History of the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Regatta
In August 2002, a small group of people gathered to discuss how to take sailors with disabilities to an elite level of sailing in order to increase the talent pool of U.S. sailors vying for Paralympic competition.
This discussion led to the formation of the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Regatta, first held in August 2003, with the help and support of Tom Clagett’s daughter and granddaughter, Judy and Stephanie McLennan. The event is sanctioned by US SAILING and the Organizing Authority is Sail Newport.
This event is dedicated to the memory of Tom Clagett who was a strong, tough, driven person who was dedicated to the values of Corinthian sailing and sportsmanship. Those close to him, and at times even some not so close, were never left in doubt of where he stood on any given issue that was important to him.
When Tom was a young man he was stricken with Meningitis which left him temporarily paralyzed. Fortunately this was a temporary condition, but it left Tom with a respect for the accomplishments that people with disabilities are able to achieve as well as their daily challenges.
There are three classes of boats used in the Paralympics. The Sonar is sailed with three persons and the 2.4mR is a single-handed boat. The newest boat introduced in 2006 is the SKUD18 a two person double-handed boat with the added requirement that one of the persons is a woman. In 2003, this event started with five New England teams, sailing in Sonars, competing for the C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Trophy. In 2006 the Clagett Memorial Regatta was a USDST qualifier for the SKUD18 class, as approved by the Olympic Sailing Committee. It was also the first part of the 2007 USDST qualifiers for the Sonar class.
Building on its mission to provide sailors with disabilities the opportunity to hone their competitive skills the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta has expanded to welcome the participation of blind sailors for the annual running of this event hosted by Sail Newport, Rhode Island’s Public Sailing Center. Starting in 2008 the Blind Sailing National Championship was incorporated into the Clagett which now not only works to develop the skills of sight-impaired sailors, but also provides invaluable training for competitors who strive to enter in the IFDS Blind Sailing World Championship.(click to read more)
“We are very excited to welcome the blind sailors into The Clagett family,” said event founder Judy McLennan (Portsmouth, R.I.), daughter of the event’s namesake. “The growth of the event -- from offering racing in Sonars (2003-2004), to include 2.4 Metres (2005), Skud-18s (2006), and J/22s (2008) – allows us to fulfill The Clagett’s goal of providing sailors with disabilities not only the knowledge and tools to improve their skills, but also the opportunity to test them in competition.”
Everyone involved with this Clinic/Regatta is considered to be amongst the best in their fields of expertise. Sail Newport offers a world class Regatta Site and Race Management expertise. The Judges all have their International and or their National qualifications. The Coaches are headed up by Betsy Alison, herself a top sailor.
All involved are dedicated to achieving the same goal of sharing their invaluable knowledge with the sailors in order to expand the talents of U.S. sailors with disabilities and help them attain their individual dreams and represent the U.S. at National and International competition in Paralympic class boats. The Vision for this Clinic/Regatta is to become the leader in developing competitive sailing opportunities for sailors with disabilities.
In 2010 The Clagett became it's own charitable organization. By working closely with Sail Newport, both organizations can strengthen each other's missions.