Red Carpet for Start of Clagett

Newport, RI (June 24, 2016) – Newport turned on the charm for day one at the 14th C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta. After a slight delay waiting for the breeze to settle, the race committee, led by Principal Race Officer (PRO) Tom Duggan (East Sandwich, MA) provided four races for the two classes taking part, the 2.4mR’s and the Sonars.

“We had a challenging start to the morning followed by a spectacular afternoon. We got the first race of the day in with the Northerly and finished the three following races in the Sou’Easter. It was a beautiful day of racing on Narragansett Bay,” commented Duggan after racing today.

Racing was held in between Rose and Goat Islands, with a the first race of the day in a Northerly breeze which moved into a building 15 knot Sou’Easterly breeze for the remainder of the day.

Leading the 2.4mR class, after winning all four races today, is Julio Reguero, from San Juan, Puerto Rico. “It was shifty but great racing today. We had a bit of everything in the conditions today, I managed to get clean starts and play the shifts. The Clagett in 2013 was my last Clagett and it’s good to be back,” remarked Reguero. Completing the top three places after day one for the 2.4mR’s is Tim Ripley (Randolph, NJ) and Daniel Evans (St. Petersburg, FL).

In the Sonar class the team from the Warrior Sailing Program (WSP), skippered by Josh Agripino (San Diego,CA) is in first place. Graduates of the Warrior Sailing Program level two camps, the four members of the team racing at The Clagett will be taking part in the J22 Worlds in August in Kingston, Ontario. “This is my first Clagett regatta but third regatta with the Warrior Sailing Program team. I graduated from the WSP basic training camp in 2015 and will be skipper of one of the teams at the J22 Worlds in August,” said Agripino.

Racing continues tomorrow with the forecast of North East breeze of five to nine knots becoming easterly later in the afternoon.

The 2016 Clagett is being held at Sail Newport, located in Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI.

Event details: www.clagettregatta.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. The event includes all three boats that have been chosen as the equipment of the Paralympic classes: the three-person Sonar, the two-person SKUD-18 and the singlehanded 2.4 Metre. Clagett competitors have seen medal success at the 2008 and 2012 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.

Report by Sam Crichton.