Issue date
Yachting New Zealand is pleased to announce the appointment of a new NZ National Classifier for sailing – Helen McKenzie.
After attending the IFDS Classification Seminar in August 2013, Helen was awarded this designation which enables her to give a national classification to sailors with physical disabilities sailing in Paralympic class boats.
In the classification process, physically disabled sailors are allocated a number on the points range of 1-7, where 1 has the most limited functional ability, and 7 has the highest level of functional ability. In each type of Paralympic boat, sailors must meet certain criteria. For example, to sail in the SKUD 18, the skipper must be classified as a 1 or 2, and the crew can be any classification. For the Sonar, the crew can have any combination of points that equals a maximum of 14 points.
Essentially, to have a National Classifier in NZ means that disabled sailors can now get a National Classification before heading overseas for their first international events where classification takes place. When sailors attend their first international events that require classification, they will then be seen by a panel of International Classifiers to determine their classification for the four year cycle.
Yachting New Zealand is committed to developing a sustainable and ongoing training programme for classifiers. If you are a Medical Doctor, Physiotherapist or other paramedic with experience in sailing, and you are interested in being a classifier too, please contact Kristine Lederis
Read more about classification
