PACIFIC CUP YACHT CLUB AND STORM TRYSAIL CLUB

FOR JOINT RELEASE JANUARY 8, 2007

Storm Trysail Club Joins the 2008 Pacific Cup –
“The Fun Race to Hawaii”

San Francisco, Calif. -- January 8, 2007 – The Pacific Cup Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club have announced that they will collaborate in the planning and execution of the 2008 Pacific Cup, the 15th running of this biennial ocean classic.

The Pacific Cup, dubbed “The Fun Race to Hawaii,” runs from San Francisco to Hawaii every other Summer. Since its inception in 1980, thousands have experienced the high-quality pre-race seminars and preparation, the 2,190-mile spectacular course to Oahu, and the post-race festivities at Kaneohe Yacht Club, which hosts the finish. Organizers expect that the alliance announced today will take the race to a new standard of excellence.

“We’re thrilled to join in this race,” said Storm Trysail Club Commodore Richard du Moulin. “For many years we’ve hosted East Coast events like Block Island Race Week and the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race. This will be our West Coast debut.” The Storm Trysail Club will be participating significantly in a number of areas, including expanded safety and preparation seminars, review of equipment requirements, and recruiting entrants and sponsors.

Lou Ickler, Commodore of the Pacific Cup Yacht Club and veteran of six races, welcomed the new association. “The Storm Trysail Club is an acknowledged expert in key areas of ocean racing, crew and equipment preparation, and safety at sea. The ultimate goal is to put on the best possible event for the racers, whether this is their tenth race or their first major ocean crossing.”

Since the first 40-boat starting fleet in 1980, hundreds of boats and thousands of sailors have crossed the Pacific in pursuit of the Pacific Cup trophy, awarded to the fastest passage on corrected time. In 2006, it was won by Lightning, an SC 52 skippered by Thomas Akin. Martin Brauns’ SC52, Winnetou, took it in 2004, and in 2002, Skip Allan won, sailing doublehanded, in his 27-foot Wylie, Wildflower. 2004 also saw the shattering of Pyewacket’s 1998 course record by Robert Miller’s 140-foot Mari Cha IV, completing the course in just over five days and five hours. Stan Honey retains the doublehanded course record for his 1996 crossing on the 70-foot Mongoose.

The 2008 Pacific Cup will start in staged divisions beginning June 30, 2008. The race is open to double-handed and fully crewed sailboats over 24 feet in length, with no maximum size. A week of post-race celebration and mingling at the Kaneohe Yacht Club on Oahu helps wrap up this remarkable experience for sailors and their families and friends.

Race organizers expect to publish the Notice of Race in Spring 2007. Current information and future updates may be found at the PCYC website, www.pacificcup.org.

About Pacific Cup Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club

Pacific Cup Yacht Club (PCYC) exists to run the biennial Pacific Cup. PCYC’s mission is to help participating sailors realize their dreams in a competitive, safe, and fun race from San Francisco to Hawaii. With the help of leading sponsors such as West Marine, PCYC has accomplished its mission for many racers. Its pre-race seminars are not only qualifying events for Pacific Cup participation but a way to introduce and encourage participation in offshore sailing. Membership is open to race veterans and volunteers from prior races.

The Storm Trysail Club (STC), reflecting in its name the sail to which sailors shorten when facing adverse conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised of skilled blue water sailors. In addition to holding various prestigious offshore racing events, STC, working with the Transpacific Yacht Club, has developed the STC 65 and the Box Rule that will govern its design. In 2005, STC joined with other leading organizations, such as the St. Francis and New York Yacht Clubs, to successfully introduce the IRC rating system in North America.

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