FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2017
Portsmouth, R.I. – US Sailing Team Nacra 17 athlete and Rio 2016 U.S. Olympian Bora Gulari (Detroit, Mich.) suffered an injury during a training incident on Wednesday, as he and teammate Helena Scutt (Kirkland, Wash.) were preparing for the upcoming Nacra 17 World Championship (September 5-10, 2017) in La Grande Motte, France. Gulari lost part of three fingers on his right hand after he came in contact with the boat’s rigging during a capsize in strong wind conditions. Gulari is currently recovering at a local hospital following surgery, and is expected to return to sailing in approximately four weeks.
“This is an unfortunate setback, but Helena and I will bounce back from this and continue our campaign for Tokyo 2020,” said Gulari, a two-time Moth World Champion and the 2009 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the year. “I’ll definitely be back on the water as soon as I’m able, which should be in about a month.”
Italian Sailing Team coach Gabriele Bruni provided help to Gulari and Scutt immediately after the accident, with US Sailing Team coach David Howlett, who was assisting with running practice races, arriving a few minutes later. Scutt, who is also a U.S. Olympian, was uninjured in the incident. Scutt sailed the boat back to shore with help from Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist Santiago Lange of Argentina, who came out to the scene from onshore to assist.
“We are grateful for all the help and support we received today from the Olympic sailing community, and especially from our competitors and coaches who helped us on the water and after we got back to shore,” said Scutt.
Gulari and Scutt will retire from the 2017 Nacra 17 Worlds, and focus on Gulari’s recovery in the coming weeks.
About the US Sailing Team
The US Sailing Team is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support. US Sailing Team sponsors include gold partner Helly Hansen, silver partners Harken, McLube, and Groupe Beneteau, and supplier Marlow Ropes. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org/olympics
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing
Email: willricketson@ussailing.org
Phone: +1 978 697 2384 (USA)
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