Presented by Vanguard Sailboats

Portsmouth, R.I. (December 5, 2005) – US SAILING’s 2006 National Sailing Programs Symposium, presented by Vanguard Sailboats, is shaping up to be an outstanding event for any sailing program organizer, with many educational seminars and workshops on the event’s agenda. The purpose of the annual Symposium is to network with other organizers and to share ideas on what it takes to run a successful sailing program. The 5-day event will be held January 18-22, 2006 at the Long Beach Marriott in Long Beach, Calif.

Early registration for the National Sailing Programs Symposium is open through Thursday, December 8th. The early registration fee is $125.00, which includes lunches, coffee breaks, cocktail parties, access to all workshops and seminars, as well as a comprehensive event binder. The registration fee after that date, including at the door, is $150.00. Online registration is available at www.ussailing.org/training/nsps/2006/index.htm.

Topics that will be addressed at the National Sailing Programs Symposium cover a wide range and include the following:

- Safety

- Building a staff and keeping it strong

- Program Insurance

- Creative teaching techniques and products

- Fundraising and Grant Writing Tips

- Getting the word out – creative & effective marketing tools

- Sailing into Science- Learning is fun on water with a proven science curriculum

- Maximizing volunteers while minimizing risk

- What’s new in US SAILING instructor training

- Tours of a several local sailing schools, community programs, and yacht club programs

- And much more.

Each day will have a morning and afternoon keynote speaker followed by workshops dedicated to four different tracks: youth, community, keelboat, and general. Featured speakers include: Dawn Riley, CEO of America True, who was the first woman to manage an America’s Cup team and to race on two America’s Cup teams and two Whitbread Round-the-World teams; Tom Leweck, who is known by many sailors as the creator and editor of the sailing Scuttlebutt newsletter; Tim Herzog, who teaches an undergraduate class in sport and exercise psychology; and Michael Leneman, founder of Marine Tech and Multi Marine.

For more information and to register online for US SAILING’s 2006 National Sailing Programs Symposium presented by Vanguard Sailboats, please visit www.ussailing.org/training/nsps/2006/index.htm.

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.

About Vanguard Sailboats

Demonstrating its commitment to the development of sailing, the Symposium is once again presented by Vanguard Sailboats. Vanguard Sailboats is a leading world manufacturer, and largest U.S. supplier, of recreational and high performance small sailboats. Vanguard's sponsorship of numerous sailing championships, regattas, and events is a testament to their ongoing mission to grow the sport. Vanguard products include the Sunfish and Laser, two of the most recognized brands in the sailing world. 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. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.

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