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2003 US Paralympic Trials Hey, it's only every 4 years, and last time I was there. This time I was not, but they held them any way. Go figure. While you're reading this, remember that all of the guys and girls have a difficult enough time getting around on land, let alone going sailboat racing. Take a look at the photo of Paul Callahan (toward the end of the article) and check out his adaptive equipment. For those who know the Sonar, his seating arrangement is in front of the main traveller and the main trimmer sits in the back. It is to allow a guy who cannot get from side to side on his own, to get from side to side. While both fleets only had 5 boats, I know the top 3 Sonars had a duke fest of gimp proportions.The daily reports were written by Linda Merkle and the Final is from Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l. Photos by Chris Russick & William Marois -Dawg.
November 7, 2003 No wind today. No races either! The sailors sat around and told lies to each other. After a while they ran out of lies and started telling the same ones all over again. The Race Committe produced a deck of cards and played Bridge while praying for wind. It didn't work. At the dinner, the PRO blamed the Rear Commodore for forgetting to order wind. Dana McKinnon-Tucker (aged about three) played ball with everyone and slept under the table at the dinner. They say there will be better conditions tomorrow.
Hot again today but enough wind to get two windward-leeward races for both classes. Winds were out of the Northeast to East at about 6 - 8 kts. In the 2.4mR class, Tom Brown took two bullets, followed closely by John Ruf in the first race and Tom Franklin in the second, to establish a good lead at the end of the first day of racing. Lots more races to go, though, so things could change. In the Sonar Class, Ricky Doerr and John Ross-Duggan split the bullets with Paul Callahan taking second place - with a strong downwind pass of JR on the last leg of the first race - in each race. With a three way tie for the lead, things will be interesting tomorrow as a three way match race begins to shape up. Karen Mitchell, with two 4th place finishes, is definitely in contact with the top sailors and may well, if they concentrate too much on each other, provide some suprises. Heavier air is forecast for tomorrow. Some say 10 kts, others 15- 20. This is Tampa Bay so we will wait and see what wind shows up. Could be fun.
November 9, 2003 Good wind today. 15-16 kts with gusts to 21 and lulls to 12. Since the wind was out ofthe Northeast and this is Tampa Bay and the tide was running up against the wind, the Bay;s signature "square waves" - about 5 feet from trough to crest - were a promninent part of racing. Ricky Doerr got confused and thought he was at the US Paralymic Trials for Swimming. He went overboard - sliding towards the low side at a significant fraction of the speed of light - before the start of the second race of the day. Fortunatley the RC and the coach boats were on the ball and he was recoverd in good order in time to start the race. In the Sonar Class, Paul Callahan's spectacular downwind speed allowed him to pass Ricky Doerr on the last leg of the first race for a second place finish behind John Ross-Duggan's convincing victory. In the second race Paul ran away from the fleet for a bullet and the overall lead in the regatta after four races. In the 2.4mR class, Tom Brown with 5 points overall is starting to look hard to beat in spite of Tom Ruf's decisive win in the first race of the day. Monday is a lay day so no racing but good wind is forecast for the rest of the week.
November 12,2003 Good breeze again on Tuesday as the US Paralympic Team Trials – Sailing resumed after a scheduled lay day. The St. Petersburg YC Race Committee, operating with admirable efficiency and speed, managed three races to pick up one of the races lost to Friday’s “no wind day”. Race 1 in the Sonar Class started on time in 9 – 10 kts from a little east of northeast (065). Almost immediately, John Ross-Duggan broke away leaving Paul Callahan and Rick Doerr to match race for second and third place. And match race they did with changes of position both upwind and downwind. Paul Callahan took the second place. In Race 2 the breeze had dropped a bit into the 7 – 8 kt range but John Ross-Duggan, once again, broke away for a convincing win followed by Paul and Rick who engaged in a tight race, eventually won by Paul, for second place. Surprising everyone at the first weather mark was Karen Mitchell who was crossing tacks with John but, unfortunately, failed to duck effectively in a port starboard situation and, following a 720, fell to the back of the pack. As the fleet prepared for the start of Race 3, the wind piped up to 14+ kts. This time Paul Callahan and John Ross-Duggan dueled for first and second place. Paul showed superior upwind and downwind speed to win by some 40 seconds. Rick Doerr’s position, while not yet hopeless, is tough. If he can come back in the remaining seven races, he will have proven himself to be a world class champions. Tom Brown continues to dominate in the 2.4mR class. With the throwout, he is only counting bullets. John Ruf and Tom Franklin are locked in a tight struggle for second and third places but will find it hard to overcome Tom Brown’s lead.
November 14, 2003 After an ugly “no wind day” on Wednesday, the US Paralympic Trials cam back to life on Thursday. Winds were solid – although the RC was busy shifting marks – at 8 to 12 kts out of the NNW. Since the course was in a protected area, Tampa Bay’s signature “square waves were absent. Three races were held with tight racing in each fleet resulting in several lead changes. In the Sonar Class, Paul Callahan and John Ross-Duggan engaged in classic match racing tactics – circling the RC signal boat and attempting to drive each other away from the line. Once on the course, playing the shift and finding the areas of stronger velocity became more important, however, than boat on boat tactics. In the 2.4mR class Tom Franklin found his boat speed to record two bullets and a second place finish to move ahead of John Ruf for second place. Tom Brown continues in a dominating position and the regatta looks to be nearly in his hands. Friday’s competition in the Sonar class, will be intense. While Rick Doerr is almost mathematically eliminated, Paul Callahan can still catch John Ross-Duggan but will have to sail exceptionally well. Ten races have been completed and a second discard comes into play once twelve races have been sailed. Thanks to the friendly tugboat captain who obligingly altered course to leave the weather mark to starboard and stay clear of the course during race 3. Linda Merkle Final Report
BROWN WINS 2.4 METRE, ROSS-DUGGAN/CREIGNOU/JOHNSON WIN SONAR AS PARALYMPIC TRIALS CONCLUDE
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. (November 15, 2003) – With a nod to Walt, four paralympic hopefuls are going one better with a trip to Greece in lieu of one to nearby Disneyworld. Friday’s two final races in the 2.4 Metre and Sonar selection trials for the 2004 Paralympic Games confirmed the reservations and booked the Athlete’s Village for next year’s events which will be held September 17-28, 2004, in Athens. Although only twelve of a planned 14 races were counted toward the series totals when the wind went missing on two of the race days, it allowed two drops to be figured into the overall standings for the series which was sailed from St. Petersburg Yacht Club (St. Petersburg, Fla.). In the 2.4 Metre, Tom Brown (Northeast Harbor, Maine) has succeeded in securing his second opportunity to represent the U.S.A. at the Paralympic Games. The Sydney bronze medallist led from the outset after winning two races back-to-back on the opening day of the Trials. Coming out of the layday, Brown held a slim three-point lead over John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wisc.) who had kept the margin narrow with his win of the third race. Despite an OCS in the first race after the layday, Tom Franklin (Miami, Fla.) fought back to win two of the next five races to leapfrog Ruf, moving into second overall by three points. Brown, however, had extended his lead and was now eight points ahead of Franklin heading into the final day of the Trials. A third-place finish by Brown in the first race of the final day became his second drop, and despite Franklin’s win of that race, it was not enough for him to overtake the leader. Brown had mathematically secured the series along with the choice of sitting out the final race. He opted to sail and ended the series, as he had begun, with a win.
“We had everything, from light wind to winds blasting into the 20s,” said Brown as he reflected on the series. “I went back and forth a little with the others but everything turned out right. I was worried about John Ruf the most (who ended up third).” Looking toward Athens he noted that when he won the bronze in 2000, “that was only my third time racing the boat, so I'll be ready to go this time. I'll be doing lots of training and will take a serious whack at them. The other guys (countries) are very strong, because in Europe they have more racing. Now that it's the second time around, the bar has been lifted. My emotions right now? It hasn't really sunk in but I'm sure it will soon.” In the Sonar class the action was tight among the top three teams. With four races on the books, Paul Callahan (Bourne, Mass.), Keith Burhans (Irondequoit, N.Y.) and Roger Cleworth (Brandon, Fla.) went into the layday in first place, albeit by only one-point, over John Ross-Duggan (Newport Beach, Calif.), J.P. Creignou and Brad Johnson (both St. Petersburg, Fla.). Following in third, also a point back, were Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Tim Angle and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker (both Marblehead, Mass.). Ross-Duggan, Creignou and Johnson then turned on the heat to rack up four bullets over the next six races to move from second to first place overall with a two-point lead over Callahan’s team going into the final day. Doerr’s team scored a win in race nine – their second for the series – but it was not enough to keep them in the mix as the leaders steadily increased the spread between the three teams. With a win of the first race on the final day, Ross-Duggan, Creignou and Johnson had won the Trials. “We didn't have to sail last race but did anyway, for practice,” said Ross-Duggan. “We relaxed but we didn't go pleasure sailing.” Ross-Duggan noted that the three have sailed together only four months but he feels it’s the right mix. "Our strength to weight ratio is about the best it can be. Before the Trials we sparred against the Irish who are ranked fourth in the world and we were superior to them, so I think its safe to say we'll be medal contenders at the Paralympics.” Johnson, a bilateral leg amputee who went to the 2000 Paralympics in the six-man volleyball event noted that they “did not walk away with it. It was difficult. The event was great and the competitors had heart to no end. We felt privileged to race against them.” For additional background and full results, visit www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicTrials/2004
FINAL RESULTS
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