International Paralympians Competing at 10th Anniversary of Clagett Regatta

With London 2012 rapidly approaching, sailors from around the world, have headed to the C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta in Newport, USA, from 6-9 July. 10 Jul 2012

On the Sonar course at the 2012 Clagett, reigning world champions Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Per Eugen Kristianson and Marie Solberg (Norway) lead the standings.

ⒸThornton Cohen

By IPC

As one of the last training and competition events prior to the Paralympic Regatta, which takes place the first week of September in Weymouth, England, The Clagett is positioned to assist these athletes in reaching their Paralympic goals.

The Clagett, which utilizes the boats chosen for Paralympic competition – the three-person Sonar, the two-person SKUD-18 and the singlehanded 2.4 Metre – has again, as it did in 2008, drawn a number of sailors who will represent their respective nation at the Paralympic Games: in the 2.4 Metre, Marc LeBlanc (USA) and Julio Reguero (Puerto Rico); in the SKUD-18, Jen French and JP Creignou (USA) and in the Sonar class, Paul Callahan (USA) with Tom Brown (USA) and Brad Johnson (USA) and the Norwegian team led by skipper Aleksander Wang-Hansen, with Per Eugen Kristianson and Marie Solberg, who are the current world champions.

As one of the last training and competition events prior to the Paralympic Regatta, which takes place the first week of September in Weymouth, England, The Clagett is positioned to assist these athletes in reaching their Paralympic goals.

Another focal point is to help any sailor with disabilities reach his or her personal goals, which may be as simple as getting on the water and racing.

Racing for all three fleets is being conducted just south of the Newport Pell Bridge, between Rose and Goat Islands. Although conditions were light and fluky for the first day of racing, three races were completed in each fleet, as they were for day two once the breeze settled in.

In the two-boat SKUD-18 class, French and Creignou are treating this event primarily as an advanced coaching clinic, with Creignou explaining that they are benefitting from the extensive experience of Sarah Everhart-Skeels and Brenda Hopkin who have raced in the SKUD-18 for several years. After six races, the Paralympians have a one-point lead over Everhart-Skeels and Hopkin.

A more closely contested battle is taking place on the Sonar course, where the reigning world champions Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Per Eugen Kristianson and Marie Solberg (Norway) lead the standings in that four-boat fleet. Wang-Hansen will compete for the fourth time as a Paralympian later this summer, and Kristianson will mark his third time. It will be the first trip to the Games for Solberg. They are currently tied on points with 2008 Paralympians from USA Rick Doerr and his crew Gerry Tiernan and Hugh Freund. In third overall with 21 points, 11 points behind the tied leaders, is are USA’s Paul Callahan, Tom Brown and Brad Johnson.

In the 13-strong 2.4 Metre fleet, after six races the top two places on the standings are held by Paralympians: Marc LeBlanc (USA) with 10 points and Julio Reguero ( Puerto Rico) with 19. In third with 21 points and pushing the Paralympians hard is 2010 Clagett champion Charles Rosenfield (USA).

Racing concludes on Monday, July 9. For complete scores, photos and additional information, visit www.clagettregatta.org.