US champion of champions

Cayard to join elite roster in St Louis

20 of the country's top one-design sailors will vie for the Jack Brown Trophy at US Sailing’s 2009 Championship of Champions this week. The best of the best will convene at the Carlyle Sailing Association outside of St. Louis, Mo. for three days of racing. The regatta (sponsored nationally by Rolex Watch, U.S.A. and Sail Proud, and locally by North Sails) is known as one of the toughest one-design competitions in the United States. The championship will be raced in Lightnings on Carlyle Lake, October 15-17.

All of the competitors have qualified for this event by winning a National and/or North American Championship in a one-design class. This year’s roster of champions is stacked once again. Special guest competitor, Paul Cayard, leads the long list of contenders into action.

The 2007 US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Jeff Linton, will be on hand with crew Amy Smith Linton and Todd Wake. Linton has had another banner sailing season. He captured his fifth consecutive Classic Moth Midwinter Championship this year. As a tactician/main trim, he finished first at the Farr 30 North American Championships. He finished second at the 2007 US Sailing Championship of Champions in Snipes and was the 2008 Lightning North American Champion and 2007 Lightning World Champion.

Allan Terhune returns to the Championship of Champions for a third time. The former 2003 winner is a two-time Lightning North American Champion in 2008 and 2003. He qualified by winning the 2009 Flying Scot North Americans. Terhune was a finalist for the 2008 US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award. He will be joined by crew Catherine Terhune and Dave Perkowski.

Greg Fisher sails into Carlyle as one of the most versatile racers on the roster. The former collegiate All-American is a North American or National Champion in classes including the Lightning, Thistle, J/22, Flying Scot, Highlander, and Johnson 18. He qualified by winning the 2008 Thistle National Championship. He also captured the 2008 J/22 World Championship. Fisher will be accompanied by Missouri natives Dan and Tobi Moriarty.

2009 Snipe National Champion, Augie Diaz, returns to the Championship of Champions where he finished third in the 2007 event - sailed in Snipes. Diaz’s domination in the Snipe class has been well documented. He won the Snipe Nationals and North Americans in 2008. Barr Batzer and Michele Sumpton will crew for Diaz.

The competitors have a wide range of sailing backgrounds, from 71-year-old Y-Flyer International Champion, Paul White to 14-year-old Optimist North American Champion, Chris Williford.