The Clagett announces Team Clagett

An initiative for sailors with disabilities, Team Clagett, is a new program developed as a means of providing selected sailors the opportunity to experience training and racing at elite sailing events.

Building upon the Clagett’s Boat Grant Program that was launched in 2016, Team Clagett will be comprised of four sailors who compete in the 2.4mR class at the 2020 C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta in Newport, RI.

The team will be made up of the top three scoring 2.4 mR competitors with a disability, plus the next highest scoring 2.4 mR Clagett Boat Grant Program recipient competitor. The team will be provided with funds to attend and compete at the 2020 2.4mR World Championships and 2.4mR Para World Championships scheduled for November in Tampa, FL. Joining the team as the coach will be Marek Valasek (Geneva Lake, WI).

Valasek, who represented his home country of Slovakia at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, moved to the US in 2000 and started coaching primarily in youth sailing programs along with Olympic and Paralympic sailors and was a coach for the 2.4mR class at the 2018 Para World Sailing Championships in Sheboygan, WI.

He is currently the Executive Director of Geneva Lake Sailing School, a nonprofit that provides an opportunity to learn and hone sailing skills to youth and adults in the South East Wisconsin area.

Additional resources that the team will have the use of include a coach boat along with funds to be used for travel, accommodation and other expenses will be provided.

“Even during these difficult times, it is important that we continue to plan opportunities for the future,” said Clagett President and Co-Founder Judy Clagett McLennan (Portsmouth, RI). “This opportunity will allow the sailors to experience racing competition against sailors from across the world all while representing The Clagett. These sailors will take away skills and experience that will benefit them for years to come.”

Questions: https://clagettregatta.org/Team-Clagett
Contact: cmr@clagettregatta.org

Source: Sam Crichton