Winners Crowned for C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships

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Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championship

 

 


Final Report

Winners Crowned at the 2021 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships

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NEWPORT, R.I. (August 29, 2021) – The final day of racing at the 18th C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta and the 2021 U.S. Para Sailing Championships has wrapped up for the 23 boats in the 2.4mR, Martin 16 and Sonar classes competing in Newport over the last two days.

Judy Clagett McLennan, Clagett Co-Founder and President remarked at the awards ceremony, “In the words of Stephen Hawking – However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up. We have had a wonderful five days seeing everyone back in Newport for the 19th Clagett Regatta and the 18th on the water. I’d like to thank so many people, the coaching team, the yacht clubs who provided support boats, Sail Newport and RI DEM for the venue, all the Clagett sponsors and especially the volunteers who return year after year, they all make it happen. We’ve had 37 sailors here this week and 95 volunteers. I’d also like to announce the dates are set for the 20th year of the Clagett Regatta which will be held June 21-26, 2022, we look forward to seeing you all back here next year.”

US Sailing President Cory Sertl spoke at the awards, “This is a special event and I’d like to thank Judy and Stephanie McLennan along with all the volunteers for helping out. I also want to thank Judy for having the foresight to bring coaching to this regatta it makes it very special.”

The last day for 2021 started out with a light South Easterly breeze that topped at eight knots with the current increasing during the three races for the 2.4mR and Martin 16’s who sailed in an area similar to yesterday between Rose and Goat Islands. The Sonar fleet returned to the race course they used on Saturday North of the Pell Bridge near Coasters Island.

2.4mR winner Dee Smith. Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Credit Clagett Regatta / Andes Visual.

Taking home the gold medal for the largest fleet in the regatta, the 2.4mR fleet is Paralympian Dee Smith, who won this class in 2015 prior to going to the Rio Games in 2016. Taking the silver spot in the class is fellow Floridian Rudy Trejo and rounding out the top three is Julio Reguero from Puerto Rico who is sailing in his new boat from the Clagett Boat Grant Program.

“It was great competition over the two days and a big thank you to the PRO Tom Duggan and his crew for getting racing done in difficult conditions. Thanks to my fellow competitors for some great competition here in Newport,” said Smith after racing.

Sonar winners Sarah Everhart Skeels, Pauline Dowell, Emma Montgomery. Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Credit Clagett Regatta / Andes Visual.

In the three boat Sonar fleet, longtime Clagett sailor Sarah Everhart Skeels and her crew of Pauline Dowell and Emma Montgomery who both hale from Massachusetts, won the class after six races. The all female crew held off the team from Lake George representing the Y-Knot program with skipper Dave Whalen and crew members Spencer Raggio and Dan Kennedy. Completing the class is the team from helmsman from Chicago Patrick LoDuca and his team of Bryan Tabler and Dawn Hart.

Everhart Skeels remarked, “We thoroughly enjoyed all the sailing conditions Newport had to offer, it was challenging but worth the effort. I can only thank my crew for all their effort and for being a amazing strong female crew.”

Martin 16 winners Carwile LeRoy and Doug Horsey (left). Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Credit Clagett Regatta / Andes Visual.

The doubledhanded class of the Martin 16’s has a return winner with Californian Carwile LeRoy, who raced with a local Newport crew member Doug Horsey, taking his second Martin 16 class win at the Clagett Regatta. In second place is Nick Bryan Brown and his crew Albert Pierce, who is brother to Robie Pierce who was the visionary behind The Clagett. Rounding out the top three for the fleet is Colin Smith and his crew Siobhan Murphy traveling from Vermont for racing in Newport this week.

LeRoy spoke after racing, “It was great to be able to defend my title in the class from 2019. It came down to the last race of the last day, so I’d like to thank the PRO for getting the three races done today! Nick and Al had great boat speed and made it a great challenge on the water. This is the best run regatta around the coaching and volunteers are amazing.”

U.S. Para Sailing Championships trophies:

• The U.S. Para Sailing Singlehanded Championship for the Judd Goldman Trophy for the 2.4mR class – Dee Smith
• The U.S. Para Sailing Inclusive Doublehanded Championship for the Martin 16 class – Carwile LeRoy and Doug Horsey
• The U.S. Para Sailing Inclusive Triplehanded Championship for the Sonar class for the Gene Hinkel Trophy – Sarah Everhart Skeels, Pauline Dowell and Emma Montgomery

Clagett Regatta trophies:

  • C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trophy – Sarah Everhart Skeels, Pauline Dowell and Emma Montgomery
  • Susan B Johnson – Sportsmanship Award – Tony Pocklington
  • Larry Gadsby – Most Improved Award – Tim Brown
  • Nick Scandone – Spirit Award – Pauline Dowell
  • Robie Pierce and Gene Hinkle – Seamanship Award – Sarah Everhart Skeels

by Sam Crichton

The Clagett Media Contact: Sam Crichton sam@samcrichton.com, (401) 787-2250
US Sailing Media Contact: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org

Day 2 at the Clagett Memorial and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Photo by US Sailing/Ellinor Walters.

Day 2 Report

Day two of racing is on the books for the 2021 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships

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Day 2 at The Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Photo by US Sailing/Ellinor Walters.

NEWPORT, R.I. (August 28, 2021) – Day two of the 2021 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships was far more productive for the 33 sailors racing in Newport today.

The race committee managed to produce four races for the sailors competing in the three classes racing. Racing for the 2.4mR and Martin 16 was held snugged up next to Rose Island and the Sonar fleet headed north of the Pell Bridge near Coasters Island to get four races completed as well.

Principal Race Officer Tom Duggan who ran racing for the 2.4mR’s and Martin 16’s said after racing, “We had shifty breeze all day ranging from five to 11 knots and mostly from a East Nor East direction until the last race when it swung to the East South East.

On the Sonar course being run by Matt Hill talked about the conditions they had. “We had mostly from the East Nor East direction with a quite a few changes in breeze direction. There were a lot of lead changes throughout the races and in race two all three boats finished within 10 seconds of each other,” Said Hill.

Leading the 15 boat 2.4mR fleet is Dee Smith from Florida, who represented the U.S. at the 2016 Paralympics. The most recent Clagett Boat Grant recipient Julio Reguero from Puerto Rico said after racing, “I’ve been getting to know the boat and been able to put everything I learned during the coaching clinic into practice. It was a great day on the water.”

The Sonars had some close racing with each team winning one race a piece and the team of Sarah Everhart Skeels, Pauline Dowell and Emma Montgomery scoring a second win to have them in first place after racing today. “We’ve developed a great crew dynamic during the coaching clinic and it has shown today in our results,” said Everhart Skeels dockside.

In the doublehanded Martin 16 class Californian Carwile LeRoy and local crew Doug Horsey had a great day on the water with a scorecard of three first places and a second. “This is an amazingly run regatta the best around. Today’s racing was fantastic, thank heavens the weather improved,” said LeRoy.

Racing in the 2021 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships concludes tomorrow for the 23 boat regatta.

Clagett Co-Founder and President Judy Clagett McLennan said, “Silverware and titles will be awarded to the sailors who will take away the trophies and titles tomorrow, but more importantly they have gained skills and knowledge from the coaching clinic and regatta that will benefit them for years to come.”

by Sam Crichton

Day 1 Report:

No Racing on Friday due to Weather at 2021 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships

NEWPORT, R.I. (August 27, 2021) – On Day 1 of the 2021 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships, mother nature decided not to play ball with the fleet held ashore under the postponement flag until 1pm. The race committee went out onto the course to see what was developing and shortly after some storms cells moving through the area caused the race committee to call for racing to be postponed for the rest of the day.

“Unfortunately today’s racing was called off due to weather but the sailors are ready to put the knowledge and skills they learned over the previous two days of the coaching clinic to use. Over 30 sailors will be on the start line tomorrow and come Sunday we will be crowning Clagett and U.S. Para Sailing Champions for 2021,” said Clagett Co-Founder and President Judy Clagett McLennan.

This year’s fleet has a number of competitors who are returning to Newport after a year’s hiatus due to COVID-19 along with a number of Clagett first timers.

Amongst the fleet is a mother and daughter duo of Maureen McKinnon, a Paralympic Gold Medalist at the 2008 Beijing Games, who is racing in the singlehanded 2.4mR class and her daughter Dana McKinnon Tucker who is sailing for the first time at The Clagett as crew for Timothy Brown in the doublehanded Martin 16 class.

In the largest fleet, the 2.4mR class, there are a number of first timers including a Clagett Boat Grant recipient from North Carolina, John Seepe. Seepe received the boat from the Clagett Boat Grant program in 2019 and this is his first opportunity to race the boat in Newport at the Clagett Regatta.

Sailing in the Martin 16 class with Nicholas Bryan-Brown is Albert Pierce, brother of Robie Pierce, a local Newport sailor who was the visionary for the Clagett Regatta.

The triplehanded Sonar class has Sarah Everhart Skeels racing with crew Pauline Dowell, a blind sailor from Boston Mass. Joining them is Brown University sailing team member Emma Montgomery who is one of Skeels’ former students. They will line up against the Sonar team from Chicago skippered by Patrick LoDuca and the third boat in the fleet is from Lake George, N.Y skippered by Dave Whalen who uses the Sip and Puff technology to steer the boat instead of the traditional tiller.

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by Sam Crichton

Preview:

The 2021 C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships Comes to Newport, R.I.

NEWPORT, R.I. (August 26, 2021) – The C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta and the 2021 U.S. Para Sailing Championships will be hosted at Sail Newport in Newport, R.I. on August, 27-29, 2021.

The combined event welcomes 33 sailors from 11 states across the U.S. as well as Puerto Rico. These athletes have spent the last two days taking part in the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta coaching clinic. There are many returning faces along with new sailors, all who will be keen to put the knowledge and skills imparted by four of the worlds best coaches.

Fourteen 2.4mR sailors, five Martin 16 teams and three triplehanded Sonars who are all in Newport R.I. to race in the 18th Clagett Regatta and the 2021 U.S. Para Sailing Championships, will see a variety of conditions forecasted for Narragansett Bay over the upcoming three days.

Racing will be run by an extremely experienced race management team led by recently returned Olympic Principal Race Officer Tom Duggan, who had his team out preparing today to provide the best on water race management possible.

“We are thrilled to see so many familiar faces, along with newcomers here for the last two days of coaching and now ready to compete over the next three days of racing,” said Clagett Co-Founder and President Judy Clagett McLennan.

The U.S. Para Sailing Championships is one of the oldest sailing regattas in the U.S. for sailors with disabilities. The talented field often includes Paralympians, US Sailing Team members, and new contenders.

2.4mR racing at the 2018 Clagett Regatta and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Photo credit to Clagett Regatta/Andes Visual.
  • The U.S. Para Sailing Singlehanded Championship for the Judd Goldman Trophy will be raced in the 2.4mR class.
  • The U.S. Para Sailing Doublehanded Championship for the Chandler Hovey Trophy will be raced in the Martin 16
  • The U.S. Para Sailing Triplehanded Championship for the Gene Hinkel Trophy will be raced in Sonars.

Along with the Championship trophies, the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trophy, the Susan B. Johnson – Sportsmanship Award, the Larry Gadsby – Most Improved Award, the Nick Scandone – Spirit Award and the Robie Pierce and Gene Hinkle – Seamanship Award will be presented to sailors taking part in the regatta.

First established in 1986, the U.S. Independence Cup became US Sailing’s National Championship for sailors with disabilities in 1989. In 2007, the regatta moved under the championships division of US Sailing and was renamed the U.S. Disabled Sailing Championship. In 2018, the event was renamed the U.S. Para Sailing Championships to align with International Paralympic Committee terminology for all sports.

Many competitors racing at the U.S. Para Sailing Championships and The Clagett have gone on to represent the United States at the Paralympics Games, including Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon, gold medalists in 2008; John Ruff, bronze medalist in 2008; Jennifer French and J.P. Creignou, silver medalists in 2012; Rick Doerr, Hugh Freund and Brad Kendell, silver medalists in 2016.

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The Clagett Media Contact: Sam Crichton sam@samcrichton.com, (401) 787-2250
US Sailing Media Contact: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org

About the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta
Founded in 2003, 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; an experience that left him with a deep respect for the accomplishments of people with disabilities. The Clagett’s stated mission is “to assist sailors in realizing their potential on the water by providing them both the knowledge and tools to improve their skills and the opportunity to use these skills in competition”. Tom Clagett’s motto was “Reach for Success”, which resonates with every Clagett participant. Clagett competitors have seen medal success at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games. Competitors often comment that, The Clagett, has improved their quality of life as they apply what is achieved on the water to everyday situations.

About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, 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.