Dave Trude's Norlin MKIII 2.4mR's are FOR SALE.

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The 2.4mR Paralympic Class Pre-Trials

Thanks to Quantum Sails, Gul and Barz Optics for your sponsorship of my effort. I wish I could have done better. Thanks to BJ Porter, Bob Congdon and all the Marines and Navy personel who volunteered to help at the dock, I could not have done this without your help.

Thank God for Gul Dry Gear or I would have been soaked

I arrived in Rhode Island on October the 4th, Wednesday afternoon. Grabbed my baggage, rental car and made my way to BJ Porters house. That actually may sound easy but from a wheeling point of view it is quite a task. I traveled alone for this regatta, which in retrospect I will not do again. We’ll visit that later. I had been in touch with BJ for several weeks prior to my arrival as he lives near the regatta venue and offered his assistance.  Lets go back further. I had posted on the forums that I was coming out and was wondering if there was anyone who wanted to open their house up to me for free or a fee. Several Newport anarchists responded and after consideration I decided to take BobC’s offer. One of the other competitors in the Scud 18 class took up with JeffR. So it was cool that other competitors were watching and took use of the offers. As it turns out Bob’s house is almost 100% accessible.  I shipped out a 6’ folding ramp and BJ set it up, with a little work. I have no idea what I would have done without BJ’s help (hence the future need to have a traveling companion). So as I said, I made my way to BJ’s house where after years of chatting on the forums and phone we finally meet face to face. BJ cooked a steak dinner and I ate with his family. I must say that BJ has a nice view from his porch. After a long day I finally made it to Bob’s house and was ready for the sack.

Nick Scandone 114 and Bruce Millar 39

Thursday was a do nothing day mostly. I went to the store, made my way to Sail Newport to find my boat. Nick Scandone was there with his support crew (Clarence) working on his boat. There I sat all alone wondering what to do. It was late afternoon so I just took mental note of the boats condition and went back home.

Friday back at Sail Newport there was Nick and Clarence working on his 2 boats and my boat waiting for me. I finally figured out what to do (remember I am alone and cannot stand up). For some reason there was a dock on the pier. So I surmised that if I can get some help moving my boat over next to the dock, I can get on the dock and pull my wheelchair up on the dock get back in my chair I can then get next to my boat and get in it to do some rigging. Always easier said than done. Well this time it was not, with the help of some sailors in the area and they moved my boat to the dock and even stepped the mast. So I hiked my bottom on the dock lifted my wheelchair (only 17lbs) on the dock and bla bla bla I was finally in my boat for he first time. The boat is new to me but is a used boat. It should have had a seat and hand-steering but they were missing. Oh boy no hand steering, so I just puttered with the rest of the boat hooking up what I could, running halyards and oh boy the main halyard tail is up the mast (internally). My helpers had to untie some lines to step the mast and it must have gotten sucked in the mast. So I finished what I could and went to the hardware store to get some acetone to wipe the hull clean. While in the hardware store some one side swipes my rental car and leaves a big white streak down the passenger side. Good thing I paid for the extra rental insurance.

John Ruf 88 and Roger Cleworth 109

Saturday help arrives in the form of Marko Dahlberg , who is gong to be coaching the US 2.4 sailors and also is who I bought the boat from. Marko rigs the hand steering and Nick who has two boats but can only sail one, loans me a seat. We pull he rig and Betsy Alison helps fish the halyard out. Step the mast  and things are looking up. Sunday we splash the boats around noon and  a short sail is taken.

Monday and Tuesday were good sailing days. Nick, Roger Cleworth from Florida and I go speed testing with Marko in a RIB watching and giving us pointers on trim. We sail for long distances, almost all the way out of the bay it seems. And we are getting soaked Thank God for the Gul gear donated to me, with out it I do not think I would have lasted. It was cold and wet. The Barz goggles did a great job keeping my eye dry too.

My moment of glory

By Wednesday the whole group of 2.4 competitors were here and sailing. We were out dong some W/L in the harbor using a channel marker and a cable marker. While retracting my whisker pole the bungee retractor line snaps and I have to go back to the dock for repairs. Chuck Simmons was working on Nick’s second boat (Clarence went home) and gave me a few pointers in running the retractor. Luckily the bungee did not break, only the know holding it to the pole slipped. But I still have to remove the gooseneck fitting and use one of nicks spare shrouds to fish the bungee back through  the boom.. I finally finish and rig the boat when the others are coming in after a long afternoon of practice starts and W/L races. I go out for a test anyway to make sure it all holds. It does It felt good to work on a boat again even if I am in a wheelchair.

Almost over early again

Thursday is Haul the boat day, get weighted in, finish registering, wipe the hull, hang out and finally splash the boat in the late afternoon. Those teams with support crews or sailors with use of their legs wait until the morning of the regatta day to put their boats in. Hence the need to have a support person or team. John Ruf from Wisconson arrived in a 40’ trailer pulled by a truck that was almost a semi rig. 2.4 came out, 2 RIBs and 3 support team members. I was floored. Almost everyone in a wheelchair had someone to help them. John’s support was impressive, in between races they would change his entire set of sails. One day one of the boats towed his boat out and he rode in the other one while everyone else had to sail 40 minutes to the course. Later on I found out that the team that helped him was from New Jersey and they were bringing some E Scows from Wisconsin back to some lake. They decided to help John out.

Tom Brown leading Bruce Millar

Friday, race day 1 and the weather gets colder, at least in the morning. 10am dock start 40 minute sail to the course and wait wait wait. 4 hours of waiting, racing finally got started just after 2pm.  Race 1 John Ruf  (pron: roof)and I are over early. I knew John was but I did not think I was, so I continued. Even with an over early I got a crappy start. John was above me and Roger was below me ,both going faster. I finally tacked away and hit a shift on the right and was 2nd at the top mark. The umpires called me and John over and we had to drop out otherwise we would not be able to use the race as a throw out (Bruce Millar(CAN) was 1st, Tom Brown 2nd and Mark Le Blanc 3rd). Race 2 the wind was increasing and it was late afternoon and getting colder. I don’t recall much from this race other than it was a long day. John Ruf won, Bruce Millar 2nd and Tom Brown 3rd.

Saturday saw the same cold morning and there was a shore side postponement. We left the dock at 11am and were racing shortly after noontime. The wind was up early and it was obvious to me that time in the boat was my Achilles heel. Getting better starts I was able to be near the top of the fleet at the weather mark but seemed to fade as the race continued. Tom Brown went on to win every race for the rest of the regatta and Bruce Millar virtually 2nd or 3rd .

Rick Doerr sailing his Sonar to Victory

Friday saw lighter air at the start of the racing but continued to build. In the last race I actually thought I would redeem myself. Getting a good start and rounding the tom pamk in the top 5. The next beat saw a right shift and I was slightly to the left, oh well.

One thing I am impressed with about this boat is how it lends itself to everyone, whether you are strong, weak, disabled or not. Sitting next to Nick Scandone who has ALS and has arms that are witheringly small compared to mine, he smoked me all weekend. This also told me that more time in the boat is needed, but it also says that many different types of people can race this boat on equal footing.

There were sailors from 10 US states, 3 Canadian Provincens and 57 volunteers and the regatta. Next race will be the Americas in St. Pete FL after Thanksgiving.