NEWPORT, R.I. (May 17, 2016) – As the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta progresses towards its 14th year of operation, the 2016 line up of coaches is second to none. The coaching team will be led by Betsy Alison (Newport, RI), who has been the Head Coach for The Clagett for many years.
The 2016 Clagett clinic and regatta has an international line up of coaches, who will be working with The Clagett sailors both on and off water through out the clinic and the regatta. Sailors who attend the 14th Clagett will benefit from knowledge and skills development over the course of the four day event.
Betsy Alison (Newport, RI), who coached adaptive sailors to medal in the 2012 Paralympic games with a silver medal in the SKUD-18 class, is the Chairman of the Para World Sailing Committee of World Sailing. Alison has been twice honored as United States Olympic Committee Coach of the Year and is a five times Rolex US Sailor of the year. In 2011 she was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
"The skills and techniques of this years coaching group brings The Clagett participants multiple years of knowledge from the five coaches. The clinic and the coaching at The Clagett has proven to be extremely important to the experienced sailors as well as those who are new to sailing as an adaptive sport", said Alison.
Joining Alison and returning as a Clagett coaching alumni are Bill Shore (Newport, RI), Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, MD) and Brian Todd (Nova Scotia, Canada).
Bill Shore (Newport, RI), returns to The Clagett again to work with the 2.4mR class. Shore retired from competitive sailboat racing over 10 years ago. He had accumulated over 50 World, Continental, National and Midwinter Championship titles. Since then he has focused on helping others hone their skills while climbing the ladder to their own successes.
Nancy Haberland (Annapolis, MD), grew up sailing on Lake Michigan just north of Chicago. After college, she coached at J/World for several seasons and began training for the Olympics. She has been fortunate enough to attend three Olympic games, as a training partner in the Europe Dinghy, once as a competitor in the Yngling class, and also as an athlete liaison for USOC at the Paralympics in China in 2008. Haberland has been part of the winning team at several World and North American Championships. Currently she resides in Annapolis, MD where she is a coach for the US Naval Academy Varsity Offshore Sailing Team.
Brian Todd (Nova Scotia, Canada), is currently a member of the Para World Sailing Committee of World Sailing (former known as ISAF). In 2012 Todd was awarded the Sail Nova Scotia Sailor of the Year for his significant contribution to the sport. For over 20 years Todd was a coach for the National and Provincial sailing teams and in 2008 he led the 2008 Canadian Paralympic sailing team to gold and bronze medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games and the London 2012 was his second Paralympic Games. Todd has coached at one Olympic Games, five Canada Games, one Pan Am Games and countless World Championships in various classes. Athletes Todd has worked with have won medals at all the sailing Games he has coached at except the 1984 Olympics.
"We are looking forward to having this international line up of coaches joining us at The Clagett this year. As we plan our 14th event it is evident that the sailors appreciate the benefits of taking part in both the clinic and regatta components of The Clagett", commented Clagett President and co-founder, Judy McLennan (Portsmouth, RI).
The 2016 Clagett will be held at Sail Newport, located in Fort Adams State Park, Newport RI, June 23-26.