SKUD 18 Designer, Chris Mitchell, in Qingdao for the Paralympic debut of the SKUD 18
Photograph:Access Sailing
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David Staley, Monday, 8 September 2008
The SKUD 18 has made its official debut as the Two-Person Equipment in the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Competition that commenced in Qingdao, China, this week.
Equipped with stunning ‘National Flag’ gennakers, the SKUD 18s have created a visual spectacle for onlookers.
Introduction of this fast, exciting and colourful craft is seen as the beginning of a new era in Paralympic Sailing.
“I don’t think it can get much better than this”, said the SKUD 18’s designer, Chris Mitchell, in Qingdao to watch the racing.
“Here we have the SKUD, a Skiff of Universal Design. It has delivered gender equity with 50% female participation, inclusion for severely disabled sailors with half the crew classified a ‘One’, and the most severely disabled sailor in the whole event, Nick Scandone of the USA is leading the SKUD fleet with a string of first places”.
“The SKUD is also the only Paralympic class with a spinnaker, and emblazoned with the national flag of each country. It has delivered all the images for newspaper and TV coverage. The SKUD has certainly changed things for the better”, he said.
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