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For Immediate Release ! ! October 21, 2013 ! ! !

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Contact: Blake MacDiarmid (561) 504-2796!

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MIT Head Sailing Coach Matt Lindblad Joins US Performance Academy Advisory Board! MIAMI, FL - US Performance Academy announced today MIT Head Sailing Coach Matt Lindblad has joined US Performance Academy as a member of the Founding Advisory Board. Lindblad, who is active in the Intercollegiate Sailing Association and a faculty member at MIT, is a recognized innovator at the nexus of sailing and education. Guided by Lindblad, MIT is among the leaders in student-athletes named to the ICSA AllAcademic Sailing Team and a perennial top 20 team in Sailing Worlds College Sailing Rankings.! Matts work at the highest levels of collegiate academics and sailing makes him a perfect t with the USPA mission, said Peter Smith, USPA Chief Academic Ofcer. He knows a strong academic experience is vital to success on the race course and life.! As a member of Cape Cod Wishbone, Lindblad won two US Team Racing National Championships (2003, 2004) and the 2005 Team Racing World Championships. Prior to MIT, Lindblad was varsity sailing coach at Roger Williams University, Advanced Racing Coach at Sail Newport and Waterfront Director at Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, RI. As an undergraduate, he was a four-year varsity letter winner, collegiate team racing national champion, and team captain at national powerhouse St. Mary's College of Maryland. Lindblads other sailing successes include winning the International One Design (IOD) World Championship, V15 Team Racing Mid-Winters, and the J24 Fleet 50 Season championship considered the most competitive eet worldwide - in both 2004 and 2005. While he enjoys winter sailing in Miami, he is active in the Marblehead keelboat team racing series and has a young family.!

The integrated academic and performance approach is what sets USPA apart, said Lindblad. USPAs advanced educational technology can alleviate the constant tension

between school and sailing that many elite high school sailors experience while still delivering all of the benets of the traditional high school education.! Matt has won two world championships and three national championships among his other accomplishments, and successfully translates that experience to the sailors he coaches, said Blake MacDiarmid, Chief USPA Performance Ofcer. His passion and commitment to balancing high academic and athletic achievement in his sailors inspired us to ask Matt to be a part of creating an innovative program for USPA and we are thrilled to have him on the team.! # # #!

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More about USPA:! US Performance Academy is an independent, small school ecosystem of excellence, an environment combining the best in 21-century learning, the most! advanced classroom technology and an innovative, ultra-performance sailing program with Olympic-level training on Biscayne Bay and around the world.! The school of tomorrow, today, USPA will include Miami classrooms and a global, individualized digital virtual learning with advanced College Prep 9-12 academics and Pre-G 6-8 programs. USPA students are empowered to perform at the highest level and prepared for success in college classrooms, international racecourses and professional careers.! Connect with USPA:! Email: Info@SmartSailor.org ! Web: SmartSailor.org ! Facebook: USPerformanceAcademy ! Twitter: @USPAAcademy!

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