,
2000,
2001,
2002,
2003,
2004,
2005,
2006)
2007 2008|
Support of the U.S. Junior
Women's Singlehanded Championship (for the Nancy Leiter
Clagett Memorial Trophy) and the U.S. Junior Women's
Doublehanded Championship (for the Ida Lewis Trophy), as well
as the 420/Laser and 29er Clinics, is made possible by funds
provided by the late C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. to perpetuate his
unwavering dedication to Junior Women's Sailing. His support
is in memory of his late wife, Nancy Leiter Clagett,
a world class sailor, and of Ida Lewis, the
heroic daughter of a lighthouse keeper. This support is
intended to encourage young American women to enhance their
sailing ability, with emphasis on sportsmanship, by providing
the opportunity to compete in national-level competition with
guidance from high-level coaching. Tom Clagett's family
continues to assist in fulfilling his vision. The U.S. Junior Women's Championships consists of two events. The Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy, known as the Leiter Trophy, was started by Tom Clagett in 1980 at the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, Newport, Rhode Island, in memory of his late wife Nancy. In 1985 USYRU (now US SAILING) agreed to support the singlehanded event as a trial for possible adoption as a national championship and since 1986 the Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy has been awarded for the U.S. Junior Women's National Singlehanded Championship, which is sailed in Laser Radials. The second is the Ida Lewis Trophy, sailed for the U.S. Junior Women's National Doublehanded Trophy. This event was started in 1995, became a US SAILING sanctioned event in 1996, and is sailed in Club 420s. The format for these two Championships combines two days of clinics, both on and off the water, as well as three days of racing. This format has proved exceedingly successful: participants have gone to the top levels of collegiate, national and international sailing. Tom's interest in and dedication to junior women's sailing is a fitting permanent tribute to Nancy, who was a world class sailor when they married in 1941. Tom felt that junior women sailors should have the opportunity to compete in a national level competition. He felt the girls could learn not only from the coaching provided at the Championships, but also from each other. He appreciated that learning sportsmanship and cooperation was critical. Tom felt that all the girls should be treated equally. Thus there should be no private coaching allowed at these Championships in order to make it equal for all girls attending. Tom felt so strongly about these principles that he wrote them into the Trust he created to provide financial support for the Championships well into the distant future. Both of these Championships are open events with no pre-qualifications except for age (13-18) and membership in US SAILING. The Junior Women's Championships gave Tom Clagett great satisfaction and delight. He referred to the participants as "His Girls" and he wanted them to always exert their best efforts in order to learn to "Beat the Boys" as his Nancy did. After Tom died in June 2001, The Sportsmanship Awards for both the Leiter Trophy and the Ida Lewis Trophy were named the C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Sportsmanship Award to honor Tom's dedication to junior women's sailing and his Corinthian spirit. In 2001, a logo for these two Championships was designed using Tom and Nancy's private yacht signals. Nancy's private signal was a green ladder on a yellow rectangle (Leiter is German for Ladder). Tom and Nancy's first boat together was named "The Barefoot Girl" and Tom's private signal became two white bare feet on a blue triangle. Both their boat and Tom's private signal reflected Nancy's reluctance to wear any shoes. Combining these two private signals into this logo serves as an ongoing reminder of Tom and Nancy's commitment to junior women's sailing and to each other. C. Thomas Clagett,
JR. & Nancy Leiter Clagett |
