(Left to right: Inkiala, Shwom, and Jodoin. Legler is hidden.) Sengil Inkiala (Waltham, Mass.),
Nancy Jodoin (Newton, Mass.) and Ken Legler (Reading, Mass.), with Naomi Shwom (Sharon, Mass.)

NEWPORT, R.I. (August 26, 2009) – A stiff southwesterly breeze made for a challenging second day of racing at the C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Memorial Regatta. Both the visually impaired sailors in Sail Newport’s fleet of J/22s and the sailors with disabilities in the SKUD-18 fleet completed four races, while the Sonar and 2.4 Metre sailors completed three. A drop race, now that each fleet has completed a seventh race, has factored into the scoring and has had the most impact in the J/22 fleet.

After starting the day in a three-way tie for first, 2008 Blind Sailing National Champions Sengil Inkiala (Waltham, Mass.), Nancy Jodoin (Newton, Mass.) and Ken Legler (Reading, Mass.), with Naomi Shwom (Sharon, Mass.), a member of the Sharon High School Sailing Team, won the last two races of the day to jump to the top of the overall standings. They hold a two-point lead over the 2006 IFDS Blind Sailing World Champions JP Creignou (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Jan Bartleson (Miami, Fla.), racing with sighted guides Diane Fowler (St. Petersburg) and David Bannister (Miami), who started the day with a win of the first race. Creignou then displayed remarkable fortitude when a smack from the boom resulted in a serious cut to his upper lip. A determined Creignou alerted the race committee to the problem, finished the race – in fifth – and then sought medical attention. They finished 4-2 in the subsequent races and are second overall with 15 points. Creignou’s trip to the hospital resulted in seven stitches, but he was back under the regatta tent in time to hear local sailing icon Jerry Kirby (Newport, R.I.) talk to the competitors about his participation in the recent Volvo Ocean Race. Ryck Lent (Waltham, Mass.) and Mark Bos (Gloucester, Mass.) with Mike Dinning (Natick, Mass.) and David Gilman (Sharon, Mass.) – another member of the Sharon High School Sailing Team – moved from fourth to third overall with consistent finishes of 2-2-2-3 for 23 points. In addition to a class win for The Clagett, the 2009 U.S. Blind Sailing National Championship title is on the line for these competitors.

From left to right: Mitsuhiro Iwamoto (San Diego, Calif.), sighted guide Lyn Comfort (Newport, R.I.), Glenn Boivan (Saugus, Mass.) and sighted guide Peter Frisch (Swampscott, Mass.)

Photos: Dan Tucker http://www.dantucker.us/