Doerr, Fiske, Koblenzer Win 2019 U.S. Para Sailing Championship and Independence Cup Titles in Chicago

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Allen Fiske earns first career U.S. Para Sailing Championship with crew Joe Cook.

RESULTS

Event Website

Photos

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 28, 2019) – The 2019 Independence Cup and U.S. Para Sailing Championship, hosted by the Judd Goldman Sailing Center and organized by the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation came to a close Sunday afternoon after three days of exciting and closely contested racing under challenging conditions on Lake Michigan. All three winners earned the 2019 U.S. Para Sailing Championship and Independence Cup titles.

Sonar – Triplehanded Fleet
U.S. Para Sailing Triplehanded Championship for the Gene Hinkel Trophy and the Independence Cup.

Rick Doerr (Clifton, N.J.) and crew Charles McClure (Brookline, Mass.), and Roger Cleworth (Tampa, Fla.) were triumphant in the Sonar this week. They won seven of nine races, including wins in the first six races of the Championship and led from start to finish. They closed the regatta on Sunday by posting a 2-1-3 scoring line to hold on for the five point win over Greg Plunkett (Kemah, Texas), Deborah Willits (Kemah, Texas), and Grant Rollerson (Australia) who went 3-2-1 on Sunday. Dawn Hart (Tampa, Fla.), Karen Atkinson (Arlington Heights, Ill.), and Declan Lombard (Harwood, Md.) placed third in the Independence Cup and second for the U.S. Para Sailing Championship as the second top U.S. team.

“These were some of the toughest conditions I’ve ever seen here in Chicago,” said Rick Doerr who has won this event now four times. “It was really windy for most of the regatta and shifty. Puffs were coming from all directions. There was so much seperation between sides of the course. You really had to keep your head out of the side of the boat to find out what side would pay. We maintained great boat speed and boat handling and mark roundings earned us great gains. I love lake sailing and it was a lot of fun this week.

“It’s great to have new faces on the racecourse,” added Doerr. “We are starting to see the enthusiasm coming back to para sailing in the U.S. and the level of competition continues to improve.”

Freedom Independence 20 – Doublehanded Fleet
U.S. Para Sailing Doublehanded Championship for the Chandler Hovey Trophy and the Independence Cup.

Allen Fiske (Fort Myers, Fla.) and Joe Cook (Oakland Park, Fla.) captured the Freedom Independence 20 event in a very closely contested fleet through nine races. They won by six points over second place team Christopher Murphy (Charleston, S.C.) and Rob Klein (St. Petersburg, Fla.). Fiske went 1-5-2 on Sunday while Murphy was 5-2-6. Fiske took the lead on Saturday and never looked back en route to the win.

“We lost by one point 15 years ago, so to win it this year was really special,” said an emotional Fiske. “The difference in our performance was affected by going to The Clagett Regatta and getting expert coaching.”

2.4mR – Singlehanded Fleet
U.S. Para Sailing Singlehanded Championship for the Judd Goldman Trophy and the Independence Cup

Matt Koblenzer (Fox Point, Wis.) won the 2.4mR event by four points over Jim Hahn (Norwalk, Conn.). Koblenzer won four of seven races over two days of racing on Friday and Sunday. Saturday’s racing conditions for the singlehanded fleet were not conducive to racing. The singlehanded fleet started early this morning at 9:50 am CST to ensure they finished seven races for the regatta. They tallied four races and Koblenzer sealed the win with a 2-1-2-1 scoring line on Sunday.

“It was a lot of fun and a privilage to have done well,” said Koblenzer. “The competition was great and that’s what makes it fun. I wanted to get involved and it was great to race here in my first U.S. Para Sailing Championship.”

Full Results and Standings.

The sailors raced in lighter breeze on Sunday morning at 6 to 8 knots, with building conditions in the afternoon between 12 and 17 knots.

Tracy Schmitt (Scarsborough, Ontario, CAN) received the Sportsmanship Award and Dawn Hart (Tampa, Fla.) earned the Most Improved Award.

News and Coverage

  • Visit the event website for results and standings, news, photos and more. Follow @USSailing and #ParaChamps19 on Twitter and social media for real-time coverage of this week’s racing.
  • Entry List / Crew List

Media Contacts:
Independence Cup: Mary Ann O’Rourke, maorourke@ameritech.net
US Sailing: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org

Day 2 – Three More Races for Double- and Triblehanded Fleets on Saturday; No Racing for Singlehanded Fleet
Sunday, July 27

The doublehanded Freedom Independence 20 and triplehanded Sonar fleets tallied three more races each on Saturday at the 2019 Independence Cup and U.S. Para Sailing Championships. Conditions were unfavorable for the 2.4mR singlehanded fleet.

Current Leaders

  • Matt Koblenzer leads the 2.4mR fleet by three points over Jim Hahn.
  • Rick Doerr has won all five races in the Sonar this week and holds a five point lead over Gregg Plunkett.
  • Allen Fiske took over first place in the Freedom Independence 20 and leads by four points over Christopher Murphy.
  • Results and Standings

Weather and Conditions

Sunny skies with no cloud coverage, but strong, oscillating SW winds that started at 245 and moved to 215. Wind range was 10 to 19 knots with some puffs in the low to mid 20s. There was a bit of turbulence as winds typically come from the SW with the skyline impacting the breeze.

Racing Notes

  • 2.4mR fleet struggled with the building waves.
  • 2.4mR fleet will begin racing early on Sunday to get more races in and catch up with the other two fleets.
  • The goal is to get to six races total for each fleet.
  • There were very competitive starts and in the last doublehanded, four of the seven were over early.
  • Sunday is the final day of the regatta.

Day 1 – Three Fleets Complete Three Races Each on Friday
Friday, July 26

The start of racing for the 40 athletes and 19 entries across three fleets began on Friday under great conditions at the 2019 Independence Cup and U.S. Para Sailing Championship.

Current Leaders

  • Matt Koblenzer leads the 2.4mR fleet by three points over Jim Hahn.
  • Rick Doerr has a three point lead over Gregg Plunkett in the Sonar.
  • Gary Pierce has one point edge on Antonio Sanpere in the Freedom Independence 20.
  • Results and Standings

Weather and Conditions

Wind 200-225; 8-12 knots with some oscillation but always came back to 210. Waves up to 1 feet  – not a factor.

Racing Notes

  • 2.4mR: Sailors who were in position to take advantage of wind shifts experienced the most success.
  • Freedoms and Sonars: Winners typically managed the wind shifts, but also those who kept their boat full speed from the start were rewarded.
  • All three fleets completed three races and are planning for three or four races on Saturday.
  • Close racing was reported across all three fleets.

CHICAGO, Ill. (July 24, 2019) – A talented and dedicated group of passionate athletes have convened in the Windy City this week for the 2019 Independence Cup and U.S. Para Sailing Championship, hosted by the Judd Goldman Sailing Center and organized by the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation. These two regattas have a historic connection and will join forces this week for some great racing, clinics, and camaraderie. Racing take place this Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28. Competitors will take part in an instructional clinic on Thursday, July 25.

“US Sailing is thrilled with the opportunity to partner with the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation (JGASF) for the 2019 U.S. Para Sailing Championships,” said Betsy Alison, Adult Director at US Sailing. “The Independence Cup has a longstanding history of outstanding racing and instructional opportunities for adaptive sailors from all over the United States and Canada. Combining competition with learning has been at the foundation of this event and I know that this year’s Championship will provide these incredible sailors with an opportunity to hone their skills while racing with the epic Chicago skyline in the background.”

“By combining forces with the U.S. Para Sailing Championship, the Independence Cup is excited to offer this opportunity to people with disabilities who embody a competitive spirit,” says JGASF President Peter Goldman. “My father discovered sailing after he was diagnosed with a disabling bone disease when he was 17 years old. For 29 years, the JGASF has celebrated his legacy by helping people achieve self-esteem and independence through sailing.”

The Independence Cup and U.S. Para Sailing Championship competitors will race and be scored together. All entrants will be competing in their respective classes for the Independence Cup awards.  For the U.S. Para Sailing Championship, the eligible entrants will compete for the awards in their respective classes.

Independence Cup, first sailed in 1986, became US Sailing’s National Championship for disabled sailors in 1989. Today, the event is known as the U.S. Para Sailing Championship. For many years it was organized by the Disabled Sailing Committee and was run in conjunction with the North American Challenge Cup, which was co-hosted by the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation and Chicago Yacht Club.

The U.S. Para Sailing Championships is one of the oldest sailing regattas in the U.S. for sailors with disabilities. The talented field often includes Paralympians, US Sailing Team members, and new contenders.

Many competitors racing at the U.S. Para Sailing Championships and the Independence Cup have gone on to represent the United States at the Paralympics Games, including Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon, gold medalists in 2008; John Ruff, bronze medalist in 2008; Jennifer French and J.P. Creignou, silver medalists in 2012; Rick Doerr, Hugh Freund and Brad Kendell, silver medalists in 2016.

This year’s Championships will be raced in three fleets, all of which are adapted for sailors with disabilities.

  • The U.S. Para Sailing Singlehanded Championship for the Judd Goldman Trophy will be raced in the 2.4mR class.
  • The U.S. Para Sailing Doublehanded Championship for the Chandler Hovey Trophy will be raced in the Freedom Independence 20.
  • The U.S. Para Sailing Triplehanded Championship for the Gene Hinkel Trophy will be raced in the Sonar.
  • For a complete breakdown of prizes for both events, please review the Notice of Race.

News & Coverage

  • Visit the event website for results, news, photos and more. Follow @USSailing and #ParaChamps19 on social media.
  • Entry List / Crew List
  • Racing will be on Lake Michigan, east of the Burnham Harbor entrance.

Media Contacts:
Independence Cup: Mary Ann O’Rourke, maorourke@ameritech.net
US Sailing: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org

About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, 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. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.