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Countdown to the World Championships
David Staley, Thursday, 18 February 2010The Bruce Wake 2010 Access Class Combined World Championships are fast approaching and the organisers are trying very hard to ensure charter boats will be available for everyone who needs them. But they need to know who will be coming! So far there are 32 entries from 4 nations but we are aware of many others planning to compete. Regatta dates are June 5-11.
The deadline for entries is 24 April, but it would be helpful if entries can be in sooner rather than later. It is important to note that any requests for Access 2.3s or Access 303Ws to charter must be received no later than 1 March 2010 together with the Entry, Administration, and Fees forms. Payment of entry fees can be deferred until April 24.
There is a wealth of event information being posted to the event website. This includes all the forms, catering information and a questions and answer section. Visit: www.accessclass.org.uk
Sailors are reminded to bring their own PFD (life jacket) for the event. Local regulations require PFDs of a type which has permanent flotation. Manually or automatically inflated lifejackets are not acceptable. Also, those sailors who use a sling to be transferred into their boats are reminded that they must bring their own with them.
The organisers intend to appoint ambassadors as a point of contact for each national group of visiting sailors during the event and act as a link with the race office.
We look forward to having a strong field for the Championships in June and the high level of planning should ensure a well run and enjoyable event.
Website links:
Access Class Association (UK) – www.accessclass.org.uk – for all information
International Access Class Association – www.accessclass.org – for class rules etc
Rutland Sailing Club – http://rutlandsc.co.uk/cms/index.php – for local information
Rutland Sailability – www.rutland-sailability.org
Regatta Office email: access2010@live.co.uk – for all queries
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Scott Whitman & Julia Dorsett (USA) have won the Rolex Miami OCR SKUD 18 Competition
Photograph:Walter Cooper / US Sailing
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Whitman & Dorsett Win in Miami
Marni Lane, US SAILING (as amended by IACA), Miami, Florida, USA, Friday, 29 January 2010After five days of racing on Biscayne Bay, gold, silver and bronze medalists were determined today in three Paralympic classes at US SAILING's 2010 Rolex Miami OCR, the second of seven stops of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Sailing World Cup 2009-2010.
USA racked up the most medals with four, followed by Canada with two and one apiece for Norway, Great Britain and The Netherlands.
The Rolex Miami OCR, which this year hosted 448 teams (633 athletes) from 45 nations, is one of the world's most competitive regattas for those hoping to claim a sailing berth at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and as such it offers hefty bragging rights for podium finishers as well as critical points on the Sailing World Cup circuit and for certain national team designations and rankings.
US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) members Scott Whitman (Brick, N.J.) and Julia Dorsett (Boca Raton, Fla./ West Chester, Pa.) continued their winning streak by clinching the gold medal with a race to spare today.
USA's SKUD newcomers, Jen French (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and JP Creignou (St.Petersburg, Fla.) won a silver medal, which was impressive considering this is only the second event they've sailed together. French and Creignou won both races today, but in the first race, they were called OCS for starting prematurely. Dorsett and Whitman's second became a first, which gave them the win. They chose not to sail the last race out of fairness to the rest of the fleet. The Canadian team of John McRoberts and Brenda Hopkins rounded out the fleet with a bronze medal after posting a 2-2 today.
The race itself was a game of catch-up for Dorsett and Whitman who at first didn't know whether or not they were early at the start. To be cautious, they decided to restart to exonerate themselves. As they tried to catch up with the fleet, they hit another snag when they hooked a lobster pot, crash gybed and freed themselves off the line. They ended up rounding the mark in third, caught up with the Canadian team and fought them downwind to the finish.
"We pinned them out to the other side, had the leeward advantage and gybed back and beat them," said Whitman. He and Dorsett have been a dominant force in the SKUD-18 over the last year, winning Rolex Miami OCR and Sail for Gold in Weymouth, England, the venue of the 2012 Paralympic Games. Their 2012 Paralympic campaign is in full force, as they plan to compete in as many national and international events as they can.
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Scott Whitman & Julia Dorsett (USA) have won the Rolex Miami OCR SKUD 18 Competition |
SKUD 18 Start during the 2010 Rolex Miami OCR |
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2010 Australian Access Class Championships - AUS
David Staley, Sunday, 17 January 2010The Australian Access Class Championships have concluded today at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne. Sailors from 7 States and Territories were joined by a group of 7 kiwis for the four day program. 54 sailors with a disability participated.
The weather was mainly sunny with winds ranging from 5-20 knots, but strong breezes on Saturday afternoon and Sunday limited the number of races that could be completed.
This was the first time the SKUD 18, the two-person Paralympic class, has been included in the event. The division was won by Duncan MacGregor & Peter MacGregor (QLD) by two points from Ame Barnbrook & Lindsay Mason (NSW).
In the Liberty, serial runner-up Barry Coates (QLD) finally had a breakthrough to win comfortably from Genevieve Wickham (WA) and John Toole (NZL). Coates has finished second at the 2007 and 2009 Liberty Worlds and the 2009 European Championships.
Mark Durnan (ACT) started with 3 bullets on the first day to claim the Access 303 Australian Championship, two points ahead of Alison Weatherly (VIC). The 303 Two-Person competition was won by Cadeyrn Gaskin & Gavin Dagley (VIC).
The Access 2.3 Australian Championship went to Charles Weatherly (VIC) ahead of fellow Victorian Andrew Cook, with Christopher Cook (NSW) in 3rd. 2009 Champion, Angus MacGregor (QLD), lead for the first two days but a DNF in the final race spoiled his bid for back to back trophies. Craig Escott (TAS) won the Access 2.3 Second Division.
The Servo Electric prize went to Martin Waller (VIC) and the Special Olympics Division was won by Allister Peek (ACT). The Teams Trophy was won by Victoria.
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2.3 Start at the 2010 Access Nationals |
Charles Weatherly (VIC) won the 2.3s at the 2010 Nationals |
303 Fleet at the 2010 Nationals |
Alison Weatherly (VIC), best female at the 2010 Nationals |
Cadeyrn Gasking & Gavin Dagley, winners of he 303 two-person division at the 2010 Nationals |
Barry Coates (QLD), winner of the Liberty competition |
Barry Coates (QLD) enjoys 20 knots on Port Phillip |
Duncan & Peter MacGregor are the inaugural SKUD 18 Australian Champions |
SKUD 18s participated in the 2010 Australian Championships |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Access 2.3 |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Access 303 |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Access 303 Two Person |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Best Female, Alison Weatherly |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Liberty |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Servo Champion, Martin Waller (VIC) |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - SKUD 18 |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Special Olympics |
Winners at the 2010 Australian Championships - Victorian State Team |
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The podium on Day 6 at Sail Melbourne
Photograph:David Staley
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SKUD 18s at Sail Melbourne 2009 - AUS
David Staley, Sunday, 20 December 2009Saturday December 19, 2009
The first leg of the 2010 ISAF Sailing World Cup at Sail Melbourne has been run and won with the crews greeted with great sailing conditions for the final day of racing.
After the unpredictable weather during the regatta, Melbourne turned it on for the final races with a south-easterly wind between 12 and 15 knots for the majority of the day.
Duncan and Peter Macgregor won the SKUD 18 class, with final race winners Daniel Fitzgibbon and Tim Lowe second overall, ahead of Ame Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason.
2008 Paralympic Silver medallist in Qingdao, Fitzgibbon missed the first two days of racing. Sailing consistently with his regular shore support crew Tim Lowe in the front of the boat, Fitzgibbon marched up the leader board with a series of race wins. But it was not enough to overtake fellow Queenslanders Duncan & Peter MacGregor who had 5 heat wins already in the bag.
The MacGregors were sailing the first MkII SKUD 18 to arrive in Australia with the new hull modifications and a composite mast. The pair were still shaking out initial setup problems (the boat had not been on the water before the first race) but were quick all week.
Ame Barnbrook and Lindsay Mason also missed the first day of racing but quickly improved their position. Barnbrook, who steers the boat using a servo electric helm, has been focused on her university studies and had not been in a SKUD since the IFDS Worlds in Singapore in March 2008.
The pair beat the local team of Krista Bailey & Michael Lewenhagen for third place on a tie-break. It wasn’t till the last day that Bailey & Lewenhagen were dispossessed of the second placing overall and relegated to fourth. This was the pair’s first regatta in the SKUD 18. Bailey has been competing in the Access 2.3 and was Silver Fleet winner at the Access Liberty Worlds in Auckland back in January 2009.
For the New Zealand team of Tim Dempsy & Paulien Eitjes, Sail Melbourne was their first opportunity to take on competition in the SKUD 18. They had only sailed together a few times in Auckland before making the trip to Melbourne and learned a lot during the regatta. Dempsey will be back in Melbourne for the 2010 Australian Access Class Championships in January, sailing his SKUD with a temporary crew.
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SKUD 18s underway on December 14 |
The SKUD 18 fleet in pursuit of the MacGregors |
The SKUD 18 fleet at Sail Melbourne |
Fitzgibbon was the only one to match the speed of the MacGregors at Sail Melbourne |
The New Zealand and Victorian teams battled all week at Sail Melbourne |
Fitzgibbon moved quickly up the placings at Sail Melbourne |
The MacGregors made an early break at Sail Melbourne |
The podium on Day 6 at Sail Melbourne |
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Rutland Sailing Club - host to the 2010 Access Worlds
Photograph:Courtesy Rutland SC
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2010 Combined Access Worlds Announced - GBR
IACA, Thursday, 19 June 2008The next Combined Access Class World Championships will be hosted by the Rutland Sailing Club in the English Midlands, from June 6-11, 2010.
Rutland Water is one of the largest man-made stretches of water in Europe and set in some of Britain's loveliest countryside. Conditions are similar to estuary sailing, but without the tides – there is over 3000 acres (1215 hectares) of sailing area.
The Club's thirteen acre site on the South shore of Rutland Water boasts seven concrete slipways with four pontoons and connecting walkways, permitting easy launch and recovery of all boat types. It has extensive onshore boat storage and boats its own sailing school, chandlery, accessible accommodation and social facilities. The Club is recognised by the RYA as one of its key centres for disabled sailing and training National Teams.
Rutland Sailing Club has welcomed the opportunity to host The Bruce Wake 2010 Access Class World Championships, sponsored by the Bruce Wake Charitable Trust..
"We are thrilled to have been asked to host the 2010 Combined Access Worlds", said the Rutland Sailing Club Commodore, Nick Clarke.
"The Club house facilities are first class, with a lift and ramp access to the first floor for bar, dining and balcony areas. Our waterside equipment is second to none. And we boast 7 safety RIBs and up to 4 committee boats enabling us to run up to four different races on different parts of the water. Our pontoons, gangways and slipways are all wheelchair friendly. We also have our own in house sailing school and chandlery on site", said Mr Clarke.
"We look forward to meeting sailors from all over the world in 2010 and know they will enjoy their time at Rutland Sailing Club", he said.
Chairman of the Access Class Association in the UK, John Morley, is delighted the Association has been asked to arrange the 2010 Worlds.
"I know that all the members of our Association will do their very best to provide the visiting sailors with the best sailing at the biggest and best inland sailing club in the UK. We are all looking forward to hosting the best Access sailors in the world", he said.
"However, I do need to tell you that you will have to sail very well to beat our lot! Please come and prove me wrong", said Morley.
This is the second combined World Championships for the popular Access classes and there will be single and two-person divisions for the Access 2.3 and 303, along with the single person Liberty and two-person SKUD18. The structure of the 2.3 and 303 fleets will enable relative newcomers to the sport to also compete in this significant event.
There are over 1500 Access Class boats sailing around the world. The Access 2.3 is an ISAF International Class, whilst the 303 and Liberty are ISAF Recognised Classes. Access 2.3 and 303 fleets throughout the UK and Europe continue to grow, with the majority of boats used in Sailability programmes. The UK Access Class Association has run a traveller series for several years, attracting a growing number of keen racers.
The SKUD 18 is the two-person equipment for the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Sailing Competition and is regularly sailed on Rutland Water. The largest, fastest and most spectacular of the Access Classes, the SKUD will be a feature of the Championships.
"The Association is very excited about this announcement", said International Class Association President Terry Peek.
"I have sailed at Rutland and the venue and facilities are magnificent", he said.
"We look forward to seeing many nations being represented at the 2010 Worlds. The Association is delighted that the Rutland Sailing Club will host the event and we are sure it will be a great success", said Mr Peek.
Additional information about the event will progressively become available at the IACA Website: www.accessclass.org
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Duncan MacGregor (AUS) - current Access 2.3 World Champion |
Access 303s racing at the UK Nationals |
The Liberty fleet gets off the line at the 2007 Worlds in Canada |
SKUD 18s gybing downwind at the 2007 IFDS Worlds in the USA |
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