img16001Oakland, CA: The movie industry has its Oscars. Journalism has the Pulitzer. For sailing, it's the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Awards. When two San Francisco Bay area sailors were honored with the Rolex awards in New York City this March, a West Coast celebration was in order. The fete will take place in a fitting place: on the water, at the Pacific Sail Expo boat show.

Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Liz Baylis and Rolex Yachtsman of the Year John Kostecki--both of whom grew up sailing in the Bay area--will open Pacific Sail Expo with a match race off the show docks. The fun duel between these two talents takes place Wednesday, April 23 and is the first in a string of festivities to be held at this five-day event. PSE 2003, the West Coast's largest sailboat show, opens at Oakland's Jack London Square on April 23 and runs until Sunday, April 27.

"The Rolex awards have been going on for over forty years, and this is the first time two Bay-area sailors have won these MVP awards in the same year," said Scot West, Executive Director of show producer Sail America. "We wanted to recognize the achievements of these two local racers and give kids and adults alike a chance to watch John Kostecki and Liz Baylis in action. . . We're truly honored they're stopping by: they will give us one of the most festive kick-off events we've had in our show's history."

Kostecki and Baylis will each skipper a J/105 in a race that takes place on Wednesday, April 23, at 3 PM. An informal reception will take place after the race, on the deck of the Harbormaster's Office.

The J/105, a 35-foot sailboat raced on the Bay, is a national one-design class known for close, intense, boat-for-boat competition. But for Kostecki and Baylis, their match at PSE will be for fun--and not marked by the intensity of the international achievements that earned them Rolex honors.

John Kostecki--who was raised in Novato--is a second-time Rolex winner with a long string of sailing accomplishments, including an Olympic silver medal in 1988. But it was his win as skipper of the German illbruck team in the 2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race, a nine-month race around the world, that earned him his second Rolex crown. Kostecki and his crew won four of the race's nine legs in a contest that spanned 32,700 miles. In the process, illbruck set a new monohull speed record by sailing 484 miles in 24 hours.

Liz Baylis grew up in Northern California in a family of notable sailors. Her father and her siblings were known on the world-class stage, and Liz Baylis also became a force on the racecourse. The key accomplishment that earned her Rolex honors was her win at the ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Women's World Match Racing Championships, held in April 2002 in Spain. Unlike many Rolex winners, Baylis is not a full-time professional racer: she fits her sailing into a career as a microbiologist for the State of California.

Pacific Sail Expo will draw some 300 exhibitors and a fleet of over 100 sailboats, ranging from affordable 8-foot dinghies to an 82-foot offshore luxury yacht. Two replica tall ships, the 2002-launched 110' brigantine Irving Johnson and the majestic 103' Hawaiian Chieftain, will also visit the show. The showcase of boats and equipment also includes opportunities for the public to get out on the water and try sailing and racing as well as over 80 free seminars on a wide range of topics.?

Pacific Sail Expo--now in its seventh year--is a festival that draws sailors from along the entire West Coast, as well as sailing enthusiasts from states west of the Mississippi. The five-day event is co-produced by Sail America and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Sail America runs Discover Sailing, a national introduction-to-sailing program, and six sailboat shows held each year throughout the United States.

Show hours on Wednesday, April 23 are 12 noon to 7 PM. The show is open from 10 AM to 7 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Sunday, April 27, PSE runs from 10 AM to 5 PM.

For more information on special events and attractions, and to get discounts on advance-purchase tickets, visit www.sailamerica.com or call 1-800-817-SAIL (7245).