Twenty-five sailors have completed three days of racing at the 24th C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta and 2026 U.S. Para Sailing Championships, capping five days on the water in Newport that began with a two-day coaching clinic.
The 13 sailors in the 2.4mR class and six boats in the Martin 16 class completed seven races in challenging conditions that tested the patience of sailors and race committee alike.
In the larger 2.4mR class, local Newport sailor Chuck Allen took home a trifecta of titles: the Clagett Sailing 2.4mR class, the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trophy and the U.S. Para Sailing single-handed champion title for the Judd Goldman Trophy. With five wins and a second-place finish, Allen had built enough of a lead going into the final day that he did not have to race, using it as his drop result.
“This is my third year in the 2.4mR boat from the Clagett Boat Grant program and the boat has been around the world, Italy and next Canada for the 2.4mR North American championship,” Allen said. “I’d like to thank Clagett Sailing and the whole Clagett team for the boat and support, it’s been a huge confidence boost for my big boat racing after my stroke.”
The doublehanded Martin 16 class was won convincingly by the Canadian pair of Tracy Schmitt, who won the class at the Clagett in 2025, and Igor Momot, a first-time Clagett sailor. “The medal is exciting, but what stays with me long after the race is the community behind it,” Schmitt said. “The Clagett is about far more than sailing. It’s a place where people of every ability are challenged, supported, and reminded of what they’re capable of. That’s what inclusion looks like.”
Momot said the regatta was one step in a longer journey. “Winning the Clagett Regatta means a lot, but more than anything, I’m grateful for the experience and the people who made it possible,” he said, adding that the pair’s goal is to represent Canada at the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, Portugal, “as the first step of many towards the returning of sailing at the Paralympics.”
The title of U.S. Para Sailing champion in the doublehanded class, and the Chandler B. Hovey Trophy, went to the Massachusetts team of Tim Brown and Cindy Walker. Brown also won the title in 2023, the last time Clagett Sailing hosted the championship. “We’ve had a great regatta and it feels amazing to win this title for the second time at Clagett, this time with Cindy,” he said.
Clagett Sailing President and Co-Founder Stephanie McLennan thanked the volunteers, officials, coaches, medical team and sponsors who make the event possible. “Having hosted the US Para Sailing Championship alongside US Sailing for the fourth time, it has been wonderful to see many familiar faces return and new ones join them in both of the classes this year,” she said.
Betsy Alison, adult director at US Sailing, called the regatta a resounding success. “Both fleets saw solid racing and improved performance by the sailors over the 5 days of sailing,” she said, adding that she expects greater participation should sailing return to the Paralympic Games, pending a decision on the sport program for Brisbane 2032.
Along with the championship titles, Clagett awards went to Allen for the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trophy; Shan McAdoo for the Susan B. Johnson Sportsmanship Award; Brown and Walker for the Larry Gadsby Most Improved Award; Schmitt for the Nick Scandone Spirit Award; and Michelle and John Seepe for the Robie Pierce and Gene Hinkle Seamanship Award.
In the final 2.4mR standings, Allen finished first, followed by Sail Newport’s Charlie Rosenfield and Siobhan MacDonald of the National Yacht Club. More information is available at clagettsailing.org.
