Sailing World Championships Underway

On 7 September, the IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championships were officially opened in Rochester, USA.

The Rochester Yacht Club is hosting the eighth edition of the IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championships, the first to feature racing in all three events selected for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Three World Championship tiles are up for grabs in the single-person keelboat 2.4 Metre, two-person keelboat SKUD18 and three-person keelboat Sonar. The IFDS World Championships are also a qualification regatta for the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Competition, with six national places to be decided in each of the three events.

Racing takes place on Lake Ontario, with a 15-race series spread across five racing days. Following on from the opening ceremony, racing continues through to 14 September.

170 Competitors represent over 20 nations, including defending IFDS World Champions Heiko Kröger (GER) in the 2.4 Metre and John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Stephen Thomas (GBR), who are aiming for their third consecutive World title in the Sonar.

(Credit: IPC. Click here for further information.)