From January 23-28, 2012, US SAILING’s Rolex Miami OCR returns to the waters of Biscayne Bay,
bringing together the world’s top Olympic and Paralympic class competitors. Marking the 23rd running
of the event, US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR is the North American highlight on the winter circuit for sailors
who are campaigning for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event is the second stop on the
2011-2012 International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) Sailing World Cup, an annual, world-class series for
Olympic and Paralympic sailing.
Established in 1990 by US Sailing, the Rolex Miami OCR annually draws elite sailors, including Olympic
and Paralympic medalists and hopefuls from around the world.
Rolex Miami OCR is open to the events and equipment chosen by ISAF for the 2012 Olympic and
Paralympic Sailing Competitions, which will be held in Weymouth/Portland, England from July 27-August
11 and August 29-September 9, respectively. The 10 Olympic classes are: Laser Radial (women), Laser
(men), Finn (men), Men’s RS:X, Women’s RS:X, 49er (men), Men’s 470, Women’s 470, Star (men) and
Elliott 6 (women). The three Paralympic classes are: 2.4mR (open, able and disabled), SKUD18 (mixed,
disabled) and Sonar (open, disabled).
For fleet racing in the Olympic classes, the 2012 event will consist of a five-day opening series (Monday-
Friday) and a double-point medal race (Saturday). The top 10 finishers in the opening series of each class
will advance to the medal race. Competitors in the Paralympic classes will have five days of fleet racing
and no medal race.
Women’s Match Racing, in the Elliott 6m, will make its debut at the 2012 Olympic Games. As opposed to
fleet racing, the discipline of match racing consists of two identical boats racing against each other in a
one-on-one duel. As a result, match racing focuses mainly on strategy and tactics. At Rolex Miami OCR,
the regatta will consist of an opening series, a knockout series, and a sail-off for boats not advancing to
the knockout series.
US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR was founded as the Miami Olympic Classes Regatta in 1990 as part of
the “Can Am” series of events that aimed to promote elite-level sailing during the winter months among
Canadian and U.S. Olympic hopefuls. Over time, the now-classic event became a mainstay on the sailing
schedules of athletes around the world. US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR is organized by the United States
Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing and sailboat racing. In 2002,
Rolex Watch U.S.A. became title sponsor, and the event expanded to include the classes selected for the
Paralympic Games.
In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2012 Rolex Miami OCR is also sponsored by
AlphaGraphics, Sperry Top-Sider, Harken McLube, Kattack, and the University of Miami Hospital.