The Riverside Yacht Club in Riverside, Connecticut will host the 2009 U.S. Disabled Sailing Championship at its club grounds on September 10-13.

As part of US SAILING’s National Championship series, the U.S. Disabled Sailing Championship regatta is the only national championship for disabled sailors, and it attracts the nation’s top sailors from around the United States and Canada.

This year more than a dozen sailors are expected to race for the Goldman and Hovey Trophies in four separate classes including the 2.4 Meter, Skud 18, Ideal 18, and Sonars. Racing will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on courses set in the waters of the Long Island Sound, just off the coast of Greenwich, Conn. In past years the championship has been a qualifying event for the Paralympics Games.

The competitors come from all walks of life: men, women, doctors, students, business people, quadriplegics, paraplegics, amputees, and the blind. On the water they’re among the nation’s best sailors, competing at the highest level of yachting. Among this year’s competitors are previous champion Roger Cleworth, and local Connecticut sailors, Tamara Vermette (Milford) and Charles Rosenfield (Woodstock). A complete list of competitors will be distributed in early September.

“Riverside Yacht Club is honored to host these truly amazing athletes for the national championship title,” said Spike Richey, Commodore of Riverside Yacht Club. “Their passion for the sport of sailing and courage are an inspiration to all sailors.”

Sponsors for this year’s regatta include national sponsors, Rolex Watch U.S.A., Dry Creek Vineyard and PredictWind.com. Local sponsors are Montefiore Medical Center and Vineyard Vines.

More information on the event can be found at the event website: http://championships.ussailing.org/Adult/USDisabledChampionship
About US SAILING: The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight o competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.