NEWPORT, R.I. (June 16, 2016) – In one week Narragansett Bay will play host to the sailors of the 14th C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Clinic and Regatta. Sailors from Canada, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, along with US sailors from Florida, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Connecticut will be taking part.
Sailors will be utilizing two of the three classes that will be sailing in Rio at the Paralympics in September. The single handed 2.4mR class and the three person Sonar class will have teams taking part in this year.
Principal Race Officer (PRO) Tom Duggan (East Sandwich, MA) will be leading the race management team this year and Clagett head coach Betsy Alison (Newport, RI) will be heading up the coaching team. Both Duggan and Alison will be heading to Rio in September for the Paralympics; Duggan as the PRO for Paralympic sailing and Alison as the Head Coach for the US Sailing Paralympic team.
Members of the US and Canadian Paralympic sailing teams, who are traveling to Rio in September, are all Clagett alumni. Six out of the 15 Sonar teams competing in Rio in September's Paralympic Games have previously been Clagett competitors.
2016 Clagett entries will see the return of familiar faces from previous years including the Sonar team from the US Virgin Islands. Skippered by Bill Canfield (Newport, RI), the team of Jim Kerr (St. Thomas, US VI) and Bob Blackwell ( St. Thomas, US VI)have been at the 2015 and 2014 Clagett clinic and regatta using the time at the event in preparation for the Rio Paralympics.
"I'm very happy to be doing my first Clagett but my fellow team members from the Virgin Islands team have been involved for three years. Like all events in Newport, we will be rewarded with great sailing conditions and excellent hospitality. The Clagett offers a wonderful mix of friendship and competition among all the competitors and volunteers", commented Bill Canfield (St. Thomas, US VI).
Returning in 2016 will be sailors from the Warrior Sailing Program who first sailed at The Clagett in 2015. "Warrior Sailing is looking forward to another year participating in the Clagett regatta. We will be sending one team of Warriors to compete this year. Our programs competitive team members have been training and competing this year and are looking forward to the challenge that lays ahead in Newport next week", commented Ben Poucher (Tavernier, FL) Director of the Warrior Sailing Program.
"We are looking forward to another fantastic event this year, at the 14th C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta. For The Clagett to be able to provide adaptive sailors the best available coaching, race management and location to assist them to optimize their potential, is the mission of The Clagett. We see the return of many familiar faces this year and we also are very proud of the fact that both the US and Canadian Paralympic sailing teams are previous Clagett sailors, many of whom have won the Clagett Trophy and their class at The Clagett", commented Clagett co-founder and President, Judy McLennan.
The 2016 Clagett will be held at Sail Newport, located in Fort Adams State Park, Newport RI, June 23-26.
Categories: Press Release News Clagett Regatta Newport
