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Feb 4, 2010, 4:48 PM
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CAL MARITIME TO REPRESENT U.S. IN STUDENT WORLD SAILING CUP IN FRANCE
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Contact:
Doug Webster
Director of Public Relations
dwebster@csum.edu
California Maritime Academy
200 Maritime Academy Dr.
Vallejo, CA 94590-8181
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CAL MARITIME TO REPRESENT U.S. IN STUDENT WORLD SAILING CUP IN FRANCE
Intense planning is already underway as The California Maritime Academy’s top sailors map a course to La Rochelle, France in late October to represent the United States in the annual Student Yachting World Cup. Cal Maritime won the annual Kennedy Cup in Annapolis last fall against some of the top U.S. collegiate sailing teams, and the right to represent the U.S. in the world competition. The challenge now is raising funds to transport, house and feed sailors and coaches and figuring out all the logistics.
Director of Sailing Charlie Arms Cartee notes that in the past, East Coast sailors have always been the U.S. representative in this world competition, hosted by the French in various locations including Marseille & La Trinité sur Mer. “This is the first time a west coast team has carried the U.S. flag into the Student Yachting World’s and this will be a great opportunity to showcase Cal Maritime and west coast U.S. collegiate sailing.”
She also expressed deep thanks to sailing coaches and staff from the University of Rhode Island, the 2009 U.S. representative, who generously provided their expertise on what is involved in preparing for and taking part in the international competition. “Their input on both logistics and fund-raising has been tremendously helpful in our initial planning,” she said.
Arms Cartee said the 2010 event will take place the final weekend in October in La Rochelle and will draw competitors from as many as ten different nations, primarily in Europe. “It’s going to be a challenge for us because this event happens right in the middle of our fall semester and our students carry heavy course loads because of our detailed maritime programs. This is also something that is not part of our regular program budget, so we’re going to have to reach out to alumni, friends and colleagues in the sailing community to raise most of the funds needed to get the team to and from the competition.”
Cal Maritime and Los Angeles Yacht Club are hosting the third annual Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup in Los Angeles March 12-14, bringing offshore collegiate sailing to the West Coast. “We’ll be making a big pitch during that event for help,” she said. The weekend of races and events includes a Regatta dinner for sailors, parents, alumni and friends of participating schools and the featured speaker will be Gary Jobson, a veteran of international sailing and current President of the U.S. Sailing Association.
Cal Maritime has a strong record of success in intercollegiate sailing with numerous wins in the Shields Cup which brings together teams from the national’s maritime and service academies and several top three finishes in the Kennedy Cup, both held at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. “We’re really excited about this opportunity,” Offshore Sailing Coach Jesse Cartee said, “but we also recognize that we have assumed a big burden as the U.S. representative in this prestigious international event. We’re going to use every opportunity to prepare and train, including the Harbor Cup competition, in order to make the best possible showing. We know the international competition will be skilled and highly motivated. It will be great to be part of the competition, but we all are going to do our best to come away with a victory.”
Tom Dunworth, Cal Maritime Vice President for Advancement, said the Academy’s Foundation will serve as a recipient and manager of donations in support of the team. Donations can be sent to The Cal Maritime Foundation, 200 Maritime Academy Drive, Vallejo, CA 94590 and designated for support of the Cal Maritime Student Yachting World Cup Fund.
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