52 Countries Vie for the First Annual Consuls' Regatta Trophy as Part of the XXIII Elissa Regatta at the Houston Yacht Club

Houston, TX, March 31, 2009 --(PR.com)-- On Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. vessels with the flags of 52 countries will compete in the first Annual Consuls’ Regatta during the Houston Yacht Club's annual Elissa Regatta. Co-organized by the Houston Junior Chamber (the Jaycees), the Spanish Consulate and the Houston Yacht Club, the Annual Consuls’ Regatta, inaugurated this year, is part of the 2009 Consular Forum. "We are privileged to have Robert Mosbacher Jr. as the honorary chair of the inaugural regatta" says H.E. Miguel Angel Fernández de Mazarambroz, Consul General of Spain in Houston, “with over half of the consular corps participating – and additional countries represented as spectators – interest in the first Annual Consuls’ Regatta has far exceeded our most ambitious expectations”.

Although the Consular Forum celebrates all of Houston's consular representatives, each year, one country is chosen for special recognition; Consular Forum events are then themed around this featured country, offering unprecedented opportunities to showcase its economy and culture to the business, cultural and political leaders of Houston, Texas. The featured country of the 2009 Consular Forum is the Kingdom of Spain.

"The Annual Consuls’ Regatta was especially appropriate this year, as the America's Cup race will again be hosted in Valencia, Spain later on in the year." says Annual Consuls' Regatta Chair and Founder, Loli Fernández–Andrade Kolber “and what better way to highlight the international ties that not only Spain, but also the entire Consular Corps, bring to the city than with a regatta. Water and wind were what first made international trade and discovery possible.”

“The Houston Yacht Club is honored and very excited to hold the Annual Consuls’ Regatta in conjunction with the twenty-third annual Elissa Regatta” say Houston Yacht Club Vice Commodore, Cheryl Thomas.

The Annual Consuls’ Regatta trophy, which has been donated by Consular Ball Founder and former Consul of Belgium Andre Crispin, will be the permanent trophy awarded to the country whose flag is flown on the winning vessel. Representatives from the Spanish Naval training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano, docked at Pier 21 in Galveston, Texas from April 3 - 8, 2009, will be present at the Trophy Presentation held at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 5th in the HYC Ballroom.

For further information about participating, the general public should contact The Houston Yacht Club at 281.471.1255 or visit www.houstonyachtclub.com. The Houston Yacht Club is located at 3620 Miramar, Shoreacres, Texas 77571.

Participating Consulates as of March 26, 2009
Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, France, Germany, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan*, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
*Country is participating as a spectator.

Sponsorship
The First Annual Consuls’ Regatta receives generous funding from Vince Morvillo Sea Lake Yacht Sails, the Port of Houston Authority, Healthy Family Initiatives and Global Marine Transport Inc.

2009 Consular Forum
Since 1952, members of the Houston Junior Chamber, the Jaycees, have organized Houston's official celebration of its distinguished consular corps and the diplomatic and trade ties they provide Houston. Currently Houston has ninety-one consulates, making it the third largest consular corps in the nation, behind New York and Los Angeles, and the largest in the Southwest. Each year the celebration takes the form of a series of business, cultural, educational, and diplomatic events, known collectively as the Consular Forum, which culminates in an annual formal and diplomatic honors banquet hosted by Houston's Mayor and First Lady and attended by members of the city's consular corps and political, cultural, and business leaders from across the state of Texas and around the world. For further information visit
http://www.houstonjaycees.org/ConsularForum.aspx.

23rd Annual Elissa Regatta & Festival
On Sunday, March 29th the Elissa arrives at the Bayport Cruise Terminal, located in Pasadena between Kemah and Shoreacres just east of State Highway 146. The general public can tour the Elissa at the Bayport Cruise Terminal from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from March 30 to April 3rd. Cost will be $3 for students and $5 for adults. To arrange a tour contact June Shaw at 713.629.2133 or Christine Hayes at 409.763.1877. The Regatta Festival begins on Friday, April 3 with the Competitor's Briefing, sometimes known as Skipper’s meeting, at 7 p.m. aboard the Elissa at the Bayport Cruise Terminal. The evening will include music, food and the opportunity to adopt a country to race for in the first Annual Consuls’ Regatta. Racing action begins on Saturday, April 4. The warning signal for One-Design and Cruising Lines is at 10:30 a.m. Additional races to follow. A live concert with singer/songwriter Jay Nash begins at 6 p.m. at HYC. Check him out online at http://www.myspace.com/jaynash, Tickets cost $40 per person and include the show and a buffet dinner. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Please call the HYC Office at 281.471.1255 for ticket information. A live auction will also be held Saturday evening. On Sunday, April 5 at 8:30 a.m. church service will be held onboard the Elissa, which will be docked at the Bayport Cruise Terminal. A Blessing of the Boats will follow. The warning signal for the first One-Design and Cruising Line race will sound at 10:30 a.m. The first race of the day will be the Annual Consuls’ Regatta. Additional races may follow. The Elissa and Consul Regatta Awards Ceremony will follow the racing action Sunday afternoon at HYC at around 4:30 p.m.

Houston Junior Chamber
The Houston Junior Chamber, the Jaycees, gives young people between the ages of 18 and 40 the tools they need to build the bridges of success for themselves in the areas of business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections. In Houston, the Jaycees have been providing community service, business opportunities, and leadership training to its members since 1931. Visit www.houstonjaycees.org for more information.

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