Old Orchard Beach and Bucksport Middle School
Win Third Annual Young America Cup

OLD TOWN, MAINE - A team representing Old Orchard Beach High School and Bucksport Middle School topped a field of 30 teams from 13 junior high and high schools from around the state to win the Third Annual Young America Cup today at Old Town High School.

The Cup winners will sail on one of the NYYC/Young America Challenge America's Cup training boats this summer. The Young America Cup Challenge is part of the national education program of the NYYC/Young America Challenge
for the America's Cup in 2000.

The Bucksport Middle School team of Jean Thompson, Andrea Pelletier, and Sabrina Davis won the Level 1 category for middle schools. The team's advisor is Fred Almquist. The Old Orchard Beach High School team of Mike Billingslea, Dave Glaude, and Jon Goulet took first place in the high school division. The team's advisor is Mike Aaskov. (Results attached.)

More than 100 students raced their individually designed and built model sailboats in a tank in the Old Town High School gymnasium. The racing was just one component of the competition which also featured oral presentations and displays depicting the culture, history, and geography of the nations the students chose to represent. The students advanced to the Young America Cup finals through a three-part series of regional qualifiers held throughout the state in April.

Schools competing in the Young America Cup Challenge were: St. James, Biddeford; Bucksport Middle School, Bucksport; Camden-Rockport High School, Camden; Gray New Gloucester High School, Gray; Piscataquis Community Middle School, Guilford; Lewiston High School, Lewiston; Sugg Middle School, Lisbon; Old Orchard Beach High School, Old Orchard Beach; Old Town High School, Old Town; Winthrop High School, Winthrop; Wiscasset High School, Wiscasset; York Middle School, York.

Young America, the New York Yacht Club America's Cup Challenge team known for its innovative national education program, hosts the competition. The format is modeled on the America's Cup sailing match itself, an international Challenge involving substantial design and technology.

In the qualifying rounds, students formed teams and selected a country to represent as a Challenger. The teams developed a display and research report on the history of the challenging nation. They then researched, designed and constructed a 16-inch model boat which they raced in a 14-foot-long tank. The entries were judged by a panel of volunteers who awarded points based on the entry's written and aesthetic presentation as well as race performance. For the state finals, the teams also were required to make an oral presentation about the experiences the team had while working on a project of this magnitude.

"The Young America Cup Challenge offers important multi-disciplinary learning situations rarely found in the traditional classroom," explained Rob Cronk, President of the Technology Education Association of Maine (TEAM). "The competition offers teams of three students challenges in many different areas: identifying real-life problems, creating strategies, applying mathematics and science, doing research, experimenting and working as a team," he said.

Young America, the New York Yacht Club America's Cup Challenge, has teamed up with leading
regional Partner Yacht Clubs throughout the nation - Portland Yacht Club (Maine), Annapolis Yacht Club (Maryland), Bayview Yacht Club (Michigan), Chicago Yacht Club (Illinois), and St. Petersburg Yacht Club (Florida) - to join in the campaign to bring home the America's Cup in the year 2000. The America's Cup is currently held by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, who won the Cup in 1995. "Our mission to win the America's Cup includes enhancing the scientific literacy of our nation's young learners by involving them hands-on in the excitement of this international competition," explained Jim Marshall, Director of Education for Young America.

"Together with our Partner Yacht Clubs, we are bringing quality educational opportunities, developed and tested in the State of Maine, to communities throughout our country. Like the race to the moon in the '60s, a technological competition is an ideal way to inspire young students about their studies and teach them about decision making and the importance of taking intellectual risks."

Headquartered in South Portland, Maine, the New York Yacht Club/Young America Challenge is dedicated to winning the America's Cup through technological innovation, teamwork and a total commitment to success. Its effort will represent the entire country through an alliance of distinguished Partner Yacht Clubs and by enhancing the scientific literacy of America's K-12 students with the innovative Young America National Education Program.

RESULTS: (School, student team members, faculty advisor, combined score)

LEVEL 1, Middle School:

1) Bucksport Middle School, Jean Thompson, Andrea Pelletier, Sabrina Davis; Fred Almquist;170.83; 2) Bucksport Middle School, Jeremy Porter, Abe Grindle, Jared Knight; Fred Almquist; 170.25; 3) Whitefield Elementary, Lianna
Nielsen, Holly Atkinson, John Karass; Karen McCormick/Colin Lemont; 165.17; 4) York Middle School, Becky Wacker, Alex Redfield; Lisa Graziano/Dave Southard; 165.08; 5) Piscataquis Community Middle School, Matt Bell, Jesse Gerber, Matt Knowlton; Crystal Priest/Ann Dall/Thelma Regan; 162.67.

LEVEL 2, High School:

1) Old Orchard Beach High School, Mike Billingslea, Dave Glaude, Jon Goulet; Mike Aaskov; 177.75; 2) Old Town High School, Don Parson, Jaimie Kennedy; Stan Peterson/Dave Smith; 170.83; 3) Camden-Rockport High School, James Buescher, Tyler Smith; Willard Hibbard; 154.83; 4) Old Town High School, Randy Rand, Ben Meak; Stan Peterson/Dave Smith; 154.17; 5) Wiscasset High School, Matthew Carle, Toon Prapaitrakul; Robert Cronk/Stacey Kemp; 153.58.