Twin symposia

US Sailing's National Sailing Programs and One-Design Sailing symposia to take place in New Orleans next month

When US Sailing's two Symposiums, the National Sailing Programs Symposium and One-Design Sailing Symposium, kick off in New Orleans next month, the participants better have their notebooks ready. Not only will they get to participate in numerous seminars and share notes with fellow sailing program and one-design class organizers, they will also get to listen to keynote speakers and sailing experts such as Paul Cayard, William Pinkney, and John Rousmaniere, to name a few. The two Symposiums will be held together over a five-day period in New Orleans, La., January 17-21, 2007. The National Sailing Programs Symposium, presented by Vanguard Sailboats and geared towards sailing program organizers, will kick off the events on Wednesday, January 17 and run through Sunday, January 21. The early registration deadline for both events is this coming Friday, December 15.

With the two Symposiums just over a month away, the event agendas are filling up with interesting seminars, covering a wide range of topics. For the sailing program organizers, topics will include fundraising, logistics of running a program for disabled sailors, boat maintenance, obtaining grants, and much more. The one-design fleet organizers will learn more about fleet-building strategies, creating a one-design newsletter, boat measurements, and much more. With the Symposiums taking place in the region heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina last year, participants will also learn more about how the sailing programs, clubs and one-design fleets in the area are being rebuilt.

For more information on both events, including the latest event agendas and list of keynote speakers, please visit http://www.ussailing.org/news/2006/symposiums.htm.

The joint location for the two Symposiums enables participants to attend seminars from both Symposiums at a discounted rate. Registration for the NSPS includes entry into the ODSS. Registration for the NSPS is $150 through December 15, $175 after December 15 (US Sailing members receive $25 off). Participants of the ODSS who arrive in New Orleans on January 19 or 20 can attend any Saturday seminars of the NSPS at the ODSS rate. Registration for the ODSS is $105 through December, $130 after that date (US Sailing members receive $25 off). December 15 is also the deadline for discounted room reservations at the Marriott Hotel where both events are held.

About the National Sailing Programs Symposium

First created in 1983 and held annually since, US Sailing's National Sailing Programs Symposium has, over the years, brought together thousands of sailing program organizers. Presented by Vanguard Sailboats, this Symposium is an outstanding event for any sailing program organizer, with numerous educational seminars and workshops on the agenda. The purpose of this annual Symposium is for participants to network with other organizers and to share ideas on what it takes to run a successful sailing program. For information, click here.

About the One-Design Sailing Symposium
Created for sailors and one-design classes who would like to learn more about one-design sailing, US Sailing first organized the One-Design Symposium in 2004. The event has been a success from the beginning. With over 150 active sailboat classes in the U.S., topics at the Symposium cover the full spectrum from the nuts and bolts of building a fleet to the intricacies of keeping a successful class running smoothly. For information, click here visit .

About Vanguard Sailboats
Demonstrating its ongoing commitment to the development of sailing, the NSPS is once again presented by Vanguard Sailboats. Vanguard Sailboats has been a dedicated sponsor of numerous US Sailing events, including NSPS and U.S. Championships, for more than a decade. Vanguard supports and sponsors sailing at many levels, encouraging sailors in the U.S. to participate in and enjoy the sport, and ensuring great competition among sailors. Visit their website at www.teamvanguard.com.

About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing) is the national governing body for sailing and sailboat racing. Headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization's mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing in the U.S. US Sailing offers training and education programs, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including the US Sailing Teams and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams.