pd racer sailboat

What is a Puddle Duck Racer

The PDRacer is a developmental one design racing sailboat that is basically a plywood box with a curved bottom and is the easiest boat in the world to build. The rules are aimed at keeping the lower 10" of all hulls the same but the rest is up to the builder. A simple hull can be made from 3 sheets of plywood, titebond II glue and latex house paint. If you work hard for 2 weekends you can go sailing on the 3rd weekend. If you are really in a hurry it is possible to go from lumber to the lake in 5 days. Here are our free plywood sailboat plans

What our club is about

Interesting niche racing.

Most of the other sailboat classes fit in one of the two basic categories. 1: One Design where the class keep the boats as identical as possible so that the competition is between the skill of the crew. 2: Developmental class where the competitors engineer different sailboats so that their boat design is a significant part of their ability to compete. This category also tends to become a competition of who has the financial resources to gain the best engineering solutions.

Our class fits in an area between those 2 general types, we are a "developmental one design". Our hulls are a fixed one design shape, the sail rigs and fins are open for development. The result is our racing competition is blend of both the sailing skill of the skipper AND boat engineering & building skill. Because our boat is so small, that imposes a natural limit on the cost so our class will always be within the grasp of an amateur garage level competitor.

Getting Started On Your Duck

You don't need permission from headquarters, just build your duck, contact other duckers to get out there & do our motto !! If nobody else is organizing events in your area, then stand up and take the initiative to organize a local fleet and make the magic happen !!

Free Plans Site Map - All Pages On This Website Subscribe PDRacer Newsletter Contacting Other Duckers

Many other uses.

Our boat is not just for racing, she is great for all sorts of other purposes and in most states a boat this small does not need to be titled or registered. The hull shape carries 630 lbs. One member took 2 adults and 3 kids for an afternoon sail. Another went on a 3 day cruise with his wife and slept aboard at anchor every night. If you think about it, many people go backpacking for long periods, a PDRacer can hold much more gear and water than a backpack. She also works good as a row boat and motor boat. free plans diy boat oars

I often take my kids out rowing in mine, instead of a sail rig I put a big beach umbrella in the mast sleeve so they can sit in the shade. If you like fishing, you can row her into the shallow areas that power boats can't get to and launch in areas that don't have a boat ramp. She is very stable, enough that you can stand up and cast.

Which boat to build?

If you just discovered boat building, very soon you will become aware that there are TONS and TONS of different boats you could build. For some odd reason, many sailors think they should only have one sailboat - please realize it is perfectly OK to have several (or many) sailboats at the same time. Consider building a puddle duck to get some experience and have fun sailing with other duckers. The lessons you will learn will give you better understanding of how to build boats and make your next project go a lot faster. The duck is big enough to carry a 2nd passenger but small and easy to store. If you lose interest or don't have time, then stand her upright in the corner of your garage or out back till you get the itch to go sail her again.

Don't know how to sail?

For many people that build ducks, it is their first boat and they don't know how to sail either. Sailing is easy, just point the boat in the direction you want to go, then pull in the sail till it stops flapping. The best way to learn is to have your own boat and take her out on a very light wind day, on a very small lake and give it a try. Take a set of oars, if you can't figure out how to sail back then drop your sail and row back. If you know a sailor then invite them along and they will help you out, the PDRacer can easily carry 2 adults.

Afraid it will leak?

All boats leak especially wooden ones. Just because it might leak, doesn't mean you will sink, that is what the airbox flotation chambers are for. Besides, when you are sailing on a very windy day splashing along you will get more spray water than from any leak. Take along a bottomless chlorox bottle and when the water gets to about an inch deep inside the cockpit just do a couple of scoops to flip the water out.

If you are worried about capsizing, see our info about emergency flotation and recovering from knock down pages. Then go practice capsizing with your duck tied to the dock with a long line. After you learn how to recover from a knock down, you won't be afraid of them anymore.

Afraid it won't be perfect the way you build it?

A big part of puddle ducking is to continually tinker with your boat to improve it. Figure which configuration attracts you the most and start building it. Later if you change your mind, you can reconfigure her or just build another hull and move your parts over. They have almost no resale value so no matter what you do, she will be worth the same.

Club Membership

All you have to do is build (or get) a class legal PDRacer and register her. Registration is FREE and Shorty has tried to keep all other aspects of puddle ducking free, offering free plans and full instructions here on the website and requiring entrance to the world championship be free to any registered puddle ducker and their crew. There are no protected territories and any puddle ducker is welcome to organize events and invite others to go sailing.

We have an open member list, if their email address is listed, that means you can contact them direct for duck related activities.

Hatch Events

Want to increase the number of puddle ducks in your local area? One of the things we do is organize "hatch events". This is where people organize a day (or weekend) to get together and build ducks. Many times these are as simple as having a friend (or two) come over and just try to build what you can with no prior preparation needed or can be elaborate events on a big scale with 15 or more ducks being built at the same time. If you are interested in doing a hatch, consider inviting the other local duckers to come help because we really like any excuse to build another boat or help someone else build theirs. :)

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PDRacer vs Puddlecat

Discussion in ' Boatbuilding ' started by misteringer , Sep 16, 2014 .

misteringer Junior Member

I have been looking at building my first boat. I am 15 but my Dad has been designing and building boats all his life so he could offer me help where I need it. I have a VERY limited budget (around $400 USD) but I am prepared to stretch it a bit. So far I have found two boats that i like (PDracer and Puddlecat) but I don't know much about them. I prefer the puddle cat but I am concerned about how much it would cost to build and how hard it would be, but it also looks like it would perform better. The PDracer looks like a simpler and cheaper build, but it also looks slower, and in my opinion uglier. If anyone can help me decide it would be greatly appreciated.  

Petros Senior Member

Welcome to the forum, that should be more than enough to build a simple sailboat. No need to spend a lot on fancy hardware, keep it simple. I have built a number of small boats for well under $200, kayaks, dingy sailors, ever several small cats and trimarans, etc. salvage as much wood as you can, search out good deals, use lumber left over from construction projects, etc. remill the wood on a table saw and you can select out the best stuff for the boat, costs will be minimal. Use Tyvek (house wrap) or polytarp for sail cloth to get you started, and once you have something you like you can buy sail cloth and sew your own, or buy a used sail and rig from a similar sized boat. If you want to race the boat in a fleet the PD racer would likely have a local fleet and you can get together with other people building the same boat. Otherwise there are lots of low cost and free plans suitable for a first build, available on the internet. try these, http://svensons.com/boat/ http://boatplans-online.com/catalog.php?category=smallsail http://www.spc.int/coastfish/en/publications/posters/boat-plans.html my building partner and I just built the great little 16 ft tri, with polytarp sail, in about 3 days with about $200 worth of wood and plywood, plus other materials, (not counting the paint, which I got for free..left overs).  

Attached Files:

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more pictures  

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NoEyeDeer Senior Member

The designer's website says this about the Puddlecat: "I designed the PuddleCat 8 primarily for use in small lakes or streams close to home." This implies it would be a liability on the Hauraki Gulf or Manakau Harbour, which is where I assume you'll be wanting to sail. The PDRacer's seem to be able to handle rough water quite well.  

PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

Both boats can only be considered protected waters craft. Semi protected waters can be "played" in, though skipper skill will come to bare if conditions aren't optimum.  

rwatson Senior Member

I think Petros suggestion is the good one. The little multihulls handle adverse conditions more safely than dinghys.  

It's difficult and not very fair to compare a 16' tri against an 8' concrete mixing tub.  

PAR said: ↑ It's difficult and not very fair to compare a 16' tri against an 8' concrete mixing tub. Click to expand...

Yes, the comparison is easy, just not very fair. It's like comparing my 65' ocean racer against a Catalina 22. I can cruise (under sail) at 20 knots, a Catalina will need to sail off Niagara Falls to reach 18.  

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the point is his budget is $400, for about half of that I built a nice sturdy 16 ft trimaran using resawn lumber and low cost marine plywood and left over paint. It is fun, responsive and can carry up to 4 aduts, plus lunch, and even camping gear. He could build one that is even better equipped, depending at how good he is as salvage and scrounging up materials with more money than I spent. If his dad builds boats, he might already have a shop full of used boat stuff sitting around. Or he can build an ugly box...er...PDracer for about the same cost. with rather limited performance, capacity and for use in sheltered waters.  

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[ >> NEXT, I start Building ]

I decided to make a new Boat, a Puddle Duck Racer

• Part One, What's a Puddle Duck?
• Starting to Build
• My Puddle Duck Racer goes 3D It's official, I get my hull number.
• Next, I add flotation compartment.
• Bottom gets fiberglassed and Gunnels are added.
• Daggerboard case and seat get made.
• Making the daggerboard.
• Adding weight to the daggerboard
• Making the kick up rudder along with a tiller.
• I made a wooden sprit
• Finishing the carbon fibre mast I made a few years ago.
• Replaced the Broken Carbon Fibre mast with a wooden one.
• My PDR gets a mast step, plus side and front decks and more glass
• Finally Finishing the hull
• The Duck gets some hardware
• I make a Sail for the Puddle Duck
• My Puddle Duck Gets Launched!!

Being perfectly satisfied with my little Skerry, I decided to make a new boat.

What is a puddle duck racer.

Quoting the Puddle racer website:

"The PDRacer is a one design racing sailboat that is basically a plywood box with a curved bottom, and is the easiest boat in the world to build. Free plans, ... all boats must have have the lower 10" of their hulls be alike, but the rest is up to the builder. You can put any type of sail rig or underwater fins that you wish. Also the interior and deck above 10" is completely up to you. A simple hull can be made from 2 sheets of plywood, titebond II glue, and latex house paint. It only took me 10 hours to make the basic hull on my boat. The sail can be made from polytarp, or borrowed from another sailboat. You could literally make a complete boat for $100 or less using materials that came from your local Home Depot. Or, there are many different ways and configurations you could use to build your hull."

So far there are well over 1000 hulls registered as of 2017. (You can get a hull number once you have gone 3-D). My Boat Hull Number is: #457. Here is a link to the registry page for international Puddle Ducks

"Brick started as an exercise in how much boat could be built out of three 4x8 foot sheets of plywood. ... It's disconcerting that these box boats do everything better than elaborately modeled boats of the same overall dimensions, if they both have to carry the same load."

Many were build and well loved. Here is a page talking about the differences between the Brick and the Puddle Duck Racer.

WHY build a Puddle Duck Racer?

Where will i build.

The nice thing about building a 8 feet x 4 feet boat is that it will fit just about anywhere. So far I've been working in the basement and then in the back yard. It's moved to the garage now. My long suffering Nick is eying his shrinking garage with alarm.

Can it actually sail?

This is the surprising part. YES. It has even been made to plane. Because of it's footprint it is extremely stable. Various people have developed sailing rigs and lee-boards or daggerboards that have performed extremely well for an 8 foot box. Crazy groups have taken Ducks to Gulf of Mexico races. Texas 200, Everglades challenge

There is an active building community hell-bent in experimenting and just plain playing.

To be class legal the lower 10 inches have to conform to the official shape. Everything else is pretty much open for experimentation and sometimes just plain silliness.

• Official Website Designer of the boat Shorty Routh website. Free plans and lots of info and links to Duck related pages. There is tons of interesting material, and photos (Most of the finished boats on this website come from the official PDF website, with thanks!) If you plan to make a boat this is your first stop. You can get plans and lots of suggestions for rigging your boat, playing games, and you can register your hull and get an official hull number at no cost!
• Michael Storer's Oz Racer It's often referred to with the OZ prefix. He has produced plan which includes his rigs, improved foil sections and spars. In particular he has refined the shape of the profile for the daggerboard / rudders. Slight variation (no flat spot) in the hull profile differentiates it from the official PDR. He has also perfected the oversize version the OZ Goose.
• There is an active yahoo group on the PDRacer.

Lots of video are available on youtube about PDR's here is one example among many.

Sails for the Puddle Duck Racer

The triangular sprit also known as leg of mutton sprit and a few other names is often seen on Puddle Duck racers. It's easy to make out of polytarp and allows for a clear deck free from low head banging spars. Many "serious Puddle Duckers" have experimented with Balanced Lug Sails.

There is no regulation class sail for Puddle Duck Racers and just about every rig has been tried.

Some puddle ducks sport ridiculously large sail rigs. Because the boat is so stable it allows for lots of experimentation.

There have been many terrific paint jobs as well.

[ >> I START BUILDING ]

emails: Christine

This web site reflects my personal ideas and doesn't represent anyone else's point of view.

Home » LIST of WOODEN BOAT PLANS – By Michael Storer » OZ Racer Plans – family sailboats – Two versions and one kit

OZ Racer Plans – family sailboats – Two versions and one kit

Sailing boat – rowing boat – motor & fishing boat – ozracer plan.

The OzRacer is the smaller relative of the OzGoose which might suit some if they have no room for the 12ft Oz Goose – If here because of an interest in the PDRacer please read the text in red below.

• Carries 2 Adults plus gear – Racing Crew 1 Adult
• Weight – 65lbs – Roofrack and can be carried to water by 2 Kids
• 8ft Long – 80+ sq ft sail – Balance lug rig now available
• 2.4m Long – 7.1 sq m sail

FULLY DETAILED PLAN – $40 Paper Plans – please talk to Agent in your region.

We have a huge database of information about rigging and setup of Ducks and Geese. Have a look at this OzRacer/OzGoose/PDRacer rigging page  to see how few commercial fittings we use; as one example. Just use the search top right on this page to find more.

Ian Henehan’s Pikachu inspired OzRacer for his daughter Riley

Three main versions of the 8ft OzRacer.

Photos below.

• The original OzRacer Mk2 that comes out of three sheets of ply. The lightest and fastest. Best for solo sailors
• The OzRacer RV with the centreboard now replaced with a leeboard in the side tanks. More space. One more sheet of ply; four and almost the same performance. It has won two world championships. Best for families, cruising and RAIDS . OzRacer RV information is here .
• The Texas Duck was developed by John Owens Woodworks from the RV as a kit. It has all the development of the OzRacer RV but was carefully adjusted to fit the PDRacer rules. See The  Texas Duck on John’s website with ordering information.

Compare the Centreboard OzRacer Mk2 Left and the leeboard OzRacer RV Right.

RV has fewer parts and four major panels are identical

Much easier for two adults to fit. This is Rick Landreville’s boat that has won the Duck world’s twice.

Texas Duck: the original prototype of the kit duck.

Mark Milam’s beautifully finished OzRacer RV showing its paces below. Brilliant method of supporting a windsurfer rig.

*OZRACERS and PDRACERS

Not a PDRacer any more – the OZ Racer does not conform to the current PDRacer rules. It is still the best sailing simple boat with the best plan – so would suit anyone wanting a basic small sailing boat with excellent building instructions.

The Texas Duck Kit from John Owens had a starting point as the OzRacer RV, but John worked carefully and closely in collaboration with the PDRacer Founder, Shorty Routh to make sure the boat passed the class rules. The prototype Texas PDR was accepted as a PDRacer and was also measured and found to conform to the rules if built carefully from the kit. This gives Oz performance in a PDR package.

We also hope some PDRacer builders will find the plan details on performance centreboards, leeboards, rudders, masts and sails and their instructions useful but if using the hull measurements they will have to adapt them to fit the PDRacer rules on their website. But read the update below.

Update 2015 – Even if carefully altered to conform with the PDRacer rules the OzRacer derived boats are not being accepted as legal PDRacers. If it is known the basis of the boat was the OzRacer plan it will not be considered for acceptance. This seems very unreasonable, but there you are … it’s a one man show.

Plans are ideal for a first time boat builder

85 pages with dozens of drawings and photos

We built two boats for $350 each.  If you bought everything off the shelf it will still be <$1200

Not a FREE PLAN, but a REAL COMPREHENSIVE Plan $40 – building hull, mast and boom, centreboard and rudder, fitting out, making a sail

OzRacer and OzGoose Sailboat Videos: What are they like to sail?

• This is a playlist showing over 35 videos. They have been ranked for most informative ones first.

Click on this icon at top right of video to choose what you want to see.

• All our OzRacer Articles on this website
• OZ PD Racer FAQ – Some of the discussion from back when the OZ Racer was a PDR.
• Photographic Rigging Guide – pictures of how the OZ Racers go together –  also the Downloadable rigging list for OZ Racer .
• Photo Albums of OzRacers around the world

We think …

… Just because someone wants to build a cheap fun boat with their kids doesn’t mean the design needs to be either dumbed down, second rate or complex and difficult.

… Just because someone wants to learn how to sail doesn’t mean they should put up with second rate performance.

… Just because a plan is $36 doesn’t mean it can’t be detailed and tell you how to do almost everything to get your boat into the water successfully.

… Just because it looks like a kid’s boat doesn’t mean it can’t be fun for one (or two) adults.

Important updates for the OzRacer

There is an important update for some OZ Racer plans purchasers.  I have just drawn up a new sailing rig for the boat – a balance lug rig.  I am not sure it will have better performance than the original sprit rig, but it does reduce the length of the mast and also allows for reefing the sail in stronger winds. Here is a discussion of the comparison.

The lug rig information is comprehensive including making the sail and is available free to OzRacer builders with proof of plan purchase.

The History

The PDRacer class was masterminded by David “Shorty” Roth who took the basic shape of the Phil Bolger “Brick” but decided to allow experimentation using that hull shape.

We worked with the PDRacer group for a few years developing up the OZ series of PDR.   Now there has been a split between the PDRacer and the now OZ Racer.  Our OZ racer is focussed more in showing correct boatbuilding methods.  Build an OZ following our excellent plans and you will know many of the correct methods for building all modern wooden boats.  A boatbuilding course in a book.

There were several winners of PDRacer championships sailing Oz derived boats.

• Shawn Payment in a standard Oz
• Rick Landreville in Canada in the boat that would become the OzRacer RV
• Brad Hickman, here on Lake Eufala
• Rick Landreville again here well ahead of the World’s fleet in light winds

So whether you want to race or not, you know the boat will get to where you want to go.

They are perfect as a first sailing boat for adults – they will carry two adults and maybe a couple of little kids too, and are very stable.

Making it better.

This was written from the perspective of first seeing the Ducks a long timbe ago and browsing through the discussions online.

Like many new classes the first PD racers were undergoing some teething problems – a few of the existing boats worked really well – many others didn’t..

From the info on the web it seemed that despite being incredibly cheap they seemed to be

• relatively slow
• didn’t sound very manouvreable
• sounded slow downwind (no planing)
• sounded tricky downwind (nosediving)
• heavily built compared to boats in Australia
• weak structurally – builders were plagued with hull twist

Anyway I went on a visit to Queensland to stay with Peter and Jo Hyndman – builders of one of the first Goat Island Skiff – and Peter (aka BitingMidge) tried to talk me into the idea that we build a boat during my stay.

Using our understanding of building boats light, strong and stiff.

I became very interested when I saw how many people were being introduced to sailing by this very humble boat.  I thought it would be interesting to see how many improvements could be made without increasing the cost or complexity of the boats.

The OzRacers also looked to be a great portable boat for scooting around on the backwaters of the Mooloola River which runs near his house.

By that time I had seen the potential of the boats – and I upped the ante by suggesting we build TWO – so we would have an instant racing fleet – or another boat to admire the first one from!

Also we both had started to think how the boats would be improved with some good old Aussie knowhow.  In Australia we continued to develop light and efficient plywood boatbuilding long after the Northern Hemispherians had moved to Fibreglass boats.  Our design for the OZRacers took advantage of this extra historical development.

So that was a start to this great project – the upshot was that we made two boats that were are delight to sail … yes a box boat can sail so well that even racing sailors come back with a grin on their face … but it is also a very forgiving boat for beginners.

We carefully documented the build of the first two boats and used many of those photos in the comprehensive plan which are very thorough about methods and materials to make it easy to put a OZRacer together.

We decided to have an experiment and make the plans deliverable by email and keep them cheap … only $40.

Michael Storer Design Forum with a lot of PDR and OZ Racer information including builds in Australia, England, Africa, Romania, Hungary, the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Slovenia, Russia and more.

12ft Oz Goose Version sailboat – The Goose Honks  click here for info

Whether teaching sailing on a calm lake

Learning how to join club races

Or solo is stupidly strong winds you can let your hair down. The Goose is a great boat.

Same simplicity – take the whole family out .  Hull weight is 120lbs so easily roofrackable.

2 thoughts on “OZ Racer Plans – family sailboats – Two versions and one kit”

Plans please!

USD40 from Duckworks.

https://www.duckworks.com/product-p/oz-ozracer-rv-id.htm

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She’s the first American woman to sail around world solo in race — and she’s from Maine

A s the sun rose, only one mile separated Cole Brauer from the coast of A Coruña in Spain, where a crowd of supporters eagerly awaited her arrival after 130 days alone at sea. The 40-foot yacht First Light sliced through the waves, its blue and red sails emblazoned with “USA 54″ billowing against the wind. Victory in sight, Brauer stood at the bow and spread her arms wide, a safety flare sparkling in each hand. As she neared the finish line, the 29-year-old sailor hollered and cheered, flashing a wide smile.

At 8:23 a.m. on March 7, Brauer made history. Four months after setting sail from A Coruña for the Global Solo Challenge , Brauer became the first American woman to race around the world without stopping or assistance. The youngest skipper and the only female competitor, Brauer finished second out of 16 racers.

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“I’m so stoked,” Brauer, of Boothbay Harbor , Maine, said in a livestream as she approached the end . She wore a headlamp over her beanie with the words “wild feminist” across the top, and a couple of boats trailed her. “I can’t believe it. I still feel like I’ve got another couple months left of this craziness. It’s a really weird feeling.”

She circumnavigated the globe by way of the three great capes — Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn — headlands that extend out into the open sea from South Africa, Australia, and Chile, respectively, and are notorious for presenting a challenge to sailors. Throughout, Brauer documented the arduous 30,000-mile journey in full on her Instagram feed. She amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, introducing many of them to the sport and upending stereotypes of a professional sailor.

Brauer, who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs just 100 pounds, has long defied expectations and overcome skepticism in reaching the pinnacle of the yachting world.

“I’ve always been not the correct mold. I had a guy who used to always tell me, ‘You’re always on trial because the second you walk in the door, you have three strikes against you. You’re young, you’re a woman, and you’re small,’” she recalled in a recent interview. “Now with my platform, I don’t have to be as careful about what I say or do because people care about me because of me — not because I’m a sailor.”

In her videos documenting her long days at sea, she was often vulnerable, crying into the camera when First Light had autopilot issues and sea conditions caused the boat to broach , throwing her hard against the wall and bruising her ribs. She was giddy, showing off her new pajamas on Christmas Eve and dancing in a pink dress on New Year’s Day . As her popularity soared, she was a guide for the uninitiated, providing a breakdown of her sailing routes , her workouts and meals, and how she replaces equipment alone .

A native of Long Island, N.Y., she spent her childhood on the water, kayaking with her sister across the bay to school and finding comfort in the roll of the tide. She went to the University of Hawaii at Manoa , where, longing to be back on the ocean, she joined the sailing team. Brauer learned quickly, becoming a standout and winning the school’s most prestigious athletics award.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by COLE BRAUER OCEAN RACING (@colebraueroceanracing)

After college, she moved to the East Coast, hoping to start a career in sailing. But she found it difficult to break into the male-dominated industry.

“It was very difficult. I got a lot of ‘nos’. A lot of, ‘No way, we want nothing to do with you. You’re a liability,’” Brauer recalled.

Undeterred, she took whatever job she could, often for little pay.

Brauer found her footing in Boothbay Harbor , where her parents, Kim and David, were living. She coached the junior sailing team at the yacht club and met yacht captain Tim Fetsch, who became her mentor. While talking with Fetsch one night over dinner, Brauer shared her goal of competing in the prestigious Ocean Race , known as “sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge.”

He sent her “ Taking on the World ,” Ellen MacArthur’s book on finishing the Vendée Globe, a solo round-the-world race, at 24. She cried while reading it.

“They allowed me to flourish in Maine,” she said.

With Fetsch, she delivered boats to Mystic, Conn., and Newport, R.I., a sailing capital where Fetsch introduced her to his connections and she “was accepted pretty early on as as a worker bee.”

Her big break arrived when she became the boat captain for Michael Hennessy’s Class40 Dragon . She spent several years captaining Dragon and delivering it to races along the East Coast and the Caribbean.

In 2022, she was invited to try out for the Ocean Race. But after the two-week trials in France , where she sailed with a fully crewed team, she was dismissed. They told her she was too small.

“They didn’t want the 100-pound girl unless you were, you know, one of those big guys’ girlfriends, and I was not going to be that,” she said.

Describing the story to a couple of friends after the trials, Brauer made a vow — “I guess I just gotta go around the world alone.”

“It’s almost good that it happened because I needed that to push me over the edge,” she said. “I needed them to make me feel so little that I would do anything to be big.”

Later that year, Dragon was sold to a pair of brothers, who renamed it First Light and said Brauer could keep sailing it for the season. In June, Brauer and her co-skipper, Cat Chimney, became the first women to win the 24th Bermuda One-Two Yacht Race . After the victory, Brauer was prepared to take a break from competition and enjoy a “gorgeous Newport summer.”

Her sponsors had other plans. “You need to take the momentum with this win,” Brauer recalled the brothers saying. “This is probably your one and only chance to really show the world, and we’re willing to help.”

She set her sights on the Global Solo Challenge . First Light underwent a refit. With little time to prepare, Brauer suffered panic attacks and became worryingly thin. But the sailing community rallied around her and she assembled her team.

“Newport said, ‘You are our child, and we’re going to take care of you,’” she recalled.

Brauer took off from Spain on Oct. 29, and her online profile began to rise as she chronicled the voyage. The sudden isolation was overwhelming at the start, bringing her to tears at least once a day.

At one point in the race, while bobbing along in the Southern Ocean, things looked bleak. She was in excruciating pain after being slammed into the side of the boat and could hardly move. First Light was having issues with its autopilot system and she kept having to replace deteriorating parts.

“It took the entire team and my own mental state and my mother and my whole family to kind of be like, ‘You’re tough enough, like you can do this. You can get yourself out of this,’” she said.

In a race where more than half the competitors pulled out, their boats unable to withstand the harsh conditions, Brauer often listened to music on headphones to lower her anxiety.

“This is your everything. You don’t want to lose it,” she said. “Mentally, no one in the entire world knows what you’re feeling. They can’t understand the weather or the wind patterns.”

Her team monitored her by cameras, and she spoke each day to those close to her, including her mom, whom she FaceTimed every morning (she used Starlink for internet access). Sometimes they would just sit in silence. Brauer found comfort interacting with her Instagram followers, who peppered her with questions about sailing terminology and sent her messages of affirmation.

She made a ritual of watching the sunset and sunrise, each different than the last.

“Those were the most magical moments,” she said. “No obstructions, no buildings, no cars to ruin the sound.”

As she approached the finish, she described how surreal it felt that the journey was about to be over.

“It’s such a weird feeling seeing everyone. I’m trying to learn how to interact again with people, so we’ll see how this goes,” Brauer said with a slight smile and laugh on her livestream. “I don’t really know how to feel. I don’t really know how to act. I don’t really know how to be.”

Shannon Larson can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @shannonlarson98 .

Rick Raab echoes Jobin’s sentiments, emphasizing their shared commitment to excellence. "We have a deep understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses," Raab remarks. "It's this synergy that sets us apart. We're ready to unleash our full potential and make our mark in the 2024 boat racing season."

The 2024 Season should be the best on record for Jobin and Raab. Scott and Rick are thrilled to represent XINSURANCE this racing season. The Safe Cash Racing Team of Jobin and Raab are looking forward to a long-term winning partnership with XINSURANCE and Rick J. Lindsey.

XINSURANCE, dba of Evolution Insurance Brokers, provides solutions for specialty risks across all 50 states. Visit www.xinsurance.com

Barbara Malkowski, SVP Marketing [email protected] www.xinsurance.com

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Engineering:Puddle Duck Racer

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A Puddle Duck Racer or PD Racer is an 8 foot (2.44 m) long, 4 foot (1.22 m) wide, 16 inch (40 cm) high, spec series, racing sailboat . It is a one design hull shape with wide options in other areas. Billed as "the easiest sailboat in the world to build", the scow hull is a simple box, usually built of plywood . PD Racers have a Portsmouth handicap rating of 140.0 and their USSA code is PDR . [1] [2]

• 1.1 Puddle Duck Hatch
• 2.1 Configurations
• 3 References
• 4 External links

History and scope

Designed by David "Shorty" Routh, the PD Racer design was first published and released in 2003, [3] and the first hull was built in January 2004. With a focus on a simple design that uses low cost materials, PD Racers are intended to be accessible to a wide variety of people. [1] All the materials needed to build the boat can be found at a hardware store , [4] and the dimensions allow for a tolerance of a quarter-inch, allowing for less experienced builders to assemble a boat that fits within the design rules. [5] They can be cheap to build, with a simple plastic tarp for a sail, [6] and reports place the cost to build the boat as ranging from $150 to $300 to construct. [4] [7] The design is suitable for use in school projects. [8]

PD Racer hulls are numbered after photographic proof is given that that hull has been completed rather than assigned by the plan number a builder is given. To register a hull and receive a hull number, the basic hull (four sides, and two airboxes attached to a plywood bottom) must be assembled (called "going 3D" by the builders). [9] Since many people may order plans and never build the boat, photographic evidence gives a more accurate estimate of boat numbers. [1] [10] In late 2013, there were over 850 PD Racers registered in North America. [5] Internationally, registered boats can be found in countries such as Australia, England, Germany and Argentina. [11]

Puddle Duck Hatch

During the weekend of April 28–30, 2006, there was a "Puddle Duck Hatch" held in Summerland, British Columbia. Organized by PD Racer enthusiast Gordon Seiter, the event, gathered various groups from the area to build PD Racers on Friday and Saturday, and then race them on Sunday. The build was sponsored by various local merchants. 10 boats were built at the hatch, which brought the number of registered hulls to 99, and hulls 100 and 101 "went 3D" during the same time in other locations, bringing the hull count to 101.

In May 2007 a second Hatch was held and five boats were built. 2008 saw the name of the event changed to the Summerland TimberMart Hatch and saw five more boats built.

In Fall of 2010, Summerland hosted the 2010 Puddle Duck "World Championship" Race.

The design was influenced by the $50 Sailboat Race, the Moth class , Gavin Atkins's Mouse Boat group, Jim Michalak boat designs, the Phil Bolger "Brick" design, and a number of other box boats. [1] [12] It is effectively a "sailing box" with 16" sides. [13] Puddle Duck Racers generally are built with two airboxes, either placed along the sides of the boat or at the bow and stern. If placed on the sides, they also provide for seating for the crew. The airboxes provide flotation if the boat capsizes, and can be used for storage. [14]

As a development class, the PD Racer specifications allow for builders to experiment with different configurations. The PD Racer specifications only apply to the hull, allowing for various types of sailing rigs, and either leeboards or centreboards . [5] Although the boats are required to conform to a specific shape for use in class racing, the hull can also be used for recreational sailing, paddling, and motoring. [1]

Configurations

The main hull configurations are: [14]

• "End Airbox" design, with the airboxes positioned at the bow and stern of the craft.
• "Full Length Side Airboxes", with the airboxes running along each side.
• "Foam or other forms of flotation positioned under side, bow, or stern decks.

Alternatives include building a small cabin onto the boat, [15] and a modular design that can be disassembled for transport. [16]

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 " History of the PD Racer " PDRacer.com . Retrieved March 11, 2013.
• ↑ "Table of North American Portsmouth Numbers and Wind Dependent Handicaps" . US Sailing . http://www.ussailing.org/portsmouth/tables05/tables05cb.htm .  
• ↑ Hofstetter, Bethany. (September 11, 2011). "Pine man introducing region to Puddle Duck racing". Pine Creek Journal . pp 1, 7.
• ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wells, Randy. (July 1, 2012). " Puddle Duck Racers: Boats growing in popularity ". Indiana Gazette . Retrieved March 10, 2013.
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Caswell, Chris. (November 2011). " If it quacks like a Puddle Duck it must be a fun boat to sail ". Sailing: The Beauty of Sail . Retrieved March 10, 2013.
• ↑ "Boat turns simple things into racer" (August 23, 2007). The Advocate , Louisiana.
• ↑ Gillespie, Ian. (May 26, 2010). " Ahoy, Fanshawe's a-calling ". The London Free Press . Retrieved March 10, 2013.
• ↑ Muller, Nicole. (June 20, 2012). " Wixon students design and build sailboats ". The Register , GateHouse Media. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
• ↑ " Info About PDRacer Registration " PDRacer.com . Retrieved March 11, 2013.
• ↑ "World Wide List Of PDRacer Members & Hull Numbers" . http://www.pdracer.com/members/ .  
• ↑ " World Wide List Of Puddle Duckers " PDRacer.com . Retrieved March 11, 2013.
• ↑ Nolen, Bill. (February, 2012) " Building a Puddle Duck Racer ". Duckworks Magazine . Retrieved March 11, 2013.
• ↑ Atkin, Gavin. (2007) Ultrasimple Boat Building: 17 Plywood Boats Anyone Can Build , International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press. ISBN :978-0071477925.
• ↑ 14.0 14.1 " Popular Hull Configurations " PDRacer.com . Retrieved March 11, 2013.
• ↑ " Puddle Duck Racers with Cabins " PDRacer.com . Retrieved March 11, 2013.
• ↑ " Ken Simpson's Puddle Duck Articles " PDRacer.com . Retrieved March 11, 2013.

External links

• www.pdracer.com The worldwide mother site for PD Racers.
• PDRacer video clip Puddle Duck on YouTube.
• Boat Building Books at PDRacer.com
• PDRacer Group PDRacer group on Facebook

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NCAA Wrestling Championships 2024: Results, Updated Team Standings After Friday

A dominant performance Friday has led to Penn State clinching its third straight NCAA Division I wrestling team title following the conclusion of action at Kansas City's T-Mobile Center.

Penn State WRESTLING @ pennstateWREST PENN STATE PERFECT IN NATIONAL SEMIFINALS!<br>NITTANY LIONS GO 6-0, SCHOOL RECORD FOR FINALISTS!<br>PENN STATE CLINCHES THE 2024 NCAA TITLE!<br>(recap soon!)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSUwr?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSUwr</a> <a href="https://t.co/ElOhSVfu66">pic.twitter.com/ElOhSVfu66</a>

PSU wrestlers went 6-for-6 in the semifinals leading into Saturday's championships. In other words, Nittany Lions could make up the majority of weight class champions Saturday after the conclusion of the 10 matches.

PSU stars Beau Bartlett (141 pounds), Levi Haines (157 pounds), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165 pounds), Carter Starocci (174 pounds), Aaron Brooks (197 pounds) and Greg Kerkvliet (285 pounds) will all wrestle for national championships on Saturday.

Here's a look at the latest update through Day 2.

Top 10 Teams (Through Friday)

1. Penn State: 148.0

2. Michigan: 64.5

3. Iowa: 60.0

4. Arizona State: 59.5

4. Iowa State: 59.5

6. Cornell: 58.5

7. Ohio State: 57.0

8. Oklahoma State: 55.0

9. Virginia Tech: 53.0

10. Nebraska: 52.0

Full results via Track Wrestling .

Penn State is obviously the team to watch, and from there, all eyes are on Starocci and Brooks. Those two are both looking for their fourth straight national title.

Starocci defeated No. 1 seed Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech by a 4-0 decision for his fourth win against him lifetime but sweated a bit more in the semifinals versus Michigan's Shane Griffith, winning 2-0.

Starocci is dealing with a knee injury suffered in a Feb. 25 dual meet against Edinboro, but he can become the first wrestler in PSU history (and sixth in NCAA D-I history) to win four titles if he defeats Rocco Welsh of Ohio State, who has won his last three matches via sudden victory.

Brooks is coasting through the 197-pound bracket. Two of his wins have come via fall, and the other two are by technical fall. On Friday, he defeated Oklahoma's Stephen Buchanan by fall in the second round before taking down Missouri's Rocky Elam by technical fall in the semifinals. The undefeated Trent Hidley of North Carolina State stands in Brooks' way in the finals.

From a team perspective, though, Penn State has now won 12 titles, 11 of which have come since 2011. It's an incredible accomplishment for the Nittany Lions, and now Saturday seems like a coronation for the program.

The championship matches will begin one at a time starting at 6 p.m. ET Saturday.

Beginning 10 a.m. that day, though, wrestle-back semifinals will occur on all three mats, with third-, fifth- and seven-place medal round matches occuring.

Moscow Boat Tour

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Description

See all the gems of historical and cultural center of the capital in short time and without traffic jams or tiresome walking.

Depending on the itinerary and duration of the Moscow River boat trip, the tour can be 3 or 5 hours.

Highlights of the tour

• St Basil’s Cathedral;
• Stalin skyscraper on Kotelnicheskaya (Tinkers) embankment;
• The Kremlin;
• “House on the Embankment” Stalin skyscraper;
• Monument to Peter I;
• The Central House of Artists;
• Christ the Savior Cathedral;
• Gorky Park;
• Moscow State University;
• Russian Academy of Sciences;
• Luzhniki stadium;
• Novodevichy Monastery;
• Kiev railway station;
• Europe Square;
• Moscow City Hall;
• Government House;
• Expocentre Exhibition Complex;
• and other famous sights.

You will learn about the different epochs of the city from the foundation in 1147 till Soviet times of 20 th  century.

Moscow River

Moskva river has the form of a snake and is the main waterway of Moscow, consisting of a cascade of reservoirs. Within the city, Moskva river is 80 km long, 120 m - 200 m wide and up to 14 m deep. The narrowest part of the river is the Kremlin area in the city center, and the most extensive is around the Luzhniki Stadium in the south. 

Bridges in Moscow

Undoubtedly, bridges and embankments are among the most scenic spots and main attractions of Moscow. Plus, they are so romantic.

• Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge –  Great Stone Bridge –  is the main bridge of Moscow . The first stone bridge was constructed here in the 17th century.
• Patriarshy Bridge  is one of the youngest pedestrian bridges, built in 2004. The bridge connects the iconic Christ the Saviour Cathedral with funky Bersenevskaya embankment, extremely popular place among locals for its trendy art galleries, cafes and panoramic views. Patriarshy Bridge used to be a shooting location for ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's New Year speech to the nation.
• Borodinsky Bridge,  erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the glorious victory in the Battle of Borodino (which every Russian kid knows about), a fierce legendary battle during the Russo-French war of 1812.
• Bagration Bridge  one of the  pedestrian bridges with most picturesque views of the Moskva River with its numerous upper-level observation platforms. The bridge was erected to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Moscow city in 1997.
• Krymsky Bridge  used to be in Top 5 Europe’s longest bridges some 100 years ago. The bridge got its name after the ancient Krymsky ford which Crimean Tartars used to invade Moscow in the 16 th  century.

Embankments of Moscow

Moscow river boats 37 embankments, the most popular being Kremlevskaya, Sofiyskaya, Pushkinskaya, Vorobyovskaya and Kolomenskaya.

You can get the most spectacular views of the Kremlin from  Kremlevskaya and Sofiyskaya embankments.

• Pushkinkaya embankment  is the most romantic in Moscow. It meanders along Gorky Park and Neskuchnyi garden and is rich for all kinds of entertainment as well as cozy nooks, including Olivkovy beach, the famous Zeleny theater as well as a pier for river cruisers.
• Vorobyevskaya embankment  is part of Sparrow Hills nature reserve. This place opens a beautiful panorama of the river and city from the observation deck and is considered to be the place for taking serious decisions in life.
• Embankment in Kolomenskoye  Museum-Reserve has a special charm due to its peculiar geographical relief. The boat trip around Kolomenskoye would be the most peaceful in your life.
• Taras Shevchenko embankment  is popular among photographers for its modern Moscow City skyscrapers. Highly recommended for your night boat trip.
• Embankments of Moscow are the pride of the capital. A distinctive feature of each of the promenades is its architecture and beautiful views. In addition, almost all the embankments of Moscow have a rich history and a lot of notable buildings.

Different epochs

Taking a walk along the Moskva River by boat, you will witness the architecture of Moscow from different eras and styles. Archaeological studies indicate that already in the XI century there stood a fortified settlement on Borovitsky hill, which is now called the Kremlin. Little fortress could not accommodate all the residents of the rapidly growing city, and the Grand Duke ordered the construction of a new Kremlin, larger than the former.

Boat trip around Kolomenskoe Park

Moscow river boat trip starts from the pier Klenovy (Maple) Boulevard and provides reat views of Nicholas Perervinsky monastery.

Nicholas Perervinsky monastery was founded at the time of the Battle of Kulikov (1380). The monastery, got its name from the surrounding area – “Pererva”, which can be translated like “tear off” and because of the location –  here it abruptly changed its course, turning to Kolomna, standing on the opposite bank.

Nowadays Kolomenskoye is State Art, Historical, Architectural and Natural Landscape Museum-Reserve, which doors are open to everyone who wants to get in touch with the ancient history of Russia.

Take a break from the big city hustle in the shady parks and gardens of the Kolomenskoe Museum-Reserve. Don’t miss a wonderful Church of the Ascension and Tsar Alexey’s Palace in Kolomenskoye!

Monasteries and temples

• Novospassky Monastery
• Founded in the 13th century on the site where now is located the Danilovsky monastery. After a few decades, in 1330, Ivan Kalita moved the monastery onto the Borovitskii hill of the Kremlin. However, in the 15th century, Spassky Monastery again moved, this time to a more spacious place on Krasnoholmskaya waterfront.
• Church of St. Nicholas in Zayaitskom
• Erected in the middle of the XVIII century in baroque style. The building survived after the 1812 fire, but the utensils were destoyed. Parishioners collected donations and restored the temple on their own. In Soviet times, it was closed and re-opened only in 1992.
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior
• The church was originally erected in honor of the victory over Napoleon and was being under construction for long 44 years. Notoriously demolished in 1937 to be a giant swimming pool under open sky. The current building was constructed in 1990s. It is the tallest and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.
• The temple was built in 1679-82, during the reign of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, in late Muscovite Baroque style and can be characterized as bonfire temple. Each gable is a symbol of a heavenly fire.
• Novodevichy Convent
• The most famous concent and monastery in Moscow, presumably founded in 1524. Novodevichy’s status has always been high among other monasteries, it was in this monastery where the women of the royal blood, the wives of Tsars and local rulers of Moscow were kept in prison as nuns.
• St. Andrew’s church  (male acts as Compound Patriarch of Moscow)
• St. Andrew’s church stands right on the slopes of the Sparrow Hills, on the way down to the Moskva River, on the territory of the Nature Reserve “Sparrow Hills”. The monastery is small in size but is very cozy. It’s situated in a quiet courtyard surrounded by temples, fruit trees and flowers.

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow river cruise.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

The first attempt to do sails was not successful. I wanted to sew an old tent, but my sewing machine did not want to sew through the material. The current sail is not sewn and I've done it with the cheapest tarpaulin and cut to the shape of the lugsail. The edge was cut down, wrapped and secured with rivets. The mast is a 3m steel tube and the boom and yard is a thin bamboo beam connected by a cable tie.

Tools and materials used to build it are most often are found in every home. Pencil, ruler, wallpaper knife, screwdriver and drill. The only rarer tool is the instrument for crimping space corners. I've done it with large washers screwed to the handle so that it can move around as you press the material.

For joining folds on the hull, I used bolts and nuts with big washers, because I planned to make the hull permanent and not folding. Some elements are held by cable tie, and some stuck (heel of the mast and stiffening the sides) I used polyurethane glue ''Gorilla glue''. Of course, duck tape is indispensable to build a duck boat.

Quickly, I learnt where to buy this material. In Ireland it is called corrugated plastic sheets' and for 35 euros I became owner of 10 'x 5', 6 mm thick sheet. Material from which I've done hull has different names in different countries, ''Coroplast'' in America, "Corflute'' Australia, ''Corugated Plastic sheets '' in Ireland, ''Tekpol'' in Poland, etc. The best way to find it is to look for some ads and see what it is called. Most of the projects recommended 4mm but I used 6mm and if I did it again today I would use 9mm - greater stiffness and resistance.

My material was about 2 feet longer than the project by Ken, but I cut off one foot, and used it to stiffen the sides.

I began by drawing the folds, then the help of slats and special tool broke the material along the drawn lines.

All edges are sealed with duct tape.

Folding on the lines and gluing the sides. Once you have the overall shape I used screws and washers.

I planned to do a canoe, but when I saw the resulting shape of the hull, I decided to make a sailboat. The front struts tightened the tube which is inserted and the mast is made of steel tube, diameter of 30mm.

The paddle is the rudder, but with stronger winds becomes problematic. I made rudder supported legs. After the first capsize, I added buoyancy in the bow and stern as well as on the sides.

My boat all the time is changing and I constantly add new modifications which amuses me as much as using it.

My Sailing boat is small, 2.9m long, so even in strong winds it is not fast. It is rather narrow so no standing up. For these reasons I use it on inland waters - (no full deck hardly encourages trips to the sea). It is hard to use it for more than 3 hours and it gets uncomfortable. Sailing depends also on the strength of the wind, and reefing can only be done to a point. It was a fun project, more a toy than a serious sailing boat but it used my imagination which I love.

Maryland town suspends its entire police force, leaving residents to wonder why

A largely unexplained decision by a Maryland town to suspend its entire police force has left residents shocked, skeptical and on edge.

The small town of Ridgely, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, announced it was suspending officers of the Ridgely Police Department, leaving other public safety agencies to fill the void. But the town’s residents remain entirely in the dark about why it was being shut down.

"What’s very concerning is that they didn’t communicate with us in an honest and open way," said Laura Cline, a longtime Ridgely resident. "Treat us with respect. We’re adults — thinking, rational adults who deserve the truth."

Holly Justice, an esthetician who owns a spa in Ridgely, added: "We were blindsided. It makes you question the integrity of people who are supposed to protect and serve."

STATE'S LARGEST POLICE UNION MAKES MAJOR ENDORSEMENT IN 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Last week, officials said on the Ridgely’s website that the town’s three-member commission had "suspended with pay the entirety of the Ridgely Police Department," and that the Office of State Prosecutor is investigating potential wrongdoing.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"It doesn’t add up," said Gennie Woo, a business owner in downtown Ridgely since 1983. "Everybody is skeptical about what happened. We just want to know how and why."

FRUSTRATED PARENTS, TEACHERS DEMAND SCHOOLS BRING BACK POLICE TO CURB VIOLENCE: 911 CALLS 'ALMOST EVERY DAY'

The department’s website says it employs half a dozen officers to service its population of about 1,600 residents.

According to city officials, Ridgely has made arrangements for officers of the nearby Caroline County Sheriff’s Office to respond to emergency calls for now.

Caroline County Sheriff David Baker said Maryland State Police would also pitch in.

Having officers from a neighboring town respond to service calls has some residents worried about slower response times. Some residents have also suggested a reduced law enforcement presence could make them targets for potential criminals.

Crime in Caroline County, which includes Ridgely, has been notoriously low spanning decades.

According to federal crime data, the county has reported four homicides since 2000.

Most of the policing services include minor public safety issues such as lost or stolen items. Other services include participating in community events and supporting local businesses. Other posts contain information about lost keys, credit cards, bikes and other items officers had recovered around town.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Original article source: Maryland town suspends its entire police force, leaving residents to wonder why

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2 Black officers allege discrimination at police department

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LOUISIVLLE, Ky. (AP) — Two Black officers with Louisville Metro Police have filed a lawsuit alleging they faced discrimination, a hostile work environment and disparate punishment because of race and faith, according to a published report.

The lawsuit was filed by Andre Shaw and Jay Moss in Jefferson Circuit Court on March 11, the Courier Journal reported Friday. It cites multiple examples of the officers being treated or disciplined in ways they say were unfair.

A police spokesperson told the newspaper that the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Among the allegations were that the two were suspended and permanently transferred to patrol downtown after a breach of policy investigation that found they had been “intentionally deceptive” when a superior asked about a colleague’s location. The punishment was not in line with other policy violations of the same severity, the lawsuit said.

Another instance cited in the lawsuit said Shaw raised issues of a minority recruit telling him that officers in the training academy were making “overtly racist comments” and that he was told “LMPD command needed him to ‘shut up and dribble.’ ”

Shaw also alleged that his Islamic artwork and quotations were questioned and that he faced retaliation from the department in part because he filed a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint last year alleging discriminatory practices.

Bergen County's sheriff race will be a rematch between Anthony Cureton and Robert Kugler

2-minute read.

The Bergen County sheriff's race is set to be a rematch from 2021 between incumbent Democrat Anthony Cureton and Republican Saddle Brook Police Chief Robert Kugler.

Kugler won the coveted party line on Tuesday night at the Bergen County Republican convention, held at the Hasbrouck Heights VFW, where county committee members and Republican elected officials voted for candidates.

Kugler topped recently retired Bergen County sheriff's Capt. Michael Devine by a vote of 364 to 284.

Kugler lost to Cureton in 2021 by fewer than 17,000 votes as he fought against corruption charges that were later thrown out by a judge. Kugler, at the time, accused then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, a Democrat, of interfering in the election as a way to help Cureton win.

During the 2021 race for county sheriff, Grewal announced that Kugler had ordered illegal police escorts for processions leaving his private business, a family-owned funeral home in Saddle Brook.

As a result, Saddle Brook officials suspended Kugler, and the county prosecutor took over the Police Department.

Bergen County: 2024 budget introduced. Here's what it means for taxpayers

In 2021, three months after his suspension, the county Prosecutor's Office  released a scathing report  that said the Saddle Brook Police Department was understaffed, poorly led and using outdated equipment and policies. The report blamed Kugler and said his “absence and inattention” created a leadership void that caused problems in the department of about three dozen officers.

In 2022, almost a year after he lost to Cureton, a state judge  dismissed the corruption charges against Kugler.  The 56-page decision by state Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark said the township ordinance the chief was said to have violated did not apply to funeral processions, as state investigators alleged.

Clark also said prosecutors left out key pieces of information favorable to Kugler when they made their case to the grand jury. The grand jury's indictment led the state attorney general to charge Kugler with conspiracy, misconduct and corruption of public resources in March 2021.

County Republicans on Tuesday also selected candidates for the "line," or the first position on the ballot, for the 5th and 9th congressional districts and county commissioners.

The "line" is in the spotlight due to a lawsuit filed by Rep. Andy Kim ahead of the June primary where he faces the state's first lady, Tammy Murphy, for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Bob Menendez.

Bergen County Republicans voted for Mary Jo Guinchard to face 5th Congressional District incumbent Rep. Josh Gottheimer. Guinchard is a Ridgewood resident, a former mayor of the village of Tuxedo Park, New York, and a professional singer and actress, who ran for Bergen County commissioner in November.

Billy Prempeh was endorsed to face 9th Congressional District incumbent Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., and Republicans Michael Joseph and Dave Plotkin will be on the ballot for the two county commissioner seats up for election.

Save for Moscow Racer

Savegame for Moscow Racer – The game done 100%

– Passed championships 9 of 9 – Open 11 of 11 vehicles – Points 2010 Rating – Races done 39 – Distance traveled 223km – Wins Championships 9 – Wins race 34

Installation : Copy files from archive to Documents\My Games\MoscowRacer\Profiles

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