GALVESTON, Texas (October 29, 2014) – Year in and year out, the U.S. Disabled Championships is one of the most fascinating sailing events in the world.
A strong collection of the top sailors in the country are in Galveston, Texas preparing for this week’s three-day championship, which begins Thursday, October 30 and concludes Saturday, November 1. The 2014 U.S. Disabled Championship is hosted by the Galveston Community Sailing Center (Sea Scout Base). To increase participation and drive more awareness to the opportunities in adaptive sailing, US Sailing has incorporated a development regatta, October 27-29, for the Sonar class. Development regatta participants are also encouraged to race in the championship if they wish. US Sailing’s Paralympic Coach Betsy Alison is also running a clinic in conjunction with this event.
This US Sailing National Championship is one of the oldest sailing regattas in the U.S. for sailors with disabilities. The talented field includes Paralympians, US Sailing Sperry Top-Sider members, and new contenders. This year’s championship will be raced in two fleets, all of which are adapted for disabled sailing. The U.S. Disabled Singlehanded Championship for the Judd Goldman Trophy will be raced in the 2.4mR class and the Triplehanded Championship for the Gene Hinkel Trophy will be raced in Sonars.
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. Many competitors at the U.S. Disabled Sailing Championships have gone on to represent the United States at the Paralympics Games including Nick Scandone, gold medalist at the 2008 Paralympics, and Jennifer French, silver medalist at the 2012 Paralympics.
Media & Coverage
- For results and standings, photos, Twitter updates, and more information on the 2014 U.S. Disabled Championships, please visit the event website.
- For breaking news and race results, follow us on Twitter @USSailing. Use Twitter hashtag – #USDisabledChamps – to participate in the conversation throughout the championship.
Schedule & Race Course
- Races will be sailed in Offats Bayou directly adjacent to Sea Base Galveston.
- The first warning signal Thursday through Saturday is 10:30 am CDT. No warning signals after 1:00 pm on Saturday.
Scoring Format
- Three races are required to be completed to constitute a regatta.
- When fewer than six races have been completed, a boat’s regatta score will be the total of her/his race scores.
- When six or more races have been completed, a boat’s regatta score will be the total of her/his race scores excluding her worst score.
The U.S. Disabled Sailing Championship is sponsored by Gill North America and is a Sailors for the Sea – Clean Regattas certified event.
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 Sperry Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About Gill North America
Gill NA, with headquarters near Atlanta, GA is the exclusive importer and distributor of Gill-brand foul weather gear in North America including Caribbean, US and Canada. Gill is a worldwide apparel and accessories brand serving the marine industry with over three decades of experience. Gill specializes in high tech, breathable waterproof clothing. The company develops and markets a variety of performance-oriented, award-winning apparel and accessories for virtually every type of boating activity with product lines that include foul weather gear; interactive layering systems; footwear; gloves; bags; junior gear; scholastic gear and team wear. Gill products are available through hundreds of independent dealers and select West Marine Stores. For further information, please contact: Gary Barker at 941-505-2111 or gary.barker@gillna.com.