Olympic Sailing Team Send-Off Party set for July 27th in Houston

US Olympic Sailing Team Send-Off Party © US Sailing

Fourteen athletes who have earned a place on the Rio 2016 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team will be treated to a rousing Send-Off Party on July 27th in Houston, Texas at Houston Yacht Club, presented by Sunbrella. Coinciding with a gathering of many of the nation's top youth sailors at the 2016 Optimist Class U.S. National Championship, the event promises to be a unprecedented celebration of not only US Sailing Team athletes, but of the sport of sailing in the United States.

"With our talented team assembled, and with hundreds of supporters, friends, Opti sailors, parents and well-wishers present in Houston, this will truly be an event to remember," said Josh Adams, Managing Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing. "We hope that regardless of where you live in the U.S., you will consider making your way to Houston to help send off our Olympic Team in style."

Send-Off Party attendees will get to meet members of the Rio 2016 team, in addition to U.S. Olympic Team sailors from past Games, and many other leading American sailors. The party will also feature a public screening of Uncharted Waters, the first full-length documentary film ever produced about the national team, the US Sailing Team Sperry. The film's release is slated for July 2016, and is the result of nearly two years of close collaboration between the US Sailing Team Sperry and Sunbrella, a national team Gold Partner.

"The Uncharted Waters film project has demonstrated Sunbrella's tremendous support for our team an athletes, and we couldn't think of a better way to send the team off to Rio than a celebrated presentation of the film and a party presented by our Gold Level partner," said Adams.

Festivities will begin promptly at 3:45 PM on Wednesday, July 27th with the screening of Uncharted Waters. The main Send-Off Party will follow at 5:15PM.

For more information on the U.S Olympic Sailing Team Send-Off Party, go to www.ussailing.org/sendoffparty

Rio 2016 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team Roster: (Listed in Order of Date of Selection)

49er (Men's Two-Person High Performance Skiff)
Thomas Barrows (St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.) and Joe Morris (Annapolis, Md.) - For Barrows, this will be a second shot at the Olympic podium, having represented the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Laser class in 2008. Five-time U.S. National Champion and college sailing standout Morris will compete at his first career Olympics.

(Women's Two-Person High Performance Skiff)
Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.) - Rio 2016 will be the first Olympic Games appearances for both Henken and Scutt, who won bronze at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

Nacra 17 (Mixed Two-Person Multihull)
Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) and Louisa Chafee (Warwick, R.I.) - Two-time Moth World Champion and 2009 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Gulari will team up with college All-American Chafee in the first Olympic Games appearances for both.

Laser Radial (Women's One-Person Dinghy)
Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) - Rio 2016 will be the second consecutive Olympics for Railey, a World Champion, Rolex World Sailor of the Year, three-time Pan American Games medalist and US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

Finn (Men's One-Person Heavyweight Dinghy)
Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif.) - Paine, a Sailing World Cup Series Champion, has been the top-ranked American Finn sailor since 2012, and will compete in his first career Olympics.

Laser (Men's One-Person Dinghy)
Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.) - The Laser North American Champion, Two-Time College Sailor of the Year and Toronto 2015 Pan American Games representative will sail at his first career Olympic Games.

Women's RS:X (Women's Board)
Marion Lepert (Belmont, Calif.) - Rio 2016 will be the first career Olympic Games for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games bronze medalist, who also made the podium at the 2015 RS:X U21 European Championship and won the medal race at the top-level 2016 Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta in Palma, Spain.

Men's RS:X (Men's Board)
Pedro Pascual (Miami, Fla.) - Pascual won the RS:ONE European Championship before making gold fleet at the 2016 RS:X Worlds, and will sail in his first career Olympics.

Women's 470 (Women's Two-Person Dinghy)
Annie Haeger (East Troy, Wisc.) and Briana Provancha (San Diego, Calif.) - Winners of the 2015 Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2015 US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Haeger and Youth World Champion Provancha will make their first career Olympic Games appearances.

Men's 470 (Men's Two-Person Dinghy)
Stu McNay (Providence, R.I.) and Dave Hughes (Miami, Fla.) - McNay will compete at his third consecutive Olympic Games, but his first with teammate Hughes. The veteran pair have compiled an impressive list of podium finishes at many of the world's toughest dinghy regattas since January 2013.