Pictured: Ryan Porteous (San Diego, Calif.) and Cindy Walker (Portsmouth, R.I.), SKUD-18 class, US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2014
Halifax, Nova Scotia – Day 4 of the 2014 IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championship was a challenging one for race officials at Paralympic sailing’s premier annual event. The US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider and the international fleet sat restlessly as the wind started the day as a northerly, then switched to become a southerly, and then a northeasterly, until finally dying completely for the remainder of the racing portion of the day. The radically shifting breeze made setting any kind of fair racecourse extremely difficult, and as a result there were no races completed in either the Sonar or 2.4mR classes.
In the SKUD-18 class, race officials snuck in one race before conditions became too shifty and difficult, and then anther after a lengthy delay on the water. US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider athletes Ryan Porteous (San Diego, Calif.) and Cindy Walker (Portsmouth, R.I.) had a solid day on the water with a 5,6 and moved up from 6th to 5th overall. This puts them in position to qualify the US for the 2016 Paralympic Games in the SKUD-18, if they finish in 5th overall or above. “We beat who we had to beat today,” said Porteous. “We’re now in 5th overall and close to 4th. Our number one goal here is to qualify the US for Rio 2016.” Betsy Alison, Paralympic coach for the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, praised the progress made by US SKUD-18 sailors. “We’re moving forward towards achieving our goal, and our sailors are performing well under pressure. They are becoming more comfortable with their new boats, and today was a big step forward for us.”
One race was started in the sonar class, and then abandoned after 120 minutes of agonizingly light conditions. After rounding the first mark deep in the fleet, the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider Sonar of Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Tim Angle (Reading, Mass.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine) fought their way back to a remarkable 4th place position. “It takes a ton of work to make the boat go in conditions like that,” said US Sonar coach and America’s Cup sailor Bill Shore. “I was very impressed with how the guys did out there, and how focused they were on keeping the boat moving in almost no wind.” Their effort ended in heartbreaking fashion as the race was abandoned within just a few yards of the finish. “Tim [Angle] and Hugh [Freund], these guys are just really good,” said Doerr about his crew. “They worked through the puffs and did a fantastic job trimming in the light breeze. We were doing our job and getting back up the racecourse, and when the race committee abandoned the race, it was tough.”
For Saturday, race officials have moved up the start times an hour for all fleets in an effort to squeeze in more racing. The 2014 Worlds will conclude on Sunday, August 24.
Pictured: SKUD-18 Racing at the 2014 IFDS Worlds
Rio 2016 Nation Qualification System Notes: The 2014 IFDS World Championship serves as the first nation qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. A percentage of berths for Rio 2016 will be allocated based on final results at this event. The top 8 nations will qualify for The Games in the 2.4mR class, the top 5 nations in the SKUD-18 class, and the top 7 nations in the Sonar class. More information: http://www.sailing.org/37521.php
Racing at the 2014 IFDS Worlds will take place in Halifax from Tuesday, August 19, to Sunday, August 24.
Top US Results: 2014 IFDS World Championships, Day 4
2.4mR Class:
• 6th, John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wisc.)
• 13th, Ted Green (Newport, R.I.)
• 23rd, Daniel Evans (Miami, Fla.)
SKUD-18 Class:
• 5th, Ryan Porteous (San Diego, Calif.) and Cindy Walker (Portsmouth, R.I.)
• 9th, Sarah Everhart-Skeels (Tiverton, R.I.) and Gerry Tiernan (Falmouth, Maine)
Sonar Class:
• 6th, Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.), Tim Angle (Reading, Mass.) and Hugh Freund (South Freeport, Maine)
• 12th, Andrew Fisher (Greenwich, Ct.), Mike Hersey (Hyannis, Mass.) and Bradley Johnson (Pompano Beach, Fla.)
Event website:
Results:
http://www.ifdsworlds2014.ca/view-results.html
Photos:
US Sailing Team photos from the IFDS World Championship are available here: http://bit.ly/1pW56do
For photo download password, email: willricketson@ussailing.org
Follow the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider:
www.facebook.com/ussailingteam
www.instagram.com/ussailingteam
RSVP Today for the Golden Spinnaker Regatta and Gala, September 27th:
Come sail with the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider in Newport, Rhode Island at New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court! Enjoy cocktails, dinner and an auction for items such as a VIP trip to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and Olympic flags signed by the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. – See more at: https://www.ussailing.org/gsr2014
About the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider
The US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider is managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each Olympic and Paralympic class are selected annually to be members of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support. The title sponsor of the team is Sperry Top-Sider; other sponsors include Harken and Team McLube. Yale Cordage is a team supplier. The US Sailing Center Miami is an Olympic training site. Oakcliff Sailing and Clearwater Community Sailing Center are US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider training centers. Chubb Personal Insurance sponsors US Sailing’s National Team Tour, a nationwide presentation program for US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider athletes.
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org
– end –
Press contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, US Sailing. willricketson@ussailing.org, +1 978 697 2384