Adaptive Sailors to Attend 14th Clagett

The 2016 C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta will be held June 23-26 at Sail Newport, located in Fort Adams State Park of Newport RI. The 14th edition will host competitors in the 2.4mR, SKUD 18 and Sonar classes.

Many of the competitors this year will be using the event to prepare for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Rio in September. Paralympic Games Principal Race Officer, Tom Duggan (East Sandwich, MA), will also be PRO for this years Clagett and Clagett Head Coach Betsy Alison (Newport, RI) will be leading the coaching team again this year.

Over the last two Paralympic cycles, in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Clagett alumni won three Gold, two Silver and six Bronze medals. Since The Clagett started in 2003, athletes have come from across the USA (19 states), Canada (4 Provinces), Israel, China, Ireland, Norway, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas VI to take part in this world renowned event.

“The Clagett is very pleased to announce that the 2016 Clagett clinic and regatta is now open for entry,” reports Clagett President and co-founder Judy McLennan. “We look forward to having many of the Clagett family return and for new members of the extended group join us at the 14th Clagett clinic and regatta. We welcome any adaptive sailor who would like to participate in an event designed for the benefit of adaptive sailors and help everyone in the words of Tom Clagett to ‘Reach for Success’.”

The Notice of Race and entry is online at http://www.clagettregatta.org/registration

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.