Bishop Rock Race Test For Disabled Transpac-Bound CHALLENGED AMERICA Crew

August 22, 2005 (San Diego, California) -- More than forty disabled sailors from around the world want to be considered as crew on the CHALLENGED AMERICA sailing team for the upcoming 2005 Transpac Race to Hawaii, and the recent Bishop Rock Race is just one of the hurdles to overcome to make the Team.

CHALLENGED AMERICA crew aboard B'Quest. Left to right (top) Joshua Ross, Ryan Baker, Dr. Gerardo de la Mora; (bottom) Kevin Wixom, Michael Hennig, Linda Woodbury, Cari Lewis, and Jeff Reinhold. Photo © Greg Scott - CHALLENGED AMERICA

"Just a couple of years ago, when we said we wanted to sail across the Pacific Ocean in the Transpac Ocean Race, many were skeptical and thought it was just a pipe dream. But after the CHALLENGED AMERICA crew of sailors having significant disabilities did it, it's now more than a possibility, but a reality others want to be part of," said Urban Miyares, blind foredeck sailor on the CHALLENGED AMERICA 2003 Transpac Sailing Team. "We demonstrated that sailors with disabilities can do it, and do it safely and fast. And now we're looking for the next crew of sailors with disabilities to duplicate and improve-upon the previous team's performance in the next Transpac."

The recent San Diego Yacht Club's Bishop Rock Race -- a 220 nautical mile race starting on August 20 off of Catalina Island and going around Bishop Rock, with the finish in San Diego -- was one of the many qualifiers the candidates for the CHALLENGED AMERICA Transpac Team need to make. For the Bishop Rock qualifier, on board B'Quest (the CHALLENGED AMERICA racing Tripp 40 sailboat) was Linda Woodbury (total blind, San Diego), Kevin Wixom (leg amputee, San Diego), Jeff Reinhold (paraplegic, Bellevue, Washington), Ryan Baker (paraplegic, San Diego), Dr. Gerardo de la Mora (spinal cord injury, Ensenada, Mexico), Cari Lewis (San Diego), Michael Hennig (photographer, San Diego), and Captain Joshua Ross (Transpac veteran and skipper, San Diego).

"It's going to be tough when the selection time comes. There will only be five or six crew openings, and a number of qualified crew candidates. We only wish we could afford entering a second boat in the 2005 Transpac, in addition to our Tripp 40, B'Quest," said Urban. "But it's exciting to see how the disabled have been accepted by the boating community, especially in offshore racing events like the Bishop Rock Race and Transpac. Having a disability hasn't appeared to be a barrier on the water and in this sport, especially when compared to other daily life experiences on land,"

Light winds plagued this year's Bishop Rock Race with only two of the seven boats finishing within the time limits. The Challenged America crew motor\ed the last eight miles with light winds and time running out...but they and their supporters were first at the after-race party at San Diego Yacht Club on Sunday, August 22 to celebrate and congratulate the winners. Financially getting to the starting line is always the biggest challenge; finishing safely with a new life experience and accomplishment is the reward.

Founded in the late 1970's by disabled veterans, CHALLENGED AMERICA is a charitable program providing free learn-to-sail and advanced sailing opportunities to kids and adults with disabilities. Recognized for its pioneering and innovations in the adaptive sailing field, CHALLENGED AMERICA attracts hundreds of individuals with disabilities from around the world in its programs each year. Funding for the CHALLENGED AMERICA program comes from tax-deductible boat donations and charitable gifts by individuals and businesses.

For additional information on CHALLENGED AMERICA and to support their 2005 Transpac campaign, contact Urban Miyares at CHALLENGED AMERICA, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 110, San Diego, California, 92106, telephone (619) 523-9318, email: Port@ChallenghedAmerica.org, or visit www.ChallengedAmerica.org.