Multiclass Regatta 2011
Transcription
Multiclass Regatta 2011
The newsletter of RYA Sailability Autumn 2011 FOGHORN Multiclass Regatta 2011 A great success Sixty-five boats and 150 disabled and able-bodied sailors from as far afield as Holland, France and Canada as well as the UK battled it out in eight classes - 2.4mR, Challenger (Gold and Silver), Access (2.3, 203, 303 and Liberty), Artemis, Stratos, Kinsman, Neo 495 and Skud - at Rutland Water on 13 and 14 August 2011 in the annual RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta. The racing began on Saturday with each class competing in four class races. While the wind decided in which direction it wanted to blow, the racing was held up. Once it made its mind up the clouds parted and the sun shone, creating perfect sailing conditions. Sunshine and wind continued throughout Sunday which was all about the prestigious Ken Ellis Trophy and saw 150 sailors competing in the two-race Trophy general handicap series, creating quite a spectacle out on the water. Competing for the first time in the regatta was the Neo 495 class which had two new entries. Alain Inzerlac, the designer of the boat, came all the way from the South of France to compete: “It is great to be here this weekend. This boat was built in 2005 and is designed especially for disabled people to race,” he explained. “I have really enjoyed sailing here at Rutland Water and it has been a fantastic opportunity to introduce people to my boat”. Continued on page 2 Making disability plain sailing www.rya.org.uk/ 2 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Multiclass regatta 2011 continued Twenty-two year old Amy Oulton from Ringwood Sailability, who suffers with a rare disability, was competing in an Access 303 at the regatta: “I am so excited to be competing this weekend, even though my chances of winning are not very high. This event is amazing as it provides competitors with the chance to sail alongside sailors of all levels of ability and experience. Some people have been sailing for years and years whereas I am very new!” said Amy. Matt Grier, RYA Racing Development Coach said: “Another successful year. The weather has been perfect, with less wind and we have seen some great tactical racing. “It‟s fantastic to see the development of the people coming back each year as well as the development of the Paralympic and disabled sailing.” „Try a sail‟ The event was also extra special this year as it invited disabled sailors to come along and have a go on a variety of different boats under the watchful eye of a qualified instructor in the „try a sail‟ area which was running throughout the weekend. The Model Yachting Association (MYA) also attended the event and invited sailors to come and try something a bit different- sailing without getting wet! A great social event “The social side is fantastic too and I have even met another lady with the same disability as me. It‟s a very special event.” Ken Ellis Trophy The Netherlands‟ Wilma van der Broek, sailing in the Access Liberty fleet, was revealed as the overall multiclass champion and the winner of the Ken Ellis Trophy at the official prize giving. “I am very surprised and couldn‟t believe it when I heard I was the first person of the day,” said a delighted Wilma. “It was well worth the long journey.” Alex Hovden was announced as the winner of the first ever UK Open Skud 18 National Championships. See the full winners’ table on page 3 www.rya.org.uk/sailability “Once again we have had a spectacular turnout at this year‟s event, making it our biggest regatta yet” said Debbie Blachford, RYA Sailability Manager. “Not only is the Multiclass a great showcase of the talent we have within the disabled community, but it is also a great social event with many spectators coming along to support the sailors and meet other disabled people who share a common interest in the sport”. A special thank you also goes to the 70 plus volunteers who worked tirelessly over the weekend to ensure the event ran smoothly from start to finish including the RAF, which donated safety boats with their crews. The multiclass regatta is part of the RYA Sailability national sailing and racing programme „Making Disability Plain Sailing‟, which is funded jointly by Sport England and the RYA Sailability Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 3 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Multiclass regatta 2011 - the winners Fleet Winner Club 2.4mR Fleet Iain Stowe Rutland Sailability Challenger Gold Fleet Val Millward Rutland Sailability Challenger Silver Fleet Pauline Shaw Grafham Sailability Artemis Fleet Dean Abra/Tim Bell Even Keel Project Laser Stratos Fleet Lucy Hodges/Gary Butler/Liam Catternale Blind Sailing Access 2.3 Fleet Lindsey Burns Frensham Pond Access 303 2p Fleet Chris Emmet/Malcolm Kirk Rutland Sailability Access 303 1p Fleet Ian MacNair Rutland Sailability Access Liberty Fleet Vera Voorbach Kinsman Fleet John Vickers/Chris Ball Rutland Sailability Neo 495 Fleet Andrew Sheath/Kate Lintott Frensham Pond Skud 18 Fleet Alex Hovden, Kate Mannering Papercourt Sailing Club Don’t forget! The Sailability National Conference will be on Saturday 25 February 2012 at Wyboston Lakes. Places are available on a first come, first served basis. To register your interest and offer your input about what you would like to gain from the conference please email [email protected] www.rya.org.uk/sailability Sailability on Facebook Make use of one of the fastest and most effective networking tools available - take a look at the Sailability Facebook page. Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 4 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 RYA Sailability Grants Foundation renewal The following RYA Sailability Grants have been awarded since April 2011. The Even Keel Project Grant: £4000.00 Sailing development, increasing participation and provision for the first disabled sailing participation at FED Week (see p.9). New Forest and District Sailability Grant: £5000.00 Provided to help purchase a new 2.4m Stradivari dinghy. Royal Southern Yacht Club Deaf Sailing Day Grant: £400.00 Communication provision for hard-of-hearing guests at a Sailability event (see p.13). Hanningfield Sailability Grant: £3200.00 General sailing development at new Sailability Foundation site. Wirral Disabled Marine Association Grant: £3000.00 Provided to help towards the purchase of a new Access dinghy. Yet again it is time to focus on renewing your Foundation Status with us to ensure your club is signed up as a Sailability site and listed within our Site Guide, which promotes your club facilities to people with disabilities. Not only can this contribute to finding more members but, as a Sailability site, you are then also entitled to apply for grants from RYA Sailability Trust; you can download the forms at www.ryasailability.org.uk/about/grants_.php Your renewal form will be in sent out in the post before the end of November and you have until the end of January to complete and return it to us. Every club that submits a form before the deadline will get the chance to win a pair of RYA Dinghy Show tickets for March 2012, so I look forward to getting lots of post! Connie Lebrun Sailability Project Officer T 023 8060 4247 E [email protected] Website for sailors with hearing loss A new website has been launched to help those with hearing loss overcome the practical issues faced when taking to the water. Your one-stop shop for information with new features every fortnight. www.seahear.co.uk www.ryasailability.tv www.rya.org.uk/sailability Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 5 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Race training available Thanks to support from RYA Sailability, the Access Class Association (UK) is able to offer a Race Training Scheme for Sailability groups that sail Access dinghies. The Class Coach and Race Training Manager can arrange race training for groups where Access dinghies are not currently raced and also coaching for groups who conduct some racing for their Access dinghies and wish to improve skill levels. Sailability groups seeking race training or The host Sailability group will be responsible for coaching should apply to the Access Class all aspects of safety and providing appropriate Coach as below to negotiate mutually training facilities, i.e.: convenient arrangements for one or more days of training. As the current class coach attends a room with a whiteboard most Travellers‟ Trophy (TT) meetings, a day of if possible, facilities to display coaching at the venue on the day prior to the TT PowerPoint images should be possible. a suitable powerboat for the use of the coach/trainer (who will be RYA PB2 The Class Coach will either conduct the session qualified) her/himself or seek other coach/trainers with experience of the Access Class who hold a RYA all the Access dinghies required Race Coach L2 or RYA Senior Instructor a safety boat manned by the host qualification. group with radio contact to the shore and coach suitable marker buoys for a racing course Further details can be obtained from the Access Class Coach who is based at Frensham Pond Sailing Club on the Surrey/Hampshire border: www.rya.org.uk/sailability Lindsay Burns [email protected] 01428 712942 Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 6 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Access Class European Championships A gentle „Pelair‟ breeze greeted sailors arriving at Circolo Vela Gargnano on Lake Garda in Italy on 14 June for the final day of racing in the 2011 Access Class European Championships. The single person divisions started first, and the two person divisions sailed in the afternoon after the breeze direction had switched from north to south. Australian Barry Coates also posted another two wins in the Liberty division to claim the Liberty Championship with a six point break on Vera Voorbach (NED). While denied the Open trophy, Voorbach was presented with the European Championship Liberty Servo trophy. Russell Phillips (AUS) built a seven point margin over the next competitor to secure third overall. The afternoon breeze looked promising and the first heat for each of the two divisions provided good racing, but the wind evaporated after the second 303 race was started and the Race Officer was forced to abandon racing for that division. The SKUDs managed to complete their eights heat on the last of the breeze. Series leaders in the Access 303 Two-Person competition, Zoltan Pegan and Eva Mircsev (HUN), finished their regatta with another first place, giving them a nine point lead over the field. They retained their European Championship title won in Port Camargue, France in 2009. Joshua Rothenhaeusler and Dominique Scheller (SUI) finished second overall, a couple of points ahead of Julian Mueller and Fabio Rosa (SUI). Alex Hovden and Kate Mannerings Pedro Cancio Reis (POR) scored 1-2 to improve his lead and secure the European Championship in the Access 2.3. Lindsay Burns (GBR) held on to second overall and Bruno Pereira (POR) moved up a place from the previous day to claim third overall. Six straight first places over the past four days mean that Zoltan Pegan (HUN) is the undisputed European Champion in the Access 303 Single Person. Pegan adds this to his Single Person 303 World Championship title. Luca Mantovani (ITA) and Paul Phillips (GBR) both retained their places from the day before to finish in second and third place overall. www.rya.org.uk/sailability Two second places for Alex Hovden and Kate Mannerings (GBR) on the final day was just enough to give them a single point break over Marco Gualandris and Marta Zanetti (ITA), who also handled the breeze and waves well. Andrea Stella and Pietro Piccoli (ITA) were in third place at the end of the penultimate day, but a DNF enabled Shimon Ben Yakov and Zehavi Hagar (ISR) to steal the final podium place. The next Access Class European Championships are scheduled to be held in 2013. Possible venues include Hungary and Switzerland. Further information will be available from www.accessclass.org. Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 7 SKUD and Sonar Paralympic sailors announced British sailors who picked up the first medals of the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta on 10 June – a gold and a silver – at the conclusion of racing for the Paralympic classes at the sixth leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup series in Weymouth and Portland, are now preparing for the Paralympic Games. John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas secured a hard-fought gold in the threeperson Sonar class and beat the reigning world champions from the Netherlands into overall second. Skandia Team GBR‟s Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell secured silver in the two-person Paralympic SKUD class, behind Australia‟s Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch, ending their regatta on a high with a second race victory of the series. Photo: OnEdition A month later, on the final day of the IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championships on 8 July the SKUD duo secured gold, and the Sonar trio claimed silver. -up to London: the selection of the first athletes who will represent this country in 2012 really brings it home that the Games are just around the corner. Now, with just a year to go to the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games, the British Paralympic Association (BPA) has announced that all five sailors will compete for Great Britain at London 2012. “I am delighted that the first athletes to achieve this honour are being selected to ParalympicsGB. They have worked very hard over many years to achieve this and I hope the nation will join me in congratulating them now and supporting them in a year‟s time on the water at Weymouth and Portland.” Stephen Park, Olympic Manager at the RYA, said: “Over the past three years we‟ve been trying hard to move our sailors forward from being medal possibles to medal probables, These two selected teams have managed to deliver consistent medal-winning performances that gave the RYA‟s Paralympic Selection Committee great confidence in their early nomination. “From a team management perspective, early nomination now allows the sailors to optimise their programme over the next 12 months such that the goal of winning medals at the London 2012 Games is not compromised by any of the expectations, restrictions or commitments that exist through the selection process.” Chief Executive of the BPA, Tim Hollingsworth, said: “This is a very exciting moment in the build www.rya.org.uk/sailability Join Sailabil- Penny Briscoe, Performance Director at the BPA, said: “Their recent results at the World Championships, in which Niki and Alex won their third successive World title and John, Hannah and Stephen won World silver, are not only testament to their hard work and ambition but are also a credit to the world-class performance environment that the RYA has in place to support their Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Make no mistake, these athletes have done just as much to earn their place as the Olympic sailors are doing right now to achieve theirs." Selection trials for the 2.4mR one-person keelboat event are ongoing. 8 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Partnership creation can lead to great achievements RYA Sailability is continuously looking to forge partnerships that can deliver the inclusive sailing message and opportunities for its sailors throughout the sailing world. It is striving to find organisations to assist in delivering this. The coming together with the Even Keel Project, whose aims are to break the barriers between ability and disability, has enabled a grand spectacle of sailing to take to the water during the fantastic Federation Week. For the first time in the event‟s history a disabled class has had access to this mainstream able-bodied regatta. Sailability engaged the services of the Even Keel project to work with the Chichester Harbour Federation and provide a fleet of five Artemis 20 racing keelboats to enter the regatta, with sailors representing five different Sailability sites throughout the UK. Racing off the same start line as the RS Elite Keelboat became a reality; mixing it up amongst the 350 other boats, with classes including the Foiling Moth, 49er, International 14 and Flying 15, was a sight to see. One of the UK‟s largest dinghy and keel boat regattas, attracting around 400 boats annually, is held in the beautiful surroundings of Chichester harbour on the UK‟s south coast every August. Hosted by Hayling Island Sailing Club and delivered by the continuously committed teams provided by Chichester Harbour Federation for the past 85 years, it is an event anyone can now be a part of. Federation Week is an example of what can be achieved by like-minded organisations coming together with a common goal. The Federation is made up of around 10 sailing clubs within the harbour, representatives from various other marinas, and the conservancy and harbour authority. www.rya.org.uk/sailability For the competing sailors, a horizon and a start line filled with mainstream boats created a very different experience. Moving through fleets of able-bodied boats was a defining moment in the search for acceptance for disability sport, and an inspiration for the able-bodied sailors to recognise the ability of the Sailability teams within this environment, given the correct equipment and forward- thinking attitudes. The great British summer gave a mixed bag of conditions for the week on the water with the first day delivering a fresh 20+ knot breeze to welcome all to the regatta. The Sailability teams gave the Artemis 20s a good shakedown as they learned the tricks of Chichester Harbour. The trend was set for the week with Craig Rose for Cowes taking the honours. Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 9 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Day two provided a different set of conditions with very little breeze until late and courses shortened for all classes. Craig Rose triumphed again. Day three made up for the previous lack of wind with gusts of 27+ knots passing through the harbour from the north east. With 350 vessels on the water, boats could be seen turning over everywhere; broken masts and RIBs towing tangled dinghies was an experience for all and the Artemis 20 teams had their own adventures - everyone ashore in the evening was talking about „survival mode‟ but the excitement of being a part of it was the lasting impression. Day four saw the weather return to something resembling summer and there was another stiff breeze to contend with. Places were changing continuously throughout the race for all but one team - Craig Rose and Pete McCoy had it in the bag and were crowned RYA Sailability Federation Week champions. Craig also took home the Even Keel Challenge trophy, raced for on the last day, holding on to his title for the second year. South Coast Blind Week 2011 This year‟s South Coast Blind Week, hosted by the Royal Southampton Yacht Club, started on 25 June. Around 130 crew and 22 yachts meant that 46 visually impaired sailors got out on the water, and the event also welcomed three skippers and VIs new to Blind Week. The week was blessed with bright sunshine and a range of wind conditions to suit all tastes and abilities. The yachts were split into three separate fleets that cruised the Solent and surrounding waters, visiting many of the traditional harbours and anchorages including Haslar, Lymington, Beaulieu, Newtown Creek, Cowes, Weymouth and Poole. The event was supported by the UKSA, which provided two identical Sweden 42s, Coutts, which chartered three boats, the Gwennili Trust, which provided the largest boat of all (at 50 feet) and the Naval College at Dartmouth, which provided one of its Contessa 38s. The remaining boats were generously provided by owners/ skippers and volunteer sighted crew. www.rya.org.uk/sailability Next year the event will be hosted by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club in Falmouth from 30 June to 7 July 2012. Anyone interested should contact the overall organiser of the week, Grant Morris, on [email protected] Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 10 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 From zero to hero Twelve pupils from six Lancashire special schools came together at Bolton Sailing Club to compete in the Lancashire Special School Sailing Regatta 2011. All the young people have moderate learning difficulties; most of them had never sailed before and had never even seen the boat they were to sail. windward leg .Half-way to the windward mark, the PCHS boat had a small lead; one boat had run aground and the rest were moving forward with the team from Sir Tom Finney School (STFS) rapidly closing in on the lead. Fifty yards from the mark STFS had taken the lead and stormed away from the rest. By the time they cleared the wing mark STFS were well clear of the PCHS team. Nothing stopped STFS winning the first race with PCHS in second and Astley Park in third place. At lunch time, a very happy team from STFS was applauded off the jetty by the staff and visitors. Everything now depended on the second race. The start was critical and PCHS managed to get another good one and lead the boat towards the windward mark; they were being chased hard by Astley Park with STFS in fourth place. At the windward mark PCHS was only a boat length in front, and as the two boats approached the wing mark, Astley were moving faster and came alongside. The boats briefly touched and PCHS managed to pull away and hold their lead to the finish with Astley Park hard on their heels. The schools participating were: Astley Park School - Chorley Sir Tom Finney Community High School - Preston Moor Hey - Lostock Hall Ridgewood - Burnley Pendle Community High School - Nelson The Loynes Specialist School – Silverdale Volunteers came not only from Bolton Sailing Club but from all over the county. They supported and encouraged the young people and showed them how to sail the Access dinghy. After an hour‟s practice the young people returned to shore and were briefed on the course for the two races around a basic course; the champions would be decided by the aggregate score from both races. In the first race five of the boats started from the starboard end of the line while the Pendle Community High School (PCHS) boat took a port flyer. After a few minutes all the boats cleared the start line and sailed up the www.rya.org.uk/sailability Pendle Community High School finished first, with Sir Tom Finney School second and Astley Park School third. The presentation of the trophy and medals was by Dave Williamson, chair of the North West RYA executive committee, and Keith Roberts, commodore of Bolton Sailing Club. Medals went to the first three in each race, with the overall trophy going to Daniel Barrett and Zak Green of Pendle Community High School. Comments from the supporting staff included: “Our children have learned new skills in a completely new environment and loved every minute” and “This is something most of our children would never have the opportunity to do – it‟s fantastic!” Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 11 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Sun and wind for All Aboard festival 50 adults and young people with disabilities took part in the Plymouth All Aboard Sailing Festival at the Mount Batten Centre on 26 June. On a very sunny day, with brisk force 4/5 winds, twelve teams from special schools, sailing clubs and disability sailing charities in Exmouth and Dartmouth as well as the Plymouth area entered the event, which was sponsored by the Cattewater Harbour Commission. Two youth teams from Woodlands Special School and two from Wheels on Water, both of which take youngsters to learn to sail with OnBoard at the Mount Batten Centre, were amongst the competitors. Katy Wedgwood, Plymouth Special Schools, Sports Co-ordinator, was delighted with the way things went: "It is fantastic that all ages can sail together; watching some of the adults sailing is inspiring the young people to improve and compete." The winners of the Hawk 20 regatta in Plymouth Sound were from Horizons, while the „Beat the Stig‟ course - with a time set by one of the Mount Batten Centre‟s dinghy instructors and a leaderboard updated throughout the day – was entered by 17 sailors and produced two winners, competing in Access 303 dinghies. David Walker and Ryan Sturgess each won a trip for four to watch the Americas Cup world series in Plymouth in September (donated by the Mount Batten Centre). The festival was organised by RYA OnBoard Development Officer Stuart Jones, Mount Batten Centre‟s Watersports and Activities Manager, Sam Waites and RYA Regional Club Coach Tim Cross. It was part-sponsored by RYA Sailability. For those unable to participate in the sailing, Horizons brought their specially-designed motor yacht Friendship so that everyone could watch the racing and the Fire Brigade brought the fire boat as well as a fire engine to entertain those not sailing. Horizons, as well as Drakes and Wheels on Water, also brought sailors supported by RYA Sailability. “RYAS11 £5” www.rya.org.uk/sailability Text to 70070 to donate to RYA Sailability now Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 12 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Sunsail Regatta heralded a great success The RYA Sailability Sunsail Regatta 2011 was heralded a success by all at the official prize giving ceremony held in Portsmouth Harbour Yacht Club on 20 September 2011, which was attended by HRH The Princess Royal. Royal who spoke to all of the sailors about their past two days of racing. She also thanked Sunsail for providing the opportunity to create even more opportunities for disabled people to go sailing, and praised Sailability for its work enabling people from all walks of life to be introduced to the sport. Finally RYA Sailability Trust Chairman, Pat Dodd announced the winning team - HPM Investments, who won all three races in the regatta. The Sunsail team finished in second place and the Hughes family team came a close third. Her Royal Highness presented the winning team with the RYA Sailability Sunsail Regatta trophy (sponsored by the BMF). Sailors from each team received a dry bag, t-shirt and baseball cap courtesy of sponsorship by Harken UK. Held on the Solent, the event saw 55 sailors from all sailing backgrounds and abilities take to the water in six teams, for two days of racing on Sunsail‟s new F40 Racing fleet, whilst raising money for RYA Sailability. The sailors competed in three races, enjoying the Solent‟s typical sea breeze and were also treated to a three course dinner, at the historic and exclusive Royal Yacht Squadron. “We had two fantastic days,” said James Hester, who was competing for the Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance team. “Our sailing continued to get better as the regatta progressed and we were delighted to be able to support such a worthy cause.” Each team was personally congratulated for competing in the regatta by HRH The Princess www.rya.org.uk/sailability Jamie Clifford, one of the crew on the winning boat, said: “The competition was tough so we are delighted to have won. We have had a great time enjoying perfect racing conditions and great wind and it was fantastic to be given the opportunity to meet Her Royal Highness. I am looking forward to competing in next year‟s event”. Pat Dodd added: “We are delighted with the success of the event and are grateful to our partners Sunsail and The Royal Yacht Squadron. We look forward to repeating this level of success next year”. The Sailability Trust is very grateful for the continued support from HRH The Princess Royal and from the teams who competed in the regatta this year. All proceeds from the event go to RYA Sailability. Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 13 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Active Nation’s Paralympic keelboat HRH The Princess Royal visited Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC) on 20 June 2011 to officially name the new Active Nation vessel. The new keelboat is set to be used by dozens of disabled sailors in Southampton to boost their skills and discover the joy of sailing through the Centre‟s Sailability scheme. Onlookers included record-breaking disabled sailor Geoff Holt, who watched as Her Royal Highness performed a traditional naming ceremony. Paying tribute to the charity‟s volunteers, The Princess Royal said: “It‟s a pleasure to see so many people here who have supported Southampton Water Activities Centre for 25 years and Sailability more recently. I think traditionally it‟s expected and it‟s entirely appropriate to say „may God bless her and all who sail in her.‟” The boat was named Active Rupert, in memory of Rupert Spurling who designed the Active Nation brand and passed away suddenly last year. Since RYA Sailability at SWAC was launched in June 2009, the scheme has grown from strength to strength, each year welcoming new supporters with a wide range of needs. 25 supporters are currently attending the programme and all of them are progressing, developing new skills and experiencing huge pleasure through being active. RSYC Deaf Sailing Day Thanks to the generosity of ten members, the Royal Southern Yacht Club was able to provide 40 deaf and hard-of-hearing people with a day to remember on the water. We were blessed with with perfect weather, warm, sunny and 15 knots of breeze, and the day‟s sailing experiences ranged from a high speed dash to the Needles with many diversions on the return, to a wonderful sail to the Nab and back. While Portsmouth Harbour was a favourite request, just about every river and creek on the Solent was visited by someone. The vast majority of our guests were novices and most had memorable experiences helming and pulling-the-strings - many were so keen that they refused to moor up for lunch, and several natural talents were uncovered. The Deaf Sailing Club was delighted to learn that many of these were keen to join and to embark on a new pastime. From the feedback, it seems that the day was a huge success for our guests, for the owners and for the Club too. A repeat next year would rapidly sell out. All this would not have been possible without the most generous offers from the members, to whom the Club offers its most grateful thanks. Tim Harrison www.rya.org.uk/sailability Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 14 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Frensham Pond SC celebrates ten years FPS now has a fleet of 26 boats, including 16 Access dinghies, specially designed for disabled sailing, and the largest fleet of 2.4mR Paralympic class mini-keelboats in the UK. Site improvements continued to be made through the decade, including a £73k dredging and land reclamation project in 2005, an additional £13k boat launching and recovery jetty in 2007, and a £13k Sailability dressing, shelter and training facility in 2008. A celebration of ten years of Sailability at Frensham Pond Sailing Club took place at the club on the evening of Friday 29 July 2011. The many guests included the Mayor of Waverley, Cllr Richard Gates, the Mayor of Farnham, Cllr Jill Hargreaves (above), and the Deputy Mayor of Bordon, Cllr Tony Muldoon, as well as representatives of RYA Sailability, local charities, Rotary clubs, sports organisations, donors, supporters and friends of Frensham Pond Sailability. The guests enjoyed drinks and canapés served in the refurbished club house, where audio/visual and photographic displays of FPS activities and achievements illustrated the impressive progress that has been made since 2001. Disabled helms and crews put on a sail-by display watched by a large crowd of shoreside spectators. As always, the sailors were assisted and the boats were prepared by the loyal and dedicated band of volunteers who make FPS what it is. Conditions for the parade of sail were a little challenging given the lack of wind! Sailing ranges from cruising around the Pond to full-on competitive racing. Frensham‟s Access racing team have won open events throughout the UK and in Europe, retaining the Ben Ainslie Travellers Trophy for an unprecedented four consecutive years in 2010. Frensham staged the Access National Championships in 2006 and 2011. This has all been made possible by the large band of enthusiastic and very capable volunteer helpers who turn out week after week, and by the generosity and support of local organisations and charities. It has all been led and inspired by people such as Chairman Kate Richardson, Sailing Captain Richard Smallwood and above all the man who led Frensham Pond Sailability for the first ten years, Brian Grimwood. The rewards are there for all to see in the lifechanging experiences that so many have enjoyed. Long may it continue! Following the displays and parade of sail, the formalities were led by the Mayor of Waverley, Cllr Richard Gates, the Mayor of Farnham, Cllr Jill Hargreaves and RYA Sailability Trustee Peter Gray. www.rya.org.uk/sailability Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 15 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 Volunteer Bob joins Sailability’s SW team Bob Scull, retired policeman and co-founder of Dart Sailability in Dartmouth, has joined RYA Sailability‟s south west team as its second Regional Organiser. In his work with groups in Devon and Cornwall, he will be applying his invaluable experience of developing a highly successful sailing group for people with disabilities. Bob retired from the police force in 1996 but soon got involved in local sailing for disabled people and co-founded Dart Sailability in Dartmouth. He spent the next ten years as chairman of the group, developing sailing for disabled children and adults. He greatly increased the numbers of sailors and volunteers and also ensured the group became an RYA-recognised teaching centre, enabling them to run their own RYA proficiency courses. He is now president of Dart Sailability and still volunteers. He lives in Seaton. Bob will be working alongside Regional Organiser Vic Rolfe. Regional Organisers We currently have two vacancies within our Regional Organiser Team. Our ROs act as regional representatives of RYA Sailability, promoting disabled sailing activities, increasing the number of disabled sailors and improving utilisation of existing facilities. The two regions that require a RO are South East and Thames Valley. If you are interested please contact the office on 0844556 9550 or email [email protected] www.rya.org.uk/sailability To contact Bob, email him at [email protected]. Sailability Disability Awareness Training As the season draws to a close it‟s ideal to think about training for your volunteers/staff. Our disability awareness training is designed to give your club support and advice you need to help offer sailing opportunities to people with disabilities. The course is free of charge and gives your volunteers information they need to work with different disabilities with confidence. Each student receives a booklet to keep, covering notes from the course including details on terminology, communication, and a brief outline of each disability. To book a club course please contact: Andy Fell t: 07825 686861 e: [email protected] Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550 FOGHORN Autumn 2011 16 New boat boosts disability sailing in Shropshire Telford Sailability is celebrating after being awarded a Big Lottery Grant of £10,000 to give disabled people in Shropshire the chance to get involved in sailing. The grant has enabled Telford Sailability, based at Telford Sailing Club at Priorslee Lake, to invest in its first boat, a new Access 303 dinghy, plus a special disability hoist and other essential safety equipment. The new dinghy, one of the most popular boats for enabling people with a disability to experience sailing because of its stability, will allow people of all ages and across the whole spectrum of physical and learning disabilities to sail regularly with Telford Sailability, while the hoist will improve water access for those with even the most severe physical disabilities. Following the group‟s ratification as an official RYA Sailability site in June, the club hopes to start working in partnership with local groups such as youth clubs for disabled youngsters, stroke victims and individuals who want to access sailing as a leisure activity or sport. Paul Devey, who founded Telford Sailability with wife Celia last year, said: “We are delighted to have been able to purchase this new boat. We are still a very new group and getting this boat is a landmark in us progressing as a group and being able to offer increasing numbers of people the chance to get involved in our activities. Sailing is one of the few sports in which able-bodied and disabled people can participate side-by-side and the emphasis is very much on what people can do, not what they can‟t. We are very grateful to everyone who helped us secure this funding to move Telford Sailability forward another step.” Telford Sailability has also recently received the donation of another dinghy, a Skipper, and this winter the club will continue to raise further funds for more boats and equipment as well as recruiting more volunteers, which are the lifeblood of Sailability activity. www.rya.org.uk/sailability Anyone interested in volunteering at Telford Sailability should contact Paul at [email protected] – sailing knowledge is not required as training will be provided. There are many jobs volunteers can do such as transporting people to the lake, setting up the boats, helping people into and out of the water and manning the safety boat. Foghorn is the official newsletter of RYA Sailability for all Sailability clubs. It is published three times a year by RYA Sailability RYA House Ensign Way Hamble Southampton SO31 4YA Registered Charity No. 1084351 Foghorn can be downloaded from www.rya.org.uk/ sailability. To contribute articles, or to request hard copies, e-mail versions or text versions, e-mail Connie LeBrun [email protected] or Lorna Conder [email protected] or call 02380 604247. Opinions expressed in Foghorn are not necessarily those of the editor or the RYA. Join Sailability on Facebook now! 0844 556 9550