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2-Person IFDS World Champions
The first-ever 2004 IFDS TWO-PERSON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP was sailed in challenging sailing conditions on beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida, March 29 – April 3. Co-Chairmen, Ken Carpenter and Dan McCoy pulled all the stops and organized “an army” to run the World Championship. “the Club has not been this excited in years and dozens of local businesses and our members have come through to support the event financially. We couldn’t do it alone and we’re grateful for their support. And we’ve had a lot of fun together” reported Carpenter. This inaugural event was a key step in the evaluation of a new two-person sailing discipline for the Paralympic Games, focused on severely disabled athletes. “A two-person sailing format is expected to compliment the current single-person 2.4mR Class and three-person Sonar Class events. With the IFDS’ focus on providing access to severely disabled sailors we were prepared for challenges” said Dan McCoy, Canadian Paralympic sailor and Co-Chairman of the event. Traveling from seven countries as far away as Japan and Australia, fourteen teams of athletes gathered to compete in spinnaker-equipped Martin 16s. The Martin 16, designed by Canadian naval architect, Don Martin, is a high-performance sloop designed specifically to accommodate sailors with severe disabilities.
During the event, Alvey was in charge of the fleet of spinnaker-equipped Martin 16s and the innovator of the adaptive equipment that assists severely disabled athletes to compete. “Seating and stability are critical, as are simple, yet effective sail controls and power-assisted controls where they’re required. And making the asymmetrical spinnaker rig manageable is key to this two-person format. So we were testing a bunch of new ideas here.” The sailing began with the Martin16 US National Championship held immediately prior to the World Championship as a tune-up regatta. The conditions were very demanding, with two days of strong northeast winds and “Tampa Bay chop”. Sailmaker Brad Boston set the pace in the warm-up event and the Swedish team of Gustaf Fresk and Aron Andersson placed second in US National Championship.
Rachel Morris and her teammate Eddie Pickering came from England to participate, both UK champions in the Access Dinghy Class. “My sailing partner is stronger in areas where I’m weak, to create the best team. And the boat can have any number of equipment aids installed as well. I had not sailed with a spinnaker before. It’s challenging and it was a blast!” After
figuring out the Martin 16 in the warm-up event, Fresk and Andersson (SWE)
continued to develop their spinnaker skills and speed throughout the World
Championship. They sailed skillfully and conservatively over the nine
races to win the event. Karen Mitchell and Michael Grimm, both accomplished US sailors from Miami Florida, finished fourth in the event. “The Martin 16 is an equalizer - it allowed severely disabled teams to place at the top of the fleet. And I’m now convinced that flying a spinnaker is a necessary element at this level of competition”. Karen, a quadriplegic sailor and cancer survivor, is pursuing a Paralympic Campaign (www.sailingforlife.org). “You’ll see me in Beijing…”
When they had reached the dock for the last time, all of the sailors rated St Petersburg Yacht Club’s race management as “World Class”. Social events hosted at SPYC throughout the week were boisterous and new friendships were kindled. “It was a very full schedule. The sailors sure got their money’s worth” says Ken Carpenter. At the Awards Ceremony, it took Co-Chairmen Carpenter and McCoy some time to recognize the athletes and thank the many Sponsors, volunteers and contributors to this unique event. Pictures, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and hugs were exchanged, and the sailing community strengthened through these new friendships. When the excitement had waned, World Champions Gustaf Fresk and Dan Fitzgibbon (AUS) met, and agreed to form the “Zenith Project”, an international project to refine the two-person sailing format for severely disabled sailors. “We want a fair, level playing field that will attract the best sailors in the world and we invite anyone that shares our vision for the future of elite-level disabled sailing to join us in the Zenith Project”. The athletes that participated in the IFDS Two-Person World Championship know that elite-level sailing demands a fine balance between preparation and perseverance on one hand, with sensitivity and respect for the forces of nature that one has to work with to “get where you’re going”. Just as sea-faring explorers set-sail to discover new lands, these athletes have explored new territory and will help the IFDS shape the future of Paralympic sailing. The votes are in for two-person spinnaker sailing: “Thumbs Up!”
Dan describes himself as a “sailor, first”: “I don’t focus on my disability – I’m a sailor first and I’ll go out there and take on anyone. And “mastery” is key to me, not just sailing or survival. In my mind, the Paralympics is about mastery not charity. I am looking for a class that’s accessible to me, but one that’s also attractive to top sailors – sail-makers and the like – that’s what I’m after. On his way “back in” Dan first bought and adapted a 2.4mR. “The boat is very technical and wet, and I found that I could not be competitive with more able athletes”. Then, in 2003, the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing (IFDS – Paralympic sailing authority) announced two new World Championships for 2004, focused on severely disabled athletes. So Fitzgibbon borrowed an Access Liberty sailboat, put in a lot of water time practicing and, in January 2004, won the IFDS Single-Person World Championship in Melbourne. “I’m back! I confirmed that I have the skills necessary to compete at the elite level.” Fitzgibbon can still feel the wind’s “pressure” and his tactical mind is sharp. But he needs a harness to hold him upright in the boat and his hands no longer work well, so he uses an electronic steering system to guide his boat. Fitzgibbon found out about the Martin 16 on the Internet and recognized it as a platform that might be adapted to his needs. “The Martin 16 has better seating and is drier, and had a lot of adaptive equipment available. It is complicated enough to require skill and training to gain mastery but does not penalize sailors as disabled as I am – of even more disabled”. As his next step, Fitzgibbon set a goal to win the Two-Person Worlds in March 2004. “I noticed that some of the best sailors in the world were going to be at the event so I didn’t expect a cake-walk. But I put a lot of pressure on myself before the event, I tried some new ideas and I had some bad breaks equipment-wise, but when I was on the mark I proved that I could sail with the best in the World on the racecourse. I’m on track and when I get the systems worked out they haven’t got a chance!” Fitzgibbon acknowledges the challenges of finding a way to be able to sail with his mates again: “I can’t do a lot of the physical stuff any more, so to sail at the elite level I need a teammate in order to train, travel, rig the boat, clean it, deal with problems on shore and on the racecourse, even help me into the boat. So, without Grahme (Dan’s crew, Grahme Raynor) I would not have made it to the start line. I can’t expect a volunteer to come out and help me to train five days a week. To be competitive, I need a partner as equally motivated as myself and I need that person on my boat, not in a motorboat beside me. As well, there’s the camaraderie, two perspectives on tactics, you know. For me, the two-person team is safe and competitive it’s that simple.” “We’ve had a couple of gos at the Martin 16 now, and this event has convinced me that this is a platform that works. The asymmetrical spinnaker really adds a new level of skill. If I lost someone upwind, I can still take him tactically downwind. It’s two-dimensional racing; the spinnaker doubles the racing that you get and it’s harder to gain mastery.” Spinnakers add colour to any sailing event says Fitzgibbon, and “as well as the sailors, spectators and the media will like this, and this is important to making the sport visible and popular with the public” Fitzgibbon is convinced that the two-person format will increase access to severely disabled sailors at the Paralympic level. “This is the only way that serious sailors with disabilities at my level can compete. The Martin 16 is already a pretty versatile platform and I am going to push to make it better. I’ve bought a Martin 16 and I am going to propose a couple of ways that (the IFDS) could kick-up the boat’s horsepower, modify the sail plan and foils and improve the steering system to make it more appropriate for Paralympic-level competition”. Dan Fitzgibbon has one thing on his mind: “I’m going to sail for Australia in the 2008 Paralympic Games. That’s it. So I’ll see you in Beijing!” Although veterans, Fresk admits that he and Andersson learned a lot by competing in this new event: “I have a degenerative disability and I have been feeling that I’ve reached the limit of my elite sailing career because of my disability, not my sailing skill. In this event, the only thing that got in our way was our sailing skills and our lack of experience with the Martin 16. My disability was not even in the picture and I said: “Wow!” and realized that I could be sailing at the elite level for some years to come. So, a big eye-opener to me was the value of the two-person format. It really is the best of both of the current Paralympic classes. The Martin 16 is a manageable size and cost, easy to move around. At the same time, the two-person format allows many team combinations to sail competitively. It’s as good as possible as an “equalizer”, leveling the playing field for even significantly disabled crews. In my mind it’s perfect.” A new Perpetual Trophy – and Martin 16 #100 - were presented to World Champions, Gustaf Fresk and Aron Andersson at the Awards Ceremony. “We had a great time here. I believe that we learned a lot about the two-person format and of course winning the event is pretty exhilarating too.” Fresk and Andersson are currently focused on their Sonar campaign, representing Sweden in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens in September. Always open to new ideas, Fresk concludes that the Martin 16 has potential as a two-person platform: “An important part of the Paralympics is that the sailors have to have respect for the classes of boats being sailed. As the Martin 16 evolves and is refined technically, elite-level sailors are likely to accept it. For me personally, a two-person format in an accessible sailboat may extend my elite-level sailing career, and I’d like that.”
“In order to better coach the US sailors, I had to learn a lot about the Martin 16. I observed the boats in a wide range of breezes and sea conditions, sailed by top-level sailors, and I competed myself in the US Championship. This really enabled me to assess the Martin 16 and the two-person sailing format, and it’s very versatile.” Alison said that she was surprised to see the best sailors hop in a Martin 16 for the first time, and make them perform well. “In a new boat, sailing in pretty challenging winds and sea conditions, these sailors excelled. There was a wide range of disabilities in the teams and most of the top sailors were classified as “severely” disabled. So it’s obviously very well suited for adapted sailing with a wide range of combinations of crew disability”. Betsy described the addition of asymmetrical spinnaker as “a big bonus”: “First, it provides a new challenge for sailors that have been using “white sails” up until now. And because you’re now sailing angles downwind, an asymmetrical spinnaker totally changes the tactics and strategy of half of the racing. It requires new skills and more coordination between helmsman and crew.” “Overall, I have to say that it’s been an eye-opener for me. Now I can see the value of a double-handed spinnaker class at the Paralympic level. It’s challenging, cost-effective, and colorful, yet it’s safe and accessible to severely disabled athletes – that’s marvelous! With just a few tweaks and modifications, the Martin 16 will provide a really nice platform for more severe disabilities to compete on level playing field.” LINKS
AND INFORMATION: |
In
the weeks leading up to the event, Steve Alvey, General Manager of Martin
16 production, organized the suppliers of the Martin 16 and invited them
to Sponsor a spinnaker-equipped Martin 16 turbo sloop as “first
prize” for the winning team. They responded enthusiastically and
Alvey announced the prize at the Opening Ceremony. “the Martin 16
has proven itself as the most accessible boat on the planet. Each season,
more and more disabled sailors around the globe experience this. We’ve
shipped Martin 16s to five countries to date, and to four new countries
this summer. So it was an appropriate celebration to get together and
award M16 #100 to the top team in the Two-Person World Championship and
we are proud to do that”. 
Jussi
Matilla traveled from Finland and Minoru Tada from Japan, in order to
evaluate the Martin 16 for their countries’ disabled sailing authority.
Their reports were positive and they expect to return – with others
– for future Two-Person World Championship events. 
Dan
Fitzgibbon and Grahme Raynor hail from Brisbane Australia. “It
was my goal to compete for Australia in the Olympics before my accident.
I was a top youth sailor and we were about to start a 470 campaign for
the 2000 Olympics when I was injured at Easter time ‘97, and I’m
now quadriplegic. That hasn’t changed my goals one bit, and I have
been trying to find a way back in since then. The 2008 Paralympics is
my goal now.”
Gustaf
Fresk and Aron Andersson travelled to St Petersburg from Sweden
to sail a Martin 16 together for the first time. But Fresk and Andersson
are veteran athletes: they have represented Sweden in both the Atlanta
and Sydney Paralympic Games and will sail for Sweden a third time in Athens
2004 in the Sonar class. Fresk explained that the Sonar (Paralympic three-person
“crew boat” event) allows teams of disabled sailors to compliment
one another, and be optimized in order to be competitive. For example,
a severely disabled helmsman can sail with more able crew. Fresk is also
former World Champion in the 2.4mR, the Paralympic single-person keelboat
class. “The 2.4mR is popular because of its manageable size, cost,
and low “hassle factor” as we say in Sweden. This is really
important for disabled sailors because just getting around is enough hassle.”
COACH’S
CORNER