FINAL RACE RESULTS
CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
2004 U.S. Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup
For Immediate Release: August 9, 2004

HEAVY WINDS HELPED PUSH THE U.S. INDEPENDENCE CUP/NORTH
AMERICAN CHALLENGE CUP TO AN EXCITING END

Nick Scandone wins singlehanded division; Karen Mitchell/Kerry Gruson take top spot in
doublehanded racing

CHICAGO, August 9, 2004 – High winds made for an exciting final day of racing in the 2004
Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup today (IC/NACC), following two days of
light winds.
In the 2.4mR class, Nick Scandone, of Fountain Valley, Calif., held on to his lead from the
previous two days’ racing to sail to victory this afternoon in the singlehanded division with a
total of 10.7 points. Finishing second in the division with 14.7 points was fellow Californian
David Trude, who was competing in his second U.S. Independence Cup/North American
Challenge Cup.
“It is a very good event, I had a great time and hope to do it again,” said Scandone, who was
competing in the IC/NACC for the first time.
In Freedom Independence 20 class competition, the team of Karen Mitchell and Kerry Gruson
took the championship title for the second year in a row in the doublehanded division with a total
of 9.7 points. The winning pair, who hail from Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Miami, respectively,
beat out Allen Fiske and Joseph Cook for the title. Fiske and Cook, of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale,
had 13 points.
“We had a rough start, but it all came together in the end,” Mitchell said. “This event is highlight
of our summer; we look forward to coming to Chicago to compete with great anticipation all
year.” Mitchell is hoping to become the first woman to represent the USA in sailing in the 2008
Paralympics in Beijing. She is currently ranked as the best disabled skipper in North America.
You can follow her progress on www.sailingforlife.org.
Kerry Gruson has been sailing partners with Mitchell for years and said, “She is very proud to be
her crew.” She believes the able-bodied assistants (AB’s) did an exceptional job, “we loved our
AB’s,” she exclaimed.
“It is an honor for the Chicago Yacht Club to put on this event for disabled sailors in North
America,” said Roland Rayment, chairman of the IC/NACC Committee of the Chicago Yacht
Club. “I am certainly pleased with the level of competition we had over the course of the entire
weekend.”

Final Standings:
Freedom Independence 20 Class

Gold Section (top Freedom Independence 20 finishers overall):
1st Karen Mitchell/ Kerry Gruson
2nd Allen Fiske/Joseph Cook
3rd Bob Jones/Ken Kelley

2.4mR Class
Gold Section (top 2.4mR finishers overall):
1st Nick Scandone
2nd David Trude
3rd Bruce Millar

About U.S. Independence Cup and North American Challenge Cup
The IC/NACC is the result of a partnership between public and private organizations that have
committed financial and other resources, including teams of dedicated volunteers, to ensure the
event’s success. American Airlines will provide travel for out-of-town participants, The Judd
Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation and the Chicago Park District will provide the use of the
specially equipped Freedom Independence fleet, and Chicago School Transit will transport
participants locally.
The Chicago Yacht Club will supervise races, organize a program of race-related events and
provide a team of volunteers to assist participating sailors during the event. In addition, event
sponsors Hyatt Regency Chicago and Strategic Hotel Capital will provide lodging for
competitors. Platinum NACC sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois will support many of
the physical adaptations the Club will make to accommodate the needs of visitors, from tents to
special ramping in and around Belmont Harbor. Boar’s Head Meats, Carol’s Cookies, Morning
Fields and Snapple will provide daily lunches for racers and the event’s 100 volunteers.
During the 13 years since its inception, the NACC has become a training ground for the U.S.
Paralympic team. Many of the top sailors who have competed in the NACC have later gone on to
compete in the U.S. Paralympics, a multi-sport, multi-disability competition of elite, world-class
disabled athletes, similar in scope to the Olympic Games. In previous years, U.S. Paralympics
sailing team coaches have worked with NACC competitors on a volunteer basis to help them
further improve their racing techniques. The NACC has been so successful that US SAILING,
the national governing body for the sport of sailing, has chosen it as the site for its U.S.
Independence Cup through 2005.