US Sailing expands partnership

Additional sponsors brought in for the Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series

US Sailing announced today that it will expand its Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series to 18 events in the 2006 season. In addition to title sponsor Mount Gay Rum, Sperry Top-Sider and Sunsail have also become Official Sponsors of the program.

US Sailing's Mount Gay Rum Speaker Series was first created in 2005 as a grassroots, educational series delivering high quality seminars to sailors nationwide. The Series proved to be very successful in its first year with more than 1,500 sailors attending ten events. Details are currently being finalized to bring the Series to 18 different sailing organizations around country. The 2006 schedule will be announced next month, with events scheduled between January and April.

"The Speaker Series program is a great way for us to impact sailors directly and it's a natural fit to partner with top industry leaders like Mount Gay Rum, Sunsail and Sperry Top-Sider for these grassroots events," said US Sailing's Marketing Director Dan Cooney. "These are brands that sailors know and love."

As Official Sponsors of the Speaker Series, Mount Gay Rum (Official Rum of US Sailing), Sperry Top-Sider (Exclusive Footwear Supplier to the US Sailing Team) and Sunsail (a leading provider of yacht charter vacations worldwide) are demonstrating that they are dedicated to enhancing the sport and developing unique events that will help sailors improve their on and off the water sailing knowledge.