The Disabled Sailing World (IFDS) Championships concluded on Friday at the Olympic venue in Weymouth, England. Conditions were very challenging with strong current and a verity of wind and weather conditions.
Team Paradise was represented in all three paralympic classes, Sonar, Skud18 and 2.4mR. Team Paradise entries tallied 14% of all the teams, which translates to 25 sailors from twelve countries. All have benefited in the past, or currently, from Team Paradise's scholarship program.
Jennifer French and JP Creignou climbed through the Skud18 standings all week. They finished very strong with a 2, 2, 2, 1, 1 to claim a podium finish and the Silver Medals.
Jen and JP were sailing in Team Paradise's Skud18. It's an "Oldie-Goldie", but still a very fast boat. Newer boats, that surely must be faster, surrounded them at all times. Remarkably this boat (hull #004) won the Worlds a few years back with Kareen Mitchell at the helm and JP Creignou crewing. Not to take anything away from JP, top notch sailor that he is, but hull #004 is now declared a Magic Boat and a Bullet!
Ricky Doerr/Brad Kendell/Hugh Freund finished 6th in the 23 boat Sonar fleet. They were good for a podium finish at the midway point, but dropped in the standings as the breeze picked up towards the end of the week. Although Team Doerr used their own boat at the worlds, they train and race Team Paradise's #711 back in the US, which is based in New England for the summer.
Daniel Evans finished 21st in the 45 boat strong 2.4mR fleet. Danny, who now lives and trains in Miami, had never raced a sailboat before showing up at Team Paradise's home base in Coconut Grove, back in February of this year. Danny bought a slightly used 2.4mR in Europe, but he trains in Team Paradise's equipment at home. Two of our 2.4mR boats are based in Maryland for the summer.
Congratulations, to not only the medal winners, but to all the participants who made it to this outstanding Championship. Not long ago, disabled sailing was at its infant stage. Now it's seriously contested with teams putting up efforts just as strong as in any of the Olympic classes.
Other notable finishes from teams that have used our equipment in the past includes Thierry Schmitter (NED), Gold in the 2.4mR, Rickham/Birrell (GBR) Gold in the Skud18 and Hansen/Kristiansen/Solberg (NOR) Bronze in the Sonar. The remaining sailors were:
2.4mR
Damien Seguin (FRA) 7th
Niko Salomaa (FIN) 13th
Juna Fernadez Ocampo (ARG) 14th
Matias Paillot (ARG) 17th
Joshua McKenzie-Brown (NZL) 30th
Jackie Roberts (CAN) 34th
Sonar
Kroker/Prem/Mainka (GER) 8th
Zorzi/Dighe/Protopapa (ITA) 9th
Millar/Tingley/Campbell (CAN) 13th
Skud18
McRoberts/Louttit (CAN) 9th
Fore more stories, complete results, please visit (copy and paste on to your browser) http://www.ifdsworlds2011.com/eventsites/default_s.asp?eventid=69387