[Sonar] WYC Disabled Sailing Team May be For You

[Bert Foster]

Hi Sonar Sailors,

I am sending this email to the entire Sonar fleet, as they have 
participated in disabled sailing events last year, and know the Sonar 
boat, which would be helpful to the 3 teams who are new to Sonars.

I have been communicating with Peter Goldman, son of the late Judd 
Goldman, who founded the Judd Goldman Foundation's disabled sailing 
program in Chicago many years ago.  They not only teach disabled 
people to sail in Chicago, but also hold a prestigious regatta in 
association with the Chicago Yacht Club.  The regatta is called the 
North American Challenge Cup (NACC) which has been sailed in Freedom 
20's (a specially designed boat for disabled people), Sonars, and 2.4 
meters.  Sonar attendance has been dropping in the last few years, 
because the requirements have been that every participating sailor 
must be a qualified disabled person.  Peter and I have been talking 
about opening up the Sonar class so that able-bodied people could 
sail on the boats with at least one disabled person, which is the way 
almost all of the disabled regattas that we attend operate.  A 
decision has been made, and beginning in 2010, the Sonar class will 
be required to have only one disabled person on board, but will still 
sail under the rules of Appendix B (no spinnaker).

I told Peter that we have 4 people with qualified disabilities 
sailing at the WYC, plus one or two of the Team Captain Hook crew 
with disabilities.  The question that I asked Peter was, did he want 
4 teams of Sonar sailors from Minnesota (3 of which would have 1 
disabled person on board), or did he want more disabled people on 
board, and fewer boats.  He indicated that they would rather have more boats.

They have 11 Sonars available for charter in Chicago (no charter fee 
for this regatta), and all the necessary bars and specialty benches 
to provide the adaptations for sailors with disabilities who need them.

American Airlines will provide free air transportation for 
participants, and there is a special rate of $175 per room at the 
Hilton Hotel.  Each room could hold up to 5 people with cots and 
sharing.  Daily bus transportation is provided to and from the 
Chicago Yacht Club's Belmont Harbor station.  The regatta begins with 
a clinic on Friday (coached by Betsy Alison), August 6th, and racing 
August 7th, 8th and 9th.  There is an elegant fundraising dinner to 
which the competitors are encouraged to attend on Friday 
night.  There is also a wonderful trophy banquet included at the 
Chicago Yacht Club on Monday night.  I must say the competitors are 
treated like royalty.

It would seem to me that if there is interest from the WYC sailors 
receiving this email, we have the possibility of supplying 4 WYC 
Sonars to the event.  We will tow Captain Hook, and 3 other boats 
could be chartered.  Therefore, the people with disabilities 
currently sailing at the WYC could sail in the NACC with 2 members of 
their regular crew, and enjoy a great regatta at reduced cost without 
the need to tow their own boat.

These 4 teams possibly could be made up of:
Team #1, Team Captain Hook with regular crew
Team #2, Angie Ostbye with Jack and another crew
Team #3, Leonard MacKinnon with Carmella & Ernie
Team #4, Beth Rosenberger, Susan Sundell and another crew



I have talked with Dallas about the possibility of the yacht club 
providing some clothing specifically labeled "WYC Disabled Sailing 
Team", so that the entire group could proudly prance around the 
Chicago Yacht Club in their WYC gear.

If this turns out to be fun and successful, there is the possibility 
that in future years, the WYC could host a disabled event.

Would appreciate you emailing me, or calling me, with your comments.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.wyc.org/pipermail/sonar/attachments/20100520/dbe0ba99/attachment.htm