Jeff Linton and Sally Barkow will have precious little reason to be late for engagements after March 1, 2008, as they will then be the proud new owners of Rolex watches. Barkow, 27, of Nashotah, Wisconsin, won the 2007 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year award for her dominance in the Yngling class, where she earned a berth on the US Sailing team and a chance to compete in the 2008 summer Olympics. In addition, Barkow also won the Rolex Miami OCR in the Yngling class, finished second in the North American Championship in Miami, and won the Princess Sofia Trophy in Spain, and secured second place in both the Semaine Olympique Francaise in France and the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Portugal (in addition to other successful Yngling regatta performances). Barkow now joins a short list of women to have won this award twice, as she was previously honored as the 2005 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

Jeff Linton, 45, of Tampa, Florida, won his Rolex for winning the 48-boat strong fleet of Lightnings in Athens, Greece, at the 2007 Lightning World Championships. While this might be the class’s grandest event, Linton claims that winning the 2007 Lightning Winter Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida was the real hurdle. In addition, Linton also won a bunch of high-level Lightning class events, including the South American Championship, held in Bogata, Columbia, as well as the Flying Scot North American Championship, and the Classic Moth National Championship.

For more information, visit www.ussailing.org/awards/rolex

Posted: January 16, 2008