The Independence Cup founded by the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation has partnered with US Sailing to include the U.S. Para Sailing Championship. Titles are held in three divisions, with the foundation’s fleet of 20 boats made available at no cost to competitors though sailors may bring their own boat if they so desire. A clinic on July 25 is followed by three days of racing on July 26-28 in Chicago, IL.
Racing is held in:
• The 2.4mR, singlehanded keelboat, sailed by one person with a disability.
• The Independence 20, a 20-foot adaptive keelboat, sailed by two persons with disabilities. There will be an able-bodied (AB) person onboard each boat provided by the organizing authority (OA) to perform non-tactical duties since the sailors are not permitted to leave their seas, with the ABs changing boats daily throughout the regatta to prevent any perceived advantage to any single team.
• The Sonar, 23-foot keelboat, sailed by three people. The helmsperson must have a disability and at least one more Para sailor is required on board to be eligible for the Gene Hinkel Trophy.
Many former Independence Cup competitors have gone on to represent the United States at the Paralympic Games, including the late 2008 gold medalist, Nick Scandone. This year’s event will have three former Paralympians competing:
• Chris Murphy (Sonar – 1996) will be helming an Independence in the Doublehanded event.
• Paul Callahan (Sonar – 2000 and 2012) will be reuniting with his Sydney Paralympics 2000 teammate Keith Burhans (Sonar-2000) to compete in the Triplehanded Sonar event.
One of the standout features of this year’s event is the sailing clinic held the day before racing begins. This clinic, led by three experienced coaches, offers competitors an invaluable opportunity to refine their skills and gain insights into racing strategies.
“Competitors will learn a great deal about racing and about themselves both at the clinic and each day during the racing,” says Peter Goldman, who runs the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation (named after his father, Judd Goldman).
Details: https://www.ussailing.org/competition/championships/2024-u-s-para-sailing-championships/
Source: scuttlebutt – https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2024/07/22/supporting-para-sailing-in-chicago/
