Portsmouth, R.I. (September 14, 2005) - US SAILING, national governing body for the sport, has determined the ranking system for the 2006 US Sailing Team. Each, year, US SAILING names the members of the US Sailing Team based on athletes’ performances at a series of qualifying regattas. The 2006 ranking system names at least two qualifying events for each Olympic class, except for the new Neil Pryde RS:X which has one qualifying event. US SAILING’s 2006 Rolex Miami OCR is a mandatory event for all classes. The ranking system for the 2006 US Sailing Team also determines the athletes who will be selected to compete in the 2006 World Sailing Games, which will be held May 10-20 in Austria, and the 2006 Olympic Test event, scheduled for August 18-31 in China.

The US Sailing Team annually distinguishes the top five ranked sailors in each of the nine classes (11 events) selected for the next Olympic Games. A complete overview of qualifying events for the 2006 US Sailing Team is available at www.ussailing.org/olympics/2006/rankingsystems.htm. The classes selected for the 2008 Olympic Games are: Finn (men); 470 (men and women); Laser (men); Laser Radial (women); Neil Pryde RS:X (men and women); 49er, Star, Tornado (all open); and Yngling (women). The 2008 Olympic Games are scheduled for August 8-24 in Beijing, China. The Olympic Regatta will be held in Qingdao, a coastal city located 430 miles east of Beijing.

The 2006 US Sailing Team will be named in the spring of 2006 when all qualifying events have been completed. The ranking system for the 2006 US Disabled Sailing Team will be announced later this month.

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