US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has awarded its prestigious St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy for excellence in race management to Corpus Christi Yacht Club in Corpus Christi, TX. Corpus Christi Yacht Club was selected from a list of 19 nominations for outstanding organization and execution of the J/80 World Championship held last July. The Trophy was presented to Commodore Steve Hastings, Teri Ficken, Regatta Chairman and Mark Foster, Principal Race Officer of Corpus Christi Yacht Club by US SAILING's Race Management Committee Chair Jim Tichenor earlier this evening during an awards dinner at US SAILING's Annual Meeting in Newport, R.I.

With 33 boats from five different nations, the host club had its hands full organizing this regatta and ensuring world-class racing.  All skippers were asked to rate the race management and all gave very high ratings for mark setting accuracy and setting of marks, starting lines, finishing lines, signal visibility, course location, and reaction to wind.

Emblematic of excellence in race management, the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy was awarded originally by St. Petersburg Yacht Club in the late 1960s to recognize the club that ran the best regatta. The trophy was retired for several years until it was donated to US SAILING in 1977. The winner is selected on the basis of race management superiority and evaluation by participating skippers. To be eligible for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy in 2007, events must be held between September 1, 2006 and August 31, 2007. Regatta organizers may get program information on US SAILING's web site. Entries must be postmarked no later than September 5, 2007.

For more information on US SAILING's St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy, including a list of all nominations for this year's presentation, please visit www.ussailing.org/racemgt/St_Pete_Trophy/index.htm. 

Marlieke de Lange Eaton

Image from left to right: Corpus Christi Yacht Club Commodore Steve Hastings, Regatta Chair Teri Ficken, Jim Tichenor, and PRO Mark Foster.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 19 November 2006 )