New SKUD-18 Team- Scandone and McKinnon-Tucker

by Marni Lane on 19 Apr 2007 US Disabled Sailing Team members Nick Scandone (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Marblehead, Mass.) have announced they will join forces in the new SKUD-18 class.

Scandone, who was named the 2006 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, is currently the top ranked sailor in the singlehanded 2.4mR class on the 2007 Team. Due to the progression of his illness, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, he has decided to switch to the new doublehandeed SKUD-18, so he can compete against other sailors with similar disabilities. 'This switch allows me to compete on a more even playing field,' he said.

'I am lucky to have been asked to team up with him as I could only hope to someday be as good a sailor as he is,' said McKinnon-Tucker. 'I'm looking forward to learning all I can from his experience.'

The SKUD-18, which will make its debut at the Paralympic Games in 2008, is an 18-foot boat with a center-lined seat, a mainsail, jib, asymmetrical spinnaker and a bulb keel. According to the International Federation of Disabled Sailing (IFDS), a SKUD-18 team must include one female and one person deemed a Functional Classification System (FCS) '1.' The scale is based on 1 through 7, with 7 being the most mobile.

As soon as Scandone’s new SKUD-18 arrives in California at the end of April, they will start their mad dash of training for the summer and fall regattas as well as their ultimate goal, the Paralympic Trials - Sailing in October. The winners at the Trials will represent the USA at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Qingdao, China from September 6-17, 2008. Both sailors will continue to be members of the 2007 US Disabled Sailing Team.

The 2007 USDST also consists of the top three ranked sailors in each of the three classes chosen for the 2008 Paralympic Games: the 2.4mR, the Sonar, and SKUD-18. For a complete list of the 2007 USDST and their hometowns, please visit:

www.ussailing.org/olympics/paralympic/2007/team.asp