2008 North American
Challenge Cup
Contact: Christie Kirchner
Chicago Yacht Club
Phone: (312) 861-7777
Fax: (312) 861-1840
400 E. Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
www.chicagoyachtclub.org
The North American Challenge
Cup is a well-respected sailing regatta for the disabled community. Chicago
Yacht Club’s North American Challenge Cup has a 16 year reputation for
outstanding competition on a national and international level. The generous
support of lead sponsors
American Airlines, Hyatt Regency, Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation,
Chicago School Transit, CYC Foundation, Quiznos, West Marine have enabled us to
create an event here in Chicago with the highest standards of excellence.
Our regatta has grown substantially over the last few years, and that growth is
not slowing. We will be hosting 7 two-person teams in the Freedom Independence
20 class, an open class for a single-person team in our 2.4mR class, and an open
class for three-person teams with our Sonar class. The single sailor class was
first added in 1999, and is proving quite popular. The Sonar
class was added in 2007 and we believe will continue to be popular, as both the
2.4mR and Sonar classes are used by Paralympics competitors.
All sailors selected to compete for our Freedom 20 Class, and most of our other
competitors will enjoy subsidized travel to and from the event, courtesy of our
race sponsors. Local transportation, meals, social functions, are complimentary
features of this tremendous event.
DISTINGUISHED SAILORS BOLSTER
NATIONAL DISABLED REGATTA LINEUP
In the 2008 North American Challenge Cup
CHICAGO, Ill. June 30, 2008—Members of the US Disabled Sailing Team and many
other top North American disabled sailors will travel to Chicago this August to
compete in the 2008 North American Challenge Cup Regatta (NACC). For 16 years,
the NACC has showcased the top athletes in disabled sailing. This exciting
three-day event will be held at the Chicago Yacht Club’s Belmont Station, August
1-4, 2008.
With the upcoming 2008 Paralympic Regatta in Qingdao, China, a few Paralympic
competitors will make the trip out to Chicago to take advantage of their last
opportunity to engage in world-class competition before the Games in September.
Since qualifying for the Paralympics in October 2007, these racers have found
their every move and each result scrutinized by the competition. Because of this
mounting pressure to perform well at races prior to the Paralympics, these
racers will want to show
off their top sailing skills at the NACC and this will certainly heat up the
competition across all classes.
Ken Kelly and his crew, Don Terlson and Marc Shaw, will represent Canada at the
Games. After placing third last year in the Sonar Class, the Victoria, BC
native, Kelly is returning with the same world-class competitive spirit. Despite
suffering a broken leg at the 2008 IFDS Qingdao International Regatta in May,
Kelly is determined to get back on the water and compete. “We are all looking
forward to Chicago. It will be one of the final events before we head to the
Paralympics and we expect the conditions to be similar to those expected in
China.” A silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics for Team Canada, Kelly
is preparing to capture another medal at the Paralympics. The NACC will be a
preview of the tight competition that will take place at the 2008 Paralympics.
Before Kelly can cross the finish line, however, he will have to face off
against returning Sonar champion, Bert Foster. Despite paralyzing his right arm
in a hunting accident over 40 years ago, Foster, 71, of Wayzata, Minn., never
lost his love for sailing and has aptly named his boat and his team, Captain
Hook. Along with his teammates, jib trimmer David Burdette, a 53-year-old
paraplegic from Baltimore, Md., and main sheet trimmer Jim Thweatt from West
Sacramento, Calif., a 53-year-old-single-leg amputee, Foster is prepared to
defend his title. In only their second year of sailing, Team Captain Hook has
already captured impressive results, with 1st place finishes in the 2007
Americas Disabled/Open Regatta, 2007 Shake-A-Leg Midwinters, and 2007 American
Diabetes Association Regatta, and a 3rd place finish at the 2007 Paralympic
Trials. Rounding out the Sonar field is Chris
Martin, from St. John, Antigua. Martin began his career as a competitive sailor
in Lymington, England in the 1970s, and in more recent years has been involved
in the event management and judging of sailing races. With competitors from all
across North America, the Sonar class will feature world-class competition.
The Freedom 20 class leads the way with five-time consecutive NACC champion,
Karen Mitchell, of Deerfield Beach, FL, who is back to defend her title in the
Freedom 20 class. Her narrow second-place finish at the US Paralympic Trials has
not discouraged Mitchell, and has only left her more determined to fight for
first place at the NACC. After surviving two bouts of late-stage bladder cancer
and
struggling with chronic kidney infections, Mitchell remains a fighter and this
spirit shows through in her determination to achieve her goals and bring home
another victory at the NACC. Mitchell will have a number of tough competitors
vying to capture this title, including John McRoberts and his crew, Stacie
Louttit, both of Victoria, BC, the Canadian representatives to the 2008 games in
the SKUD 18 class.
The solo entrants in the 2.4mR class are coming from all corners of North
America to race. Kristi Walker and Bridget Bodo, both of the Judd Goldman
Adaptive Sailing Program in Chicago, IL, will enjoy the home water advantage of
Lake Michigan. “I enjoy the racing, but equally enjoy the opportunity to meet
other amazing sailors from across North America. Those friendships and
connections have continued to build with each year that I compete,” said Walker,
who will compete in her fourth NACC. Nigist Sewnnet, of Toronto, and Mark
Bryant, of Estero, FL, make up the rest of the 2.4mR class, Doublehanded entries
will race in specially outfitted 20-foot Freedom Independence SKUD-018 boats,
the official doublehanded boat for the 2008 Paralympic Games. Solo entrants will
race in singlehanded 2.4mR boats, and for the second year running, the NACC will
host the triplehanded
Sonar Class.
“For those who are competing in the Paralympics, the NACC will be their last
chance to compete before they head off to China. With the NACC being a critical
part of their training, this makes the competition all the more exciting for
everyone in the field,” says Rosemary Metzger, this year’s NACC chairman. “With
such a talented pool of racers in all the classes, we are expecting this to be
three days of sailing no one will want to miss.”
Once again, the role of corporate supporters is critical to the existence and
success of the NACC Regatta. The logistics involved in traveling to and
participating in the event can be both physically and financially daunting.
Corporate partners provide the generous support that’s needed so that the
participants can concentrate on what’s important: preparing for the race, and
the competition itself. These sponsors underwrite a long list of items including
air travel to and from the event, transportation during the event, lodging,
meals, special equipment, the actual sailboats, and more.
The NACC was built on providing a racing opportunity for the disabled community
with a minimal amount of financial barriers. Key to this success has been the
substantial support of Founding sponsors American Airlines, Hyatt Regency
Chicago, The Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program, The Chicago Yacht Club, and
Chicago School Transit. Additional NACC major sponsors include World
Sport Chicago, Quiznos Sub, and West Marine.
The NACC also has major support from US SAILING perennial sponsor Rolex Watch
U.S.A. Rolex has been particularly helpful on the educational aspect of the
event, helping fund the pre race clinic.
The event will take place August 1-4, 2008 at the Chicago Yacht Club (and
lakefront), Belmont Harbor, 300 East Belmont Avenue. Saturday/Sunday Races 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday Races 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information
about how to view the race, for results and pictures from the event as it
happens, visit www.chicagoyachtclub.org. For more information about the North
American Challenge Cup, please visit the event website at
http://chicagoyachtclub.org/index.cfm?content=sailingevents_details&eventid=330
.
ABOUT THE CHICAGO YACHT CLUB
The Chicago Yacht Club is one of the oldest and most respected yacht clubs in
the world. Today, the club boasts a membership of nearly 1500 boating
enthusiasts, and is one of the preeminent organizers of regattas, races and
predicted-log events in the United States. The club offers an array of
spectacular off-the-water amenities, including fine dining and full-service
catering at both its Monroe and Belmont stations.
COMPETITOR BIOS
North American Challenge Cup
Karen Mitchell (Deerfield Beach, FL) Five-time defending NACC champion, Karen
Mitchell returns to the North American Challenge
Cup to defend her title in the Freedom 20 class. Mitchell is a member of the
U.S. Disabled Sailing Team. Mitchell is an occupational therapist, who at 19
years old suffered a diving injury and became an incomplete quadriplegic. Her
spinal cord was severely damaged but not completely severed, so while her legs
are not functioning, she has use of her upper body with limited use of her
wrists and hands. In ’94 she discovered the sport of sailing. She survived 2
bouts of late-stage bladder cancer and has been cancer free for 8 years. This
year’s regatta will be Mitchell’s thirteenth year in the Championship. Learn
more about Karen Mitchell at www.sailingforlife.org
Bert Foster (Wayzata, MN) In his first year of disabled sailing, Bert Foster
captured the win at last year’s NACC Championships
and is back to defend his title. His right arm is paralyzed, as the result of a
hunting accident over 40 years ago. His boat is a Sonar, aptly named Captain
Hook, which also doubles as his team’s name. Foster is on the United States
Disabled Sailing Team, along with jib trimmer David Burdette, a 54-year-old
paraplegic from Baltimore, Maryland, and main sheet trimmer Jim Thweatt from
West
Sacramento, California, a 54-year-old single-leg amputee. Foster has been
chairman of the Wayzata Yacht Club Race Committee for over 30 years, and is a
U.S. Sailing certified judge and a U.S. Sailing certified Senior Principle Race
Officer (PRO). Learn more about Foster and his team at
www.paralympicteamcaptainhook.org .
Ken Kelly (Victoria, BC) Last year, Ken Kelly took third-place in the Sonar
Class and is returning with the same world-class
competitive spirit. A silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics for Team
Canada, Kelly is preparing to capture another medal at this year’s 2008
Paralympic Regatta in Qingdao, China. Throughout his sailing career Kelly has
made strong showings, most recently at the 2007 IFDS World
Championships and the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR. While competing at the 2008 IFDS
Qingdao International Regatta, Kelly was injured with a broken leg, but with the
help of his teammates, Don Terlson and Marc Shaw, he made it to shore ok. “I
like the team aspect of racing sailboats… It’s a challenge to work together to
attain success, where the two of us determine what works best. That’s better
than I could do on my own and offers great rewards for me.” With a recent 3rd
place finish at Americas Regatta in St. Petersburg, Kelly and crew are looking
up to be tough competition in the Sonar field.
John McRoberts (Victoria, BC) Fresh on the NACC scene is John McRoberts in the
Freedom 20 class. McRoberts and his crew, Stacie Louttit, also of Victoria, BC,
will represent Canada in the Skud-18 class at the 2008 Paralympic Regatta in
Qingdao, China. Since the age of 9, McRoberts has been an avid sailor. After a
diving injury in 1981 McRoberts became a C6-7 quadriplegic. Over the years,
McRoberts has achieved a number of notable sailing finishes, and recently
finished 3rd at the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR, 6th at the IFDS World Championships in
2007, and 4th in the SKUD 18 Class at the 2008 IFDS Qingdao Regatta. McRoberts
was also the alternate for the silver medal winning Canadian team at the Atlanta
Paralympics in 1996. He is a professional sailing skipper who helps
youth-at-risk build their self-esteem, and an inspirational speaker. McRoberts
brings to the team great problem solving
and communication skills, a keen desire to represent his country, enthusiasm and
a positive sense of humor. Learn more about Team U Can 2 at
http://www.teamucan2.ca/ .
Kristi Walker (Chicago, IL) Kristi Walker learned to sail on Lightnings at the
age of 13, and by the time she entered college, she was racing competitively on
420s. Since an injury caused a loss of strength, coordination, and range of
motion in her left hand and arm, Walker discovered she could still pursue her
love for sailing by racing on Freedoms, Sonars, and 2.4mRs. 2008 marks Walker’s
fourth year as a competitor in the NACC and for her third consecutive year she
will race in the 2.4mR class. She is very grateful for the opportunity to
compete in the NACC and looks forward to the experience each year. “The NACC was
the first opportunity for me
to return to racing since college. I enjoy the racing, but equally enjoy the
opportunity to meet other amazing sailors from across North America. Those
friendships and connections have continued to build with each year that I
compete.” For five summers, Walker has sailed and raced through the Judd Goldman
Adaptive Sailing Program. After racing against Paralympians at the Edison
Sailing Center this past February, Walker looks forward to the international
competitive spirit at this year’s NACC.
Chris Martin (St. John, Antigua) Chris Martin learned to sail in the waters of
Lake St. Louis in Montreal when he was 15 years old. During the 1970s, Martin
lived in Lymington, England, where he did most of his competitive sailing. More
recently, Martin has sailed in the Caribbean and has been involved in the event
management and judging of sailing competitions. For the last ten years, Martin
has been a judge for the NACC. When a crew member was unavailable last year,
Marin seized the opportunity to sub in on a Sonar. This experience encouraged
Martin to enter this year’s race in the Sonar class, along with Chicagoan Larry
Labiak, who is responsible
for the interests of Disabled Persons on the Chicago City Council. Martin, who
has Spina Bifida, believes the “NACC influences the lives of persons with
disabilities throughout North America and is a show case of volunteer spirit in
Chicago and I am very grateful to have been part of it over the years.”
Contact: Christie Kirchner
Chicago Yacht Club
Phone: (312) 861-7777
Fax: (312) 861-1840
400 E. Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
www.chicagoyachtclub.org