Olympic Hopefuls Scheduled to Attend Cocoa Event

Thursday, October 22---Indian River Yacht Club and Brevard County Parks and Recreation are pleased to announce the 2009 Cocoa Match Race, November 7 and 8, in the waters off Cocoa Village. This ISAF Grade 4 event will be attracting people from around the country, including a team of Olympic hopefuls from New Jersey. Match racing is an exciting segment of the sailing sport and is becoming very popular in the U.S. “We’ve seen a ground swell of interest in match racing and we are working to ride that wave,” explains Liz Baylis, Executive Director of Women’s International Match Racing Association. “Our intent is to attract sailors and racers who are curious to learn about this exciting facet of our sport. We predict that they will be converted from ’sailors’ to ’match racers’ and be excited about joining the ranks of match racers competing around the world."

In addition to the Match Race event over the weekend, Cocoa will be the location of a sailboat racing clinic being conducted by North U, a training organization out of Connecticut. “I have traveled around the world, teaching Match Racing tactics and strategies,” says Bill Gladstone, Executive Director of North U. “I love coming to Cocoa to lead this clinic. The location is perfect with consistent winds, friendly racers, and great shore-side facilities.”

Match Racing is the newest event to be added to the Olympics, with its debut scheduled for the London 2012 summer games. Match Racing is unlike any other sailboat race; its very easy to watch and understand, as there are only two boats on the course at a time. Each boat tries to outmaneuver the other and draw a penalty while chasing each other around a short course. “It’s a combination of drag racing and tennis,” states Kevin Dooley, of Team Adrift (St. Pete, FL), an attendee of the 2009 Cocoa Match Race. “Top racers favor match racing because of its focus on talent and teamwork. And because the dual between the two boats is simple to understand and full of action, Match Racing is a spectator-friendly format of sailboat racing.”

Team Foxsea (Jersey Shore, NJ) will be coming to town to continue their bid for the 2012 Olympics. “Over the summer we started our Olympic campaign for Women’s Match Racing for the 2012 Games,” enthuses Danielle Sorianno of Team Foxsea. “This will be our first time to Cocoa and we look forward to the experience as we get one step closer in our hunt for the GOLD!”

“Match racing is addictive,” says Jerry Butz, organizer of the Cocoa Match Race. “This just might be the most fun a person can have on a sailboat with his gloves on!”

Race Time: Racing starts on Saturday, November 7 at 1 pm and continues through the afternoon. On Sunday, November 8, racing begins at 10 and continues until about 2:30.

Best place to watch: From a boat on the Indian River. If a boat is not available, park along Rockledge Dr., just South of the Cocoa city line (Oleander Point), and watch from the shoreline. NOTE TO MEDIA: Contact Jerry Butz regarding schedule for media boat, 321-638-0090.

Clinic Time: The clinic is open to anyone interested in learning about this exciting segment of sailboat racing. The clinic is Friday, November 6, 5-9 pm at the Coast Guard Auxiliary Building at Lee Wenner Park in Cocoa, FL.

More Information: Contact Jerry Butz, Indian River Yacht Club, 321-638-0090

Sponsors: Boaters Exchange, Brevard County Parks & Rec, Edgewater Powerboats, Indian River Yacht Club, Match Racing Orlando, North U, Waters Sails