday, June 5.

By late afternoon, five sets of matches in the double-round-robin phase of the regatta had been completed and two U.S. teams – led by Anna Tunnicliffe and Sally Barkow – were holding perfect records of five wins each. Barkow and her team, which includes Elizabeth Kratzig, Suzy Leech, and Jennifer Wilson, had to fight back from being over the starting line early in the fourth match, against Frenchwoman Julie Bossard, resulting in a very tight and exciting finish as Bossard’s team, who still held the lead on the final leg, had difficulty getting the spinnaker down to perform a penalty turn before the finish, allowing Barkow and her crew to slide by and cross the line by a narrow margin. “It was a little bit challenging out there, it was pretty light with a lot of up and down pressure,” Barkow said. “When we had a good start and didn’t make any mistakes, it was not so close, but when I made that mistake and we were over early, she had [to perform] a penalty [turn] but we still had to gain two lengths on her to get ahead.”

Barkow and company defeated Brazilians Juliana Senfft and Raquelhora Aimone, Frenchwoman Julie Bossard, and fellow Americans Genny Tulloch and Maegan Ruhlman, while Tunnicliffe and her crew, including Molly Vandemoer, Debbie Capozzie, and Liz Bower, bested Ruhlman, Aimone and Senfft, as well as France’s Anne-Claire Le Berre and Canadian Sarah Bury. Defending Santa Maria Cup champion Claire Leroy, a Frenchwoman ranked #2 in the world and the top seed in this regatta, defeated Bossard, Ruhlman, Aimone, and Senfft, but lost her match with Tulloch for a 4-1 record today. Tulloch, meanwhile, lost to Barkow but topped Leroy, Bossard, Bury, and Le Berre, also for a 4-1 record.

Barkow’s strong performance out of the gates is piquing a lot of interest. A former Olympian and two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, she is putting forth a strong challenge against rising stars Tunnicliffe and Tulloch, both of whom currently are on the U.S. Sailing Team Alphagraphics and has her sights set on the 2012 London games, when women’s match racing makes its Olympic debut. “This is kind of our building year, seeing who should be on our team,” Barkow explained. Barkow, who won the 2007 and 2008 BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup regattas, seemed confident in her team’s ability to handle such tough competition. “We’ve pretty much sailed against everybody out there in the past, so we know them,” she said. “I was disappointed we weren’t able to get in a couple more races today, but we’ll have a better idea after the first round-robin ends.”

On-water reporting and live results, as well as other information about the regatta are available on the event website, www.boatussantamariacup.org. BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup Results after 5 Flights, 1st Round-Robin Anna Tunnicliffe, USA (6), 5-0 Sally Barkow, USA (10), 5-0 Claire Leroy, FRA (2), 4-1 Genny Tulloch, USA (11), 4-1 Anne-Clare Le Berre, FRA (7), 2-3 Julie Bossard, FRA (8), 2-3 Juliana Senfft, BRA (19), 1-4 Maegan Ruhlman, USA (66), 1-4 Sarah Bury, CAN (67), 1-4 Raquelhora Aimone, BRA (66), 0-5

The 2010 BoatUS Santa Maria Cup was officially opened last evening at the Annapolis City Dock with a ceremony sponsored by Womanship and the National Sailing Hall of Fame. With international flags flying and boats sailing in the background, Alderman Ross Arnett read a special proclamation from Mayor Josh Cohen’s office, marking the June 1-5 event as part of the Celebrate Women in Sailing week. Eastport Yacht Club’s commodore (and Principal Race Officer of the event) Sharon Hadsell welcomed the sailors and Claire Wyngaard from the title sponsor BoatUS congratulated the event for its 20^th anniversary. She then recognized Susan Dierdorff Taylor with a special award, thanking her for serving as the original executive director of the event 20 years ago. After a parade led by young female up and coming sailors from the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program, the ten participating teams were introduced to the crowd. A welcome reception was then held at History Quest, hosted by Boatyard Bar and Grill, Tapenade, Main Ingredient, Palate Pleasers and Galway Bay.

Tuesday, the visiting teams spent the day practicing in borrowed boats and wrapped up the session with a practice “Pro-Am” race. Several members of the media jumped on board with the sailors for a front row seat experience and supporting companies “BoatingLaw.com”, “North Sails”, “National Sailing Hall of Fame”, “Downtown Sailing Center of Baltimore”, “Evolution Sails” raced against the ladies as they tuned up for the main event.

On Wednesday June 2 official racing begins in the Severn River and continues each day through Saturday. On Saturday evening, a closing awards party will be held at Eastport Yacht Club at 7pm. Tickets are $30 and available at the door. For more information about the racing, the schedule or the competitors, please check out the official website www.BoatUSSantaMariaCup.org.

Olympic feel for Santa Maria Cup

Annapolis City Dock is the spot for a dry-land sneak preview of women's sailing in the 2012 London Olympics when opening ceremonies for the 20th annual BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup Regatta are held tonight (6 p.m.). Once again, the prestigious international Grade 1 regatta, being sailed out of Eastport Yacht Club this week, brings 10 of the world's top female match-racing teams together to face off in J/22 sloops.

With the addition of women's match racing to Olympic sailing for the 2012 games, the regatta here will likely feature contests similar to those two years away. These can be seen on the water during the heated double round-robin series before the top four crews emerge to sail the finals and petit-finals on Saturday.

Top international skippers include France's Claire LeRoy, who is the defending BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup champion and two-time match racing world champion. LeRoy, who wants to regain her #1 ranking, will be joined by countrywomen Anne-Claire Le Berre and Julie Bossard, who are ranked seventh and eighth. From Brazil come skippers Juliana Senfft (19th) and Raquelhora Aimone (66th) while Sarah Bury from Canada (67th) completes the foreign contingent.

Their American counterparts also are impressive. Olympic gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe, the 2009 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and 6th-ranked women's match racer, will seek to capture her first Santa Maria Cup title. Also on hand will be three-time collegiate All-American Genny Tulloch, another US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics skipper and veteran of the Morning Light campaign. Relatively new to match racing, Tulloch already is ranked 11th on the circuit.

These two young American stars are joined by Olympian Sally Barkow (10th), a two-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and winner of the 2004, 2007 and 2008 BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup regattas. Local favorite is Maegan Ruhlman (48th), who earned her invitation with a win in the 2010 Sundance Cup earlier this year.

The week-longaction concludes with an awards party with live music, food and drink on Saturday evening. The party is open to the public and tickets are $30 at the door. More information about the regatta is available online at www.boatussantamariacup.org.

Press Contact: Nancy Noyes, Eastport Yacht Club, cell: 443-603-3745, EYC-Nancy@comcast.net

Press boat available on PRO-AM races day June 1 from 2 - 5 pm at Eastport Yacht Club. Also press invited to sail with competitors on this day. Contact Nancy Noyes

Photo Caption: Racers and judges are drawn from around the world. All competitors are campaigning for spots on the 2012 Olympic teams. The BoatUS Santa Maria Cup is part of the training and ranking process. Photo credit: Sara Proctor, Sailfastphotography

WHAT: Ten of the world’s best female skippers - including five of the top ten - and their three person crews will battle it out on the Chesapeake Bay at the BoatUS Santa Maria Cup Women’s Match Racing Championship, June 2 - 5. On June 1, the day prior to the start, there will be PRO-AM fleet races with local business sponsors and women competitors racing together on each boat. A spectator cruise to watch these races is available at 4 p.m. by Watermark Cruises (http://www.watermarkcruises.com/events.htm ). At 6 p.m., join the celebration of the cup’s 20^th year at the Susan C. Campbell Park on City Dock in Annapolis. See cup race schedule, commentary, photos and results at http://www.BoatUSSantaMariaCup.org .

WHEN: Spectator Cruise 4 p.m. and Opening Ceremony 6 p.m. on June 1. The regatta (or the official racing) starts Wednesday, June 2 and runs through Saturday June 5.

HOW: The BoatUS Santa Maria Cup is held in match race format that pits boat against boat, one on one. Unlike sailing races where big budgets and expensive, high-tech boats give an advantage, match racers take to the course in identical J-22 (22 foot) sailboats. The winners are determined through skill, tactics and finesse.

WHY: Claire Leroy of France, the world’s #2 ranked match racer will defend her title. She will face stiff competition from the USA’s top racers, Anna Tunnicliffe and Genny Tulloch and Sally Barkow as well as France’s Anne-Claire Le Berre and Julie Bossard.

WHO: The race is sponsored by BoatUS (Boat Owners Association of The United States) and hosted by the Eastport Yacht Club.

WHERE: Eastport Yacht Club (http://www.EastportYC.org ), 317 First St., Eastport, MD. The race is sailed on the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay adjacent Annapolis, MD.

The June issue of SpinSheet will hit the newstands on May 27th. Included in this issue will be the 2010 BoatUS Santa Maria Cup Regatta Program, a special keepsake insert. It will detail the latest information about this matchracing regatta and will profile each of our international womens teams.

SpinSheet is an Annapolis-based monthly magazine founded in the summer of 1995 by two active Chesapeake Bay sailors, Mary Ewenson and Dave Gendell. It celebrates the people, places, boats, personalities, and events that make the Chesapeake one of the world's premier sailing grounds.

BoatUS Santa Maria Cup Teams Announced
to Compete June 2-5, 2010 in Annapolis, Maryland

Teams Represent World's Top Female Skippers

Eastport, Md., April 27, 2010 -- Eastport Yacht Club and BoatUS will host a slate of the world-class female sailors on June 2-5 in Annapolis, Maryland, at the 2010 BoatUS Santa Maria Cup . The roster is comprised of many of the top-ranked international skippers, including three teams representing France, four teams from the USA, two Brazilian entries and a Canadian team. All competitors are campaigning for spots on 2012 Olympic teams and the BoatUS Santa Maria Cup is part of the training and ranking process.
Team captains and their home country are:

· Claire Leroy (France): Ranked 1st in the world and defending champion and two-time match racing World Champion (2007 and 2008).
· Anne-Claire Le Berre (France): Ranked 6th in the world.
· Julie Bossard (France): Ranked 7th in the world.
· Anna Tunnicliffe (USA): Ranked 10th in the world, Tunnicliffe is an Olympic gold medalist (Beijing 2008) and 2009 International Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year
· Genny Tulloch (USA): Ranked 14th in the world and three-time collegiate all-American, Tulloch was selected in 2007 as a team member of Morning Light, the vessel that was featured in the Disney documentary feature film. She was the only female to make the 11-person race team and compete in the legendary Transpac Race from California to Hawaii.
· Sally Barkow (USA): Ranked 17th in the world and an Olympian (Beijing 2008), Barkow is past Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and three-time winner of the BoatUS Santa Maria Cup.
· Juliana Senfft (Brazil): Ranked 25th in the world.
· Maegan Ruhlman (USA): Ranked 60th in the world and winner of the 2010 Sundance Cup, Ruhlman is a local 'Naptown favorite.
· Sarah Bury (Canada): Ranked 68th in the world.
· Raquelhora Aimone (Brazil): Ranked 79th in the world.

All of these top skippers and crew will be dueling it out on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay in a series of head-to-head matches. Unlike many regattas where big budget, high-tech boats usually have a pronounced advantage over their competition, BoatUS Santa Maria Cup captains and their three-woman crews compete on near-identical J-22 (22-foot) sailboats, with teams switching boats after each race and winners determined through skill, tactics and finesse. Adding to the excitement, the match race format pits boat against boat, one-on-one, in fast-paced duels that often sees the winner crossing the finish line a mere seconds ahead of their opponent.

On the day prior to the start of match racing -- Tuesday, June 1 -- journalists and TV crews are invited to sail with the competitors as they engage local area sailors in a special PRO-AM Race (contact Clare Vanderbeek, claregvanderbeek@aol.com).

Umpires Announced

Umpires responsible for overseeing the competition have been drawn from around the world, including the US Virgin Islands, Sweden, New Zealand, Great Britain, and the USA. All umpires have been certified by the International Sailing Federation, which is the world governing body for the sport of sailing.

Umpires include:
· Henry Menin (US Virgin Islands, Chief umpire)
· Charlotte Greppe (Sweden, Deputy umpire)
· Shane Borrell (New Zealand)
· Micheal Butterfield (Great Britain)
· Jim Capron (USA)
· Bruce Cook (USA)
· Bob Duffy (Bermuda)
· Sandy Grosvenor (USA)
· Dave Pyron (USA)
· Jeff Borland (USA)
· Deb Schoenherr (USA)
· Greg Kiely (USA)

Stay tuned to http://www.BoatUSSantaMariaCup.org as new information is posted.

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Editor's note:
The BoatUS Santa Maria Cup Opening Ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. on June 1 at Susan C. Campbell Park on City Dock in Annapolis and will be followed by a reception for competitors and the press at the Historical Annapolis Museum.

About Eastport Yacht Club:
Located on the Severn River in Annapolis, Maryland, this club of 600 members is recognized around the yacht-racing world as a leader in race management. Additional information about the club is available at www.EastportYC.org .

About BoatUS:
BoatUS - Boat Owners Association of The United States - is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contacts:
Liz Filter, Eastport Yacht Club, 410-924-2343, EMFilter@Verizon.net
D. Scott Croft, BoatU.S. 703-461-2864, SCroft@BoatUS.com

Photo Available at : http://www.BoatUS.com/pressroom/previewImg/467.jpg
Caption: It’s always a close race at the BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup, to be held June 2-5 in Annapolis, MD.
Credit: Sara Proctor, SailFastPhotography

BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup Celebrates 20 Years on June 2
2010 “Notice of Race” Issued

Eastport, Md., January 12, 2010 -- World-class sailboat match racing returns to Annapolis’ doorstep on June 2 - 5 with the 20th Annual BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup. A Notice of Race was issued today by race host Eastport Yacht Club , which is the first step in the invitational process which will end up with ten of the world’s top women skippers dueling it out on the Chesapeake Bay in a series of matches over four days. The race is sponsored by Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) .

Unlike many match races and regattas, where big budget, high-tech boats could have a pronounced advantage over their competition, BoatU.S. Santa Maria Cup captains and their three-women crews compete on near-identical J-22 (22-foot) sailboats, with teams switching boats after each race and winners determined through skill, tactics and finesse. Adding to the excitement, the match race format pits boat against boat, one-on-one, in fast-paced duels that often sees the winner crossing the finish line a mere seconds ahead of its opponent.

On the day prior to the start — Tuesday, June 1 — journalists and TV crews are invited to sail with the competitors as they engage local area sailors in a special PRO-AM Race (contact Clare Vanderbeek).

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About Eastport Yacht Club:
Located on the Severn River in Annapolis, Maryland this club of 600 members is recognized around the yacht-racing world as a leader in race management. Additional information about the club is available at www.EastportYC.org .

About BoatU.S.
BoatU.S. – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.