North America’s premier event for sailors with disabilities, the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta, will return to Newport for its seventh annual edition from August 23-27, 2009.
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Hosted by Sail Newport, this is the only national event for sailors
with disabilities to feature a pre-race clinic run by world champion
sailors who will be sharing their expertise on everything from the
racing rules to match racing techniques, followed by on-the-water
coaching during three days of racing.
The emphasis on assisting sailors in realizing their potential on the water by providing them both the knowledge and tools to improve their skills, and the opportunity to test them in competition, is a formula that paid off last August with the medal successes of several Clagett Regatta veterans at the Paralympic Games in China: Nick Scandone (Fountain Valley, Calif.) With crew Maureen McKinnon- Tucker (Marblehead, Mass.) In the SKUD-18, and Paul Tingley (Halifax, Nova Scotia) in the 2.4 Metre, won gold medals in their respective events; while John McRoberts and Stacie Louttit (both Victoria, British Columbia) brought home bronze medals in the SKUD-18, as did John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wisc.) In the 2.4 Metre. |
Along with the sailors competing in the classes
selected for the 2012 Paralympic Games (Sonar, SKUD-18, and 2.4
Metre), Sail Newport’s
fleet of J/22s will be utilized by the blind sailors who are joining
the Competition for the second consecutive year and who will race
for the 2009 Blind Sailing National Championship. This event is open
to both U.S. and foreign competitors, and in the past has seen entries
from Canada, China, Ireland and Israel.
The C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta honors the late Tom Clagett (1916-2001), a U.S. Navy World War II veteran who learned to sail on Chesapeake Bay. As a youngster he suffered temporary paralysis as the result of a bout of meningitis; it was an experience that left him with a deep respect for the accomplishments of people with disabilities, especially athletes. return to Newport Harbor Guide Articles |
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