2005 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival

Created to help young sailing enthusiasts develop their sailing skills while having fun on and off the water, the programme is organized by US SAILING, national governing body for the sport. West Marine, continuing it's support of youth sailing, is presenting sponsor of the programme, as it has been since the programme's inception in 1997. The programme is also supported by Gill.

Many sailors' dreams of competing in the Olympic Games begin in junior programmes. The USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival programme provides a perfect launching pad for sailors with those dreams. It is a grassroots youth development programme created for youngsters to become involved in sailing and develop their skills, with a goal of making sailing a life-long sport.

While all Festivals incorporate elements of fun and learning, each features different levels of competition with fun clinics. In 2004, more than 4,500 young sailors participated in the nationwide programme. Overall, more than 24,000 young sailors have gone out on the water as a Junior Olympic competitor. The largest event in the programme is the Orange Bowl Regatta, held each year in December in Miami, Florida, USA. More than 660 competitors from eleven countries participated in the event last year.

For more information about USA Junior Olympic Sailing, please contact Lee PARKS, US SAILING Inshore Director at juniorolympics@ussailing.org. More information on these events and the 2005 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Schedule can be found on the US SAILING Website.