A LIFE-LONG SAILOR, John Ruf graduated with a law degree from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. He currently serves as Vice President Compliance Officer at Robert W. Baird & Co in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. John lives on Pewaukee Lake, Harken’s home waters.
Betsy Alison—
U.S. Paralympic Coach
Five-time US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the year and two-time Yngling World Champion, Betsy Alison is the coach of the U.S. Paralympic team. Recently, she introduced a four-legged sailor to the group named Morrow, a Lab/Golden Retriever service dog that will travel with the team to regattas and training camps throughout the U.S. Morrow has been trained to pick up and carry lifejackets, tools, crutches, and other small items. He will also pull wheelchairs up dock ramps and assist in water rescues. But perhaps Morrow’s main job is to act as a team stress reducer. He loves riding in the coach boat and especially enjoys interacting with his fellow sailors.
Shake-A-Leg
The first program of its kind in the United States, Shake-A-Leg Newport was started in 1982 by Harry Horgan to make sailing accessible to people with disabilities. The program was so successful that in 1990 Horgan joined with Dr. Barth Green to form Shake-A-Leg—Miami, now one of the largest adaptive watersports facilities in the U.S.
Harken friend and Star sailor Magnus Liljedahl had served as a Shake-A-Leg—Miami volunteer during the ‘90s, and after taking time off to win a gold medal at the 2000 Games in Sydney, resumed volunteering at Shake-A-Leg. Liljedahl soon realized the skills of the disabled sailors were far below those of the abled sailors and formed Team Paradise, a global sailing program and arm of Shake-A-Leg that provides Paralympic class sailboats without charge for sailors to train in. Today, Paralympic sailors from around the world come to Miami to develop their racing skills and become the best they can be—whether at a local or Olympic level.
Paralympic Sailboats
2.4 Metre—Single-handed Keelboat
A Paralympic class since the 2000 Games, the 2.4 Metre looks like an America’s Cup 12-Metre, but is one-fifth the size. This fixed-keel boat is unique because the skipper’s body type and weight make no difference in speed. Sail trim, tactics and strategy are the deciding factors. The 2.4 Metre is impossible to capsize and built-in foam prevents it from sinking. Sail controls lead to a console forward of the skipper who steers the boat by either hand controls or foot pedals.
Length: 4.10 - 4.35 metres (14 ft)
Breadth: 0.75 - 0.90 metres (2.6 ft)
Weight: 259 - 261 kg (575 lb)
Crew: 1
Designer: Peter Norlin - 1982
SKUD 18—Double-handed Keelboat
Website
Sonar—Three-Person Keelboat
Website
Websites
Shake-A-Leg Miami
Shake-A-Leg Newport
Team Paradise
International 2.4 Metre Class
International Association for Disabled Sailing Alternatives
John Ruf was your average club racer who loved nothing more than being out on his boat racing against friends. He won a few and lost a few, but at the end of the day, heading back to the club and sharing tall tales about the racing was always the best part. Today, John’s sailing focus has changed dramatically as he is determined to go for a bigger target—an Olympic medal.
John’s ambition of competing in the Olympics is big, but with serious training and old-fashioned hard work this goal is within reach. He has a coach and trains hard, but like most of us, there are times when it is difficult to dig deep for the motivation to keep going. John Ruf has to dig much deeper than most because even the simplest tasks present enormous challenges for him. Did we mention he is a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair?
Tacks on a Header
When John was sailing E-Scows on Pewaukee Lake, he never considered the Olympics because racing at the club level was plenty satisfying. But after he became wheelchair-bound, he knew he would never race his E-Scow again.
“I was reading Sailing World one day and came across a description of a 2.4 Metre. In the same issue I read an article about disabled sailing and learned the 2.4 would be a class in the Paralympic Games. The thought that I could get the same medal as an Olympic Finn sailor was intriguing. There might be a ramp to the podium but the road to it is exactly the same,” said John.
This idea slowly sunk in and stuck. John turned a life-altering event that could have defeated him into an opportunity to excel in a sport he loves.
The 2.4 Metre is a scaled-down version of a much larger racing yacht. The beauty of this almost model-sized boat is the sailor sits deep in the hull with only his head above deck level, allowing the skipper to control everything with his hands from a sitting position—the perfect solution for John. Another plus is that although the 2.4 was selected as the Olympic class for disabled sailors, regattas are often run with abled and disabled sailors competing together equally on the same racecourse.
Freedom and Friendships
What John likes best about his 2.4 Metre is that when he’s out on the water he never thinks about his disabilities and the daily struggles that go with them.
“I have caught myself after a race realizing I never once thought about the fact that I wasn’t in my wheelchair. I’m not hanging out on a trapeze, I’m not competing in a 49er, but in terms of sailing my 2.4 Metre, my wheelchair isn’t getting in the way like it does in everything else. There aren’t many other things I do that give me that same feeling.”
John says one of the most important things he’s gained from sailing are the friendships he’s made. “As I look at it, all the friendships I have grew out of sailing. They’re more than just ‘sailing’ friendships because that’s not the only thing we talk about. I feel very fortunate to have met these people. They are very important to me.”
Off to Qingdao
John will represent the United States in the 2.4 Metre at the 2008 Olympic Games. He won’t have a minute to think about being wheelchair-bound because his focus will be on sailing a good race against tough competition. If John medals—fantastic. If he doesn’t, that’s okay too, because he will have gone much further than most. The experience of Olympic competition is the real prize.
After the Games, John will return to his club on Pewaukee Lake and share his experiences with the gang over a beer. And isn’t that one of the best parts of sailing—having great stories to tell your close friends?
