Winners crowned in 22nd C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta

This year the fleet had eight of the Clagett Sailing Boat Grant recipients racing in the 2.4mR class with two of the top three finishers being Boat Grant recipients.

Principal Race Officer Tom Duggan spoke about the racing after completing two races on the final day ahead of the incoming storm.

He said, “The lowest we saw in breeze strength over the last three days was eight knots and it topped out at 18 knots, and it was from the South East through to the South West direction. I was truly impressed by the ability of the sailors racing to deal with the conditions on the course. The tightness of the fleets and the finishes made for great spectating.”

The 21 2.4mR sailors came from across the United States and Canada as well as Puerto Rico to work with the coaches during the two-day clinic and then compete in the nine races. Joining the Clagett Sailing fleet in the 2.4mR class was the most recent recipient of the Boat Grant Program, Chuck Allen from North Kingstown, and returning to race with the class after a seven-year break was Barbara Galinska from Chicago along with many new and familiar faces.

This year, a Clagett Sailing regular, Julio Reguero from Puerto Rico, accomplished a hat trick, winning both the 2.4mR class and the overall C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Trophy for a third consecutive year.

“It feels amazing and pretty unbelievable to win again this year. It was really tough racing this year and I was lucky to be in the right places and have good finishes today to end up with the win. The level of racing is really high and there are five or six consistently strong sailors in the 2.4mR class. The competition is getting tougher each year and is really helping to improve everybody’s racing,” said Reguero after receiving his trophies and will be heading to Kiel for the 2.4mR World Championship in July.

Completing the podium in the 2.4mR class was Andrew Parish from Saint Michaels, Maryland, and Clagett Boat Grant recipient and 2022 Team Clagett member Delani Hulme-Lawrence from Saint Paul, Alberta, Canada.

In the five-boat Martin 16 fleet, Chicago skipper Gary Pierce, who has teamed up again this year with local Newport sailor Jeff Long, took the gold medal podium position. The team has sailed together over the last eight to nine years.

“I truly enjoy coming back to Clagett each year and racing with Jeff,” said skipper Pierce. “We have great team work on the water and learn from the coaches more and more each year. I look forward to being at the Clagett Regatta each year to learn something new and put that into practice when we are racing.”

Taking home the silver medal is the returning team of Tim Brown from East Boston, MA, and Sarah Everhart Skeels from Little Compton, RI, and the bronze was earned by JR Hardenburgh from Boston, MA, and Dan Scher from Mansfield, MA.

The 22nd C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta has been particularly poignant this year with the passing of Co-Founder Judy Clagett McLennan in November last year, which was recognised at an on-water tribute after racing on Friday 28 June. Sailors, family and friends gathered to spread flowers on Narragansett Bay and pay their respects to Judy and the legacy she has left with Clagett Sailing.

“There are many people I would like to thank, including sponsors Fiduciary Trust International and XPT along with Quantum Sails, Aquidneck Landscape Services and Elmwood Chrysler, Dodge Jeep, Ram. I have to give a very big thank you to the Clagett Sailing Board, Advisory Board, Working and Fundraising Committees and the Team Clagett sponsors without whose help and dedication we couldn’t run the clinic and regatta.  The race committee, medical staff, judges and coaches all work together to give the sailors the best experience possible,” commented Clagett Sailing President and Co-Founder Stephanie McLennan.

She continued, “My mother and I co-founded this clinic and regatta 22 years ago and this year we have five people here besides myself who have been at all 22 years, Sarah Everhart Skeels and Brian Skeels, Colleen Burns-Jermain and Tim Jermain and Jeff Long and this year we have our very first PRO Rosa who has returned this year as our scorer, so we have come full circle.”

Clagett trophies:

• Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trophy – Julio Reguero
• Susan B Johnson – Sportsmanship Award – Eric Rose
• Larry Gadsby – Most Improved Award – Delani Hulme-Lawrence
• Nick Scandone – Spirit Award – John Seepe
• Robie Pierce and Gene Hinkle – Seamanship Award – Michelle Seepe