From July 5 to July 8, junior sailors from around the world will descend on Annapolis for the the 2012 Junior Olympic Sailing Festival – Chesapeake Bay Open presented by BMW-Mini of Annapolis.

The 2012 Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Chesapeake Bay Open presented by BMW-Mini of Annapolis is going to be more than your usual youth regatta! This four-day event will be held just three weeks before the beginning of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The event begins Thursday, July 5 with high-quality youth clinics followed by Olympic-style opening ceremonies featuring ESPN personality Gary Jobson. July 6 kicks off three days of fun and competitive junior sailing featuring five separate fleets of boats. Closing ceremonies take place on July 8 and will feature awards presentations by renowned sailor and Olympic silver medal winner Scott Steele.

A youth-oriented Olympic Village on the AYC Annex grounds will feature activities for all ages. Highlights include a face painting contest with Zinka sunscreen, a games truck, daily visits from the Kona Ice truck, and beautiful gear for sale from Coral Reef Sailing Apparel and Layline.

Junior competitors will stay energized with complimentary breakfasts and dinners at the Festival Tent next to the Olympic Village. Volleyball matches for older competitors and a water slide for the younger ones will add to the off-water fun.

There will be lots of serious sailing as well — Optimists, Club 420s, Laser full and radial rigs, and Hobie 16s will all compete each day. Friday will be the AYC Annual Regatta, Saturday is the SSA/Sandy MacVickar Annual Regatta, and the Hobie Youth North American Championships run all three days. The entire event is the Junior Olympics; the regatta counts for double points for the Corum High Point Award.

Sailors for the Sea is certifying this Junior Olympic event as a Clean Regatta at the silver level. This is a first for the Annapolis Yacht Club and it's made possible by the generous support of Culligan/US Water, who will provide bulk filtered and chilled water for all phases of this event. Minimizing the use of bottled water, providing recycling containers, and using paperless communication, as well as existing environmentally friendly practices, all contribute to achieving this certification.

In the spirit of the Junior Olympic movement, this event is open to all junior sailors and has a significant community outreach component. Community partners include Box of Rain, an Annapolis-based organization providing skill-building for at-risk youth through marine and land-based activities. A beautiful wooden stand-up paddleboard built by Box of Rain youth from a kit donated by Annapolis-based Chesapeake Light Craft will be on display in the Olympic Village.

Youth from Box of Rain will march in the opening ceremonies and man the paddleboard display to showcase their skills and accomplishments. They’ll also receive novice sailing instruction from expert instructors aboard the Annapolis Yacht Club’s fleet of J/22s.

“This will be THE event of the summer for juniors on the Chesapeake Bay; we have a tremendous amount of support from the local community, the sailing community, our sponsors, our volunteers, and the kids,” says event chair John Morgan.

He continues, “This is all translating into what will be an incredible experience here in Annapolis for over 250 competitors and the public. Our timing is also fortuitous, as this event falls just three weeks before the opening ceremonies for the London Olympics, raising the interest level in Olympic style events such as ours.”

Online registration and more information are available now at www.annapolisyc.org/juniorolympics.

About US SAILING's Junior Olympic Sailing Program

US SAILING's Junior Olympic Sailing Program is a nationwide series of regattas for youth ages 8 to 21. Each event in this family of regattas is hosted by a different club or organization, but all events share a common goal: to promote the enjoyment of sailing and development of skills to young sailors as well as provide an Olympic pathway for talented junior sailors. Events mix Olympic-style competition with elements of learning and fun for all levels, from beginning racers to those with Olympic aspirations. In 2012, 30 events are planned in the continental United States and Hawaii and over 4,500 sailors expected to participate. Junior Olympic Sailing is coordinated by US SAILING and sponsored nationally by West Marine and Gill.

About Annapolis Yacht Club

AYC was founded in 1886 as an informal canoe club. Today the Club's mission is to encourage and support a wide range of boating activities and to maintain facilities for the recreational and social use of its 2000 members. The Annapolis Yacht Club is a full service, year-round premier private yacht club that provides high-quality programs for its members. These include sailboat racing, cruising for sailors and power boaters, a vigorous junior sailing program, fun and educational winter activities, social events, and first class dining and banquet facilities. Visit www.annapolisyc.org to learn more.

About Severn Sailing Association

SSA was established in 1954 to promote, foster, encourage and sponsor one-design sailing on the Severn River. SSA hosts 18 club and open fleets that enjoy the best of one-design sailing; benefiting from quality race management and some of the best sailing waters on the East Coast, the club actively hosts National and World Championship events to a full schedule of local fleet racing. 

Kari Oakes

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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 20 June 2012 )