Paralympic Sailing Regatta Day 1- USA Wins Races

by Marni Lane on 9 Sep 2008
Team USA proved their prowess on the water with two bullets and a second place today, despite challenging conditions on the first day of racing at the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Regatta.

Nick Scandone (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Marblehead, Mass.) battled out the conditions, which worsened as the day progressed, to grab a bullet and a second place in their first two races to claim the lead in the new SKUD-18 class. The Sonar team of Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Tim Angle (Marblehead, Mass.) and Bill Donohue (Brick, N.J.) also won their first race today, beating Greece by almost eight boat lengths. John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis.) also excelled in the 2.4 mR class with impressive second and sixth place finishes.

'It was a fantastic first day for all three fleets,' said Head Coach Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.). 'The U.S. is sailing well, sailing fast and sailing very clean.'

It was a long and challenging day on the water for all three classes, as they first endured delays due to a lack of wind, and then later battled quickly-changing wind and current conditions. As a result, the fleet leader frequently changed throughout the races: Sailors experienced opportunities to gain or lose at least five places in less than five minutes. The 2.4 mR and SKUD-18 course became increasingly difficult as the day wore on, because the current and wind started going against each other, resulting in almost three-foot seas kicking up.

Today proved to be an especially long day for the SKUD-18 fleet, because their first race was postponed and the entire fleet was brought back to shore. When they returned to the water to start racing two hours later, Scandone and McKinnon-Tucker were ready for battle. Alison says delays can be detrimental to some sailors, but Scandone and McKinnon-Tucker conserved their energy and bounced back well with a second place finish behind

China in their first race, and then a first place win in their second race. Sailing in 6 to 8 knots, the team sailed conservatively and smartly, according to their coach, Mike Pinckney (Costa Mesa, Calif.) 'We got a great start in the second race and ended up winning,' he said. 'We sailed well and kept it simple.'

'Nick and Maureen stepped up to plate and put together a great performance,' said Alison. 'They're very happy.'

USA's Rick Doerr and his crew, Tim Angle and Bill Donohue, won their first Sonar race by approximately eight boat lengths, leaving behind second place Greece. In their second race, the triple-handed team struggled with the set-up of their second beat and finished in tenth place, securing fifth position overall. The team exhibited terrific boat speed and learned quickly from their minor missteps today. 'They're going in to tomorrow's races with a 'Game On!' attitude,' said Alison.

In a fleet filled with Paralympic veterans, 2.4 mR sailor John Ruf performed at a highly competitive level today, with second place and sixth place finishes under his belt. He ended his first day of racing in third place, behind Canada and Germany. After only sailing at this single-handed class and at the top Paralympic level for only a year, Alison called his accomplishments 'exceptional.' Alison added: 'He has shown he is on par, speed-wise and smart-wise, with the best in the world.'

Three races are scheduled tomorrow in all three classes, starting at 1 pm local time, weather-permitting. Alison said the team is ready and excited to continue racing at the same high level as today. 'We have learned that consistent performances are what will bring us to the podium,' said Alison. As for racing tomorrow, she said, 'All we can do is take on the day and give it as much an effort as we did today.'

Sailors will race a total of eleven races over five days throughout the week. Medals will be awarded on the final day of racing, Saturday, September 13. After 5 to 8 races completed, sailors can drop their worst score; after 9 to 11 races, they can drop two scores. There will not be a medal race in the Paralympic Regatta, unlike the Olympic Regatta last month.

Current Standings for U.S. Paralympic Sailors (For full results please visit ISAF's web site: www.sailing.org/24859.php )


SKUD-18: 11 boats

1. Nick Scandone (Newport Beach, Calif., USA) and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (Marblehead, Mass., USA), 2, 1; 3
2. Hailiang Jia and Xiujuan Yang, CHINA, 1, 4; 5
3. Daniel Fitzgibbon and Rachael Cox, AUSTRALIA, 4, 2; 6



Sonar: 14 boats

1. Bruno Jourdren, Herve Larhant and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary, FRANCE, 4, 1; 5
2. Vasileios Christoforou, Theodoros Alexas and Nikolaos Paterakis, GREECE, 2, 5; 7
3. Jostein Stordahl, Per Eugen Kristiansen and Aleksander Wang-Hansen, NORWAY, 6, 2; 8

5. Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J., USA), Tim Angle (Marblehead, Mass., USA) and Bill Donohue (Brick, N.J., USA), 1, 10; 11



2.4 mR: 16 boats
1. Paul Tingley, CANADA, 1,1; 2
2. Heiko Kroger, GERMANY, 3, 2; 5
3. John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis., USA), 2, 6; 8


Online Information and Resources Updated Daily

For complete and up-to-the-minute regatta news and results, photos, behind-the-scenes blogs and U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team bios, please visit: olympics.ussailing.org/Olympics.htm

For more information about Paralympic Sailing from the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing (IFDS), please visit: sailing.org/ifds.php

About the United States Paralympic Team for Sailing

The athletes of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Team are selected, trained, and managed by US SAILING, national governing body for the sport of sailing. The top three athletes in each Olympic and Paralympic class are part of the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. For more information about the athletes of the U.S. Olympic Team for Sailing, please visit www.ussailing.org.