Sonar World Champs – Warrior sailors venturing towards new challenges

by Sam Crichton on 13 Aug 2015 Sonar World Championship – A team of disabled veterans have their eye on a prize that will take them to a very different battle ground in September. After just over a year of training and preparation a team of disabled sailors from the Warrior Sailing Program have set their sights set on taking part in the Sonar World Championship in Falmouth, MA.

Warrior Sailing is just what it says it is - warriors who have returned from their service in the US armed forces competing against fellow sailors on one of the most level sporting playing fields, sailing. Over the course of the last week of July and first week of August, returned service personnel, who have disabilities have been training and racing in both Newport RI and Chicago IL in preparation for an intense six weeks of sailing. Three teams from the Warrior Sailing Program took part in the North American Challenge Cup (NACC) which was held at the Chicago Yacht Club, July 31 to August 3rd.

These veterans, who have graduated from the Warrior Sailing Program Basic Training camps, have made the decision to progress to the next phase and take part in competitive sailing regattas. Warrior Sailing teams are made up of wounded, ill and injured active duty or retired members of the returned USA armed forces.

Sailing in Sonar's, a three or four person keel boat, the Warrior Sailing teams racing in Chicago were skippered by Sammy Lugo, Preston Schofield and Eliezer Arroyo. Lugo, who served in the Army, lives in Tampa, Florida and has been sailing with the Warrior Sailing Program since 2013 when he was a graduate of the basic training camp. Sailing with Lugo as crew in Chicago, were Joseph Messerre (Virginia Beach, VA) Navy and Mouad Yousef (Cleveland, OH) who works for the Veterans Administration Department.

This team, that has just under one year of sailing experience, is training and campaigning towards the Open Sonar World Championship which will be held in Falmouth, MA September 17 -20. In preparation for the World Championship, they will also compete at the US Sailing Disabled Championships in San Diego, CA and the Blind World Championships back in Chicago, IL.

'Every time I am out on the water I am learning new things. Being involved with the Warrior Sailing Program has enabled me to look forward to being part of a team working towards a common goal, similar to when you are in the Army', commented Lugo after taking part in the NACC in Chicago.

Warrior Sailing Program Director, Ben Poucher, (Tavernier, FL) commented,' The Warrior Sailing Program works with multiple veteran and active military organizations to introduce wounded, ill, or injured members of the armed forces to the sport of sailing and bring them to the basic training camps. Graduates of the this course they are able to continue developing the skills of sailing through advanced training with the program and move onto what we call level two events which includes regattas such as, the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta and the Robbie Pierce One Design Regatta. We plan to have teams involved at the upcoming US Sailing Disabled Championship in San Diego then back to Chicago for the Blind Sailing World Championship and wrapping it up with the Sonar World Championship, which is an open event for both disabled and able bodied sailors, in Falmouth, MA. This program is about being able to provide sailing opportunities to wounded members of the armed forces.'

The Warrior Sailing Program is supported by the program of the USMMA Sailing Foundation in partnership with US sailing. The base funding for the Basic Training Camps are provided by a VA adaptive sports grant.