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21 September 2005, 01:12 pm

Champions Return to Defend Title

U.S. Match Racing Championship 2005

Newport Beach, California, USA

Last year's Champions - skipper Karl ZIEGLER and crew Dean BRENNER and Michael WELCH - are returning this year to defend their title at the ISAF Grade 3 U.S. Match Racing Championship in Newport Beach, California, USA.

Crew BRENNER has already won the Championship a record four times and is looking to make this Championship his fifth. The teams arrived at host club Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach yesterday and, after a clinic today, racing will begin tomorrow and run through to this Saturday. The U.S. Match Racing Championship is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Dry Creek Vineyard.

Competitors qualified for the U.S. Match Racing Championships by winning a series of qualifying events at a local and regional level. The winning boat will be presented with US SAILING's Prince of Wales Bowl, a trophy that was originally created in 1931. The U.S. Match Racing Championship is sailed in Governors Cup 21s.

Marlieke Eaton (As Amended By ISAF). Image, 2004 winners Dean BRENNER, Karl ZIEGLER and Mike WELCH:© Event Media

World Sailing TV

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.