US Junior Olympic Sailing Festival starts Friday July 3rd

12:29 AM Thu 2 Jul 2009 GMT

'Ben Barger, US Sailing Team Alphagraphics, the featured speaker at the SUBWAY? Celebrate Sailing Dinner, kicks off the 2009 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival in Pensacola July 3-5' Walter Cooper &copy Click Here to view large photo

On Friday, July 3rd the Independence holiday action kicks off with final registration for Pensacola Yacht Club's USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival presented by SUBWAY? Restaurants. Exciting youth racing clinics will be offered all day long.

Ben Barger, USA Olympic RS:X board sailor and five time US National Champion, will be on hand to give the young sailors personal insights on international and Olympic competition. Barger is currently the 24th ranked RS:X board sailor in the world and the top ranked American.

Then on Friday night, PYC goes into high gear. Ben Barger will be the guest speaker at the SUBWAY? Celebrate Sailing Junior Olympic Sailing Festival kick-off dinner. Each of the youth sailors participating in the festival will have a free ticket to the dinner and show. This exciting presentation is open to PYC members, guests and also to the general public. It's a big holiday event for anyone interested in sailing and the Olympics.

Racing takes the spotlight on Saturday and Sunday with competition in nine racing classes: Opti Green, Red, White, and Blue fleets; Laser Full, Radial & 4.7 fleets; Flying Scots, Club 420's. The committee predicts that there will be anywhere from 75 to 100 young sailors participating in the festival. Prizes will be awarded Sunday afternoon.

by Talbot Wilson