the newsletter of rya sailability autumn 2012 … newsletter of rya sailability autumn 2012 foghorn...

Making disability plain sailing www.rya.org.uk/sailability 0844 556 9550

The newsletter of RYA Sailability

FOGHORN Autumn 2012

It was a historic day on the water for British sailing as Helena Lucas and Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell won London 2012 Paralympic medals at Weymouth and Portland on 6 September. Lucas – the only woman in the fleet – won gold in the 2.4 Metre one-person keelboat event while Rickham and Birrell took bronze in the SKUD two-person keelboat. Britain had not won a medal since sailing joined the full Paralympic Games programme at Sydney 2000. The British Sonar team of Andy Cassell, Kevin Curtis and Tony Downs won gold when the first Paralympic sailing took place as a demonstration event at Atlanta 1996. However, there was disappointment for the British Sonar three-person keelboat crew of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas who have not given up hope of being awarded a bronze medal as they continue to explore their options to appeal a four-point penalty that has denied them Paralympic medals.

Continued on page 2

Historic day on water for ParalympicsGB!

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FOGHORN Autumn 2012 2

All three teams were still in the hunt for medals heading into the final day of racing. Lucas was in first overall, already assured of at least silver, with a nine-point cushion over Heiko Kroger (GER) in second. Rickham and Birrell were guaranteed bronze but were sailing for silver, sitting two points behind the Americans in second. Despite their points deduction relegating them to fifth, the Sonars, who were in third overall before the penalty was imposed, could also still have landed a silver or bronze medal as just eight points separated the boats in second to seventh places. However, a lack of breeze in Portland Harbour scuppered the final races, meaning that the overnight results stood. Lucas said: “This is the dream, this is definitely the dream! It’s absolutely fantastic to have achieved it, I’m just really, really pleased. One of the key things all week was to try to stay out of the protest room, keep it simple, keep it clean and try not to get any disqualifications or false starts. “I’ve got a great team behind me, the GB sailing support team is fantastic and make sure we go out on the water properly prepared, mentally and physically, and that no stone has been left unturned. Obviously my coach too, we’ve had a great week on the water and it’s been a great team effort out there. It’s fantastic.” Rickham said: “Clearly I am going to be a bit disappointed and gutted by how things have gone this week. But I didn’t want to go back to London to see the rest of the ParalympicsGB team without a medal as last time we went back to Beijing from Qingdao as one of the only ones without a medal because the team did so well. “It’s nice to just get a medal for Paralympic sailing in Britain because the fact is that we

haven’t done the job for the last few Games so we’re just proud to be part of that contingent that has managed to break the duck.” Birrell said: “The way I always talk about this stuff with my Dad is that there are three tiers; there’s no medal, there’s a gold medal and a medal. So we would have obviously have preferred a silver but at least we’re taking something back. Even if we had come second we wouldn’t have won so it wouldn’t have been that much better. Everyone did so well in Beijing and we contributed nothing, it was horrible, so this time it was absolutely essential that we got a bronze.” A protest by the jury against the Sonar team, for an off the water incident between an event technical officer and a member of the team support staff, saw a four point discretionary penalty imposed. British Sailing Team officials are examining what avenues of appeal they have to contest the jury’s decision post-event. The medals won by the Paralympians brings British Sailing’s total Olympic and Paralympic medal haul for London 2012 to seven from 13 classes. Ben Ainslie kicked proceedings off with his record-breaking Finn class gold on Sunday 5 August before almost exactly a month later Lucas and the SKUD pair brought down the London 2012 curtain with their historic haul.

Historic day ParalympicsGB continued from page 1

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Tilly Griffiths is still beaming following her part in 'lighting the way' to the Paralympic Games in the torch relay, reports her mum, Jackie.

It was a highly charged, emotional experience, with the early morning streets of Brent lined with supporters clapping and cheering; drivers hooting and waving, and rush hour bus passengers taking photos through the windows. The camaraderie amongst the torchbearers was fantastic.

It was all the more jubilant because Tilly had been fearfully unwell the week before and we were really unsure that she would be fit enough to travel and take part. However, Tilly kept her eye on the flame and fought her way back to health as she was so determined not to miss this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Many thanks to all at RYA Sailability for nominating Tilly, as it was an experience that we will all treasure forever.

Local people and visitors to Weymouth and Portland were able to try a range of free Paralympic sports at the sports arena at the Pavilion end of Weymouth Beach from 1 to 7 September. The RYA offered sailing taster sessions for people of all ages and abilities with expert instructors and a variety of boats to try. “For the disabled this was a great way to get out on the water to try sailing,” said Debbie Blachford, Manager of RYA Sailability. The arena offered everyone a special and free chance to experience sports they wouldn’t normally see or be able to try. It was great fun for all the family and a way to really share in the Paralympics atmosphere.

In the last issue of Foghorn we told you about the opportunity to become a Sailability Disability Awareness Training Instructor.

We have run more than five Instructor Courses this year and approved around 20 Disability Awareness Instructors. Seven Sailability clubs are now authorised as registered Sailability Awareness Training Centres.

We plan to run further Instructor Courses for 2013 and will advertise these on our website as soon as they are available.

To find your nearest Sailability Authorised Centre offering the Disability Awareness Club Course please visit our website using the following link. You will also find details on how you can become an Instructor for this course and how your club can become authorised to offer it.

www.rya.org.uk/programmes/ryasailability/Pages/AwarenessTraining.aspx

Weymouth Try Sailing

Tilly helps light the way to Weymouth

Disability Awareness

http://www.rya.org.uk/programmes/ryasailability/Pages/AwarenessTraining.aspx

http://www.rya.org.uk/programmes/ryasailability/Pages/AwarenessTraining.aspx



Artists adorn Olympic sailors’ sails

Artists including EINE, INSA, MEAR ONE, Jaime Gili and Eley Kishimoto had their art immortalised on Olympic Star class sails at The Mayfair Hotel on Tuesday 11 September in aid of the Royal Yachting Association's Sailability Trust and Sail for Gold scheme, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Over 200 people from the world of art, property, sport and finance were in attendance. Olympians included Andrew (Bart) Simpson MBE, who won silver at the London Olympics 2012, Beijing gold

medallist Pippa Wilson MBE and young paraplegic sailor Alex Hovden. Ben Flynn (also known as EINE), had his See No Evil emblazoned on the Team GB sail. Speaking to the audience he said: "This is not my world, I never thought I'd have one of my works on a sail. But it's an honour to have been involved." Event organiser Michael Ross, of CNM Estates, said: "This is the start of a grand adventure as the Fine Art Sails now travel to the America's Cup and will be sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco." The sails with fine art were used by Olympics Silver Medal winners Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson as part of their training for the Games in Weymouth. They carry the identification number 8371, which is the number used by the sailors at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and their world title-winning races at the championships in Rio. In addition, the gold star on the sail indicates that it is from a world championship winning team. Iain Percy says: "This is a fantastic project and great publicity for our sport. I can't wait to

sail with one of the Art Sails." The London Olympics was the last time that the Star class sail will be used, increasing the value of this collaboration. For more information, see www.fineartsails.com Story courtesy of Yachting Monthly.com

http://www.fineartsails.com/



EAST hosts Paralympic flame

The EAST Anglian Sailing Trust (EAST) welcomed the Paralympic flame to its Waterside Community Centre at Suffolk Yacht Harbour near Ipswich on 25 August. EAST vice president and sailing gold medallist from Atlanta, Kevin Curtis, had the privilege of bringing the flame into the centre, watched by members of EAST, local sailing clubs, representatives of the RYA , the Mayor and Mayoress of Felixstowe and local MP Dr Therese Coffey. During the celebrations EAST held taster sessions which allowed disabled adults, children and their carers to experience sailing its fleet of nine Squibs, two Sonars and one Yeoman keelboat skippered by volunteers. Regular sailing for disabled adults takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at EAST. Sailing for youth groups and younger sailors takes place on Saturdays and those wanting to improve their racing skills have training sessions most Sundays. Check the EAST website for times and more details: www.e-a-s-t.org.uk

Dr Kevin Curtis carries the Paralympic flame

Members of Walsall Sailability group Nick and Paul Jones assisted Walsall Outdoor Pursuit staff in manning the RYA Sail for Gold Sailability display during the Walsall Olympic Torch event on Saturday 30 June.

The display supported the Paralympic sailors, canoeists and cyclists and included an Access dinghy and an all-ability tricycle. Canoeing sessions with a kayak suitable for people with a disability were also run in the Gala Baths.

During the day information on disabled sport and activities in Walsall and the local area was given to hundreds of visitors who came to see the Olympic Torch arrive at Walsall Town Hall.

Walsall Sailability has a fleet of 20 Access dinghies including 2.3 and 303 twins and single handers, enabling all categories of disability to sail.

For further information regarding sailing or adventure activities for people with a disability in the West Midlands, please contact Jeff Moore, Senior Outdoor Pursuit Officer on 01922 744637, mobile 07921934931 or email [email protected].

Walsall - Sail for Gold

http://www.e-a-s-t.org.uk

mailto:[email protected]

FOGHORN Autumn 2012


6

Pirate Castle Olympic Torch Relay

The fully-accessible wide-beamed canal boat Pirate Prince, which belongs to the Pirate Castle in London’s Camden, was involved in the Olympic Torch relay, as it passed through Camden on Thursday 26 July.

The Pirate Castle, where four full-time staff and a dedicated team of coaches and volunteers provide an impressive array of inclusive community activities and training opportunities on both water and land, is based on the Regents Canal.

Video on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/c9yrnr2 Photos on Flickr … http://tinyurl.com/cm7l2u7 …and on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/c95joyv www.thepiratecastle.org

Dart Sailability triumphs

Dart Sailability, based at the Noss Marina in Devon, on the Kingswear side of the river Dart, has won the Keelboat class of the Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta 2012. The club’s Sonar of the Dart boat, donated by Sailability in 2008, has been entered in the four-race series every year. This year, a different crew of four, consisting of two able-bodied and two less able-bodied members, was entered each day. Their main opponents were three very experienced crews in Devon Yawls, which are lighter than Sonars, and point well to windward, so to win was a great achievement. The team was presented with the Concorde trophy at the Royal Dart Yacht Club, together with prizes from the sponsors: three China Blue

mugs, a bottle of Bollé champagne and two pairs of deck shoes. The champagne is destined to be a prize in a Valuation Day raffle arranged by the club’s fundraiser Bruce Symes. Dart Sailability would like to thank everyone for

their hard work and professionalism in

organising this prestigious regatta.

http://www.thepiratecastle.org

FOGHORN Autumn 2012


7

The Goldsmiths Company raises funds for aspiring

disabled sailors

The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is partnering with the RYA to provide essential funding to support aspiring Paralympic sailors. The Golden Dream Fund will help developing sailors in the Paralympic classes who are aiming for the 2016 Rio Games and beyond, with key areas including boat purchase, boat equipment, events, accessible accommodation, travel and the support of volunteers. “We are delighted to announce this new partnership between the RYA and The Goldsmiths’ Company,” said RYA CEO Sarah Treseder. “The RYA Olympic Transition Squad sailors in the Paralympic classes have limited resources to promote their potential to be future medal winners. The squad works tirelessly to raise money, and they face a lot of competition from athletes in other sports. The funding provided by Goldsmiths’ is a real opportunity to make dreams come true.” At a charity ball in June, The Goldsmiths’ Company raised over £30,000 for The Golden Dream Fund which also benefits aspiring Paralympic archers. The money raised has provided grants for four aspiring sailors, including 20-year-old Will Street from Eastbourne, a member of the Skandia Team GBR Transition Squad , who needed new sails for his six-year-old boat, in order to continue with his 2016 Paralympic campaign.

“I'm very pleased to be awarded and feel extremely privileged” he said. “I’ve used the same mainsail for five international and four national events this year. I think it's essential to have new sails throughout the year to keep improving and this funding will enable me to do that. It will greatly assist me in my campaign.” Richard Agutter from The Goldsmiths’ Company said: “We are delighted to be raising money for The Golden Dream Fund. As a company we like to support charities that really make a difference and seeing what the funding means to the sailors and how it will benefit their lives is absolutely wonderful. We are planning to raise another £50,000 for The Golden Dream Fund in 2013.” For more information on the Golden Dream Fund and to apply for a grant visit www.rya.org.uk/programmes/ryasailability/Pages/GoldenDreamfunding.aspx

Will Street



Competitiors ‘Push the Boat Out’ at 2012 RYA Sailability

Multiclass Regatta

Over 50 boats and around 80 disabled and able-bodied sailors converged on Rutland Water over the weekend of 20-22 July to compete in the annual RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta. Competitors came from as far afield as Holland, France, Switzerland and Malaysia as well as the UK and battled it out in the eight classes: Neo 495 / Stratos / SKUD / Access / 2.4mR / Challenger / Sonar / SQUIB / Kinsman. The weekend kicked off with a very successful training day on Friday, as all competitors had the opportunity to hone their skills around the lake, as well as getting a look at fellow competitors in action before the racing started.

On Saturday, due to lack of wind racing had to be abandoned, but this didn’t put a dampener on everyone’s spirits as they joined thousands of boaters across the country to celebrate the RYA’s Push the Boat Out day and show their support for the British Sailing Team prior to the London 2012 Games. The Multiclass competitors waved flags in support of the TeamGB sailors and filmed a good luck message for all the sailors before enjoying a special Push the Boat Out themed regatta dinner on Saturday evening. Luckily the wind was back on Sunday and sailors were able to take advantage of the perfect



sailing conditions with all the classes competing in four back-to-back races. Debbie Blachford, Manager of RYA Sailability said: “It was shame that we lost a day on Saturday, but the conditions on Sunday really made up for it and it was blowing 10 knots with glorious sunshine! “The Multiclass Regatta is a fantastic showcase of the talent we have within the disabled community, and it is a great social event too with many spectators coming along to support the sailors and to meet other disabled people who share a common interest in the sport. “This year was extra special, with the London 2012 Games starting just one week later. Many of the competitors are hugely inspired by our ParalympicGB sailors so it was a great opportunity to send out a good luck message to the team”.

The winners

2.4mR Allan Smith Rutland Sailability

Kinsman Dave Richardson/Bob Glennie Blind Sailing

Access 2.3 Lindsay Burns Frensham Pond

Access 303 W 2P Chris Emmett/Graham Foster Rutland Sailability

Access 303W S Margaret Foreman Frensham Pond

Access Liberty Class Vera Voorbach NA

Artemis Class Dean Abra/Tim Bell Isle of Sheppey

Challenger Class Graham Hall Rutland Sailability

Laser Stratos Sharon Grennan/Alison Grennan Blind Sailing

Neo 495 Helene Gardet/David Mekis Swiss Disabled

Skud 18 Alex Hovden/David Hawkins Whitstable Yacht Club

Attending the Regatta for the second year running was the Neo 495 class with one entry coming from Switzerland. “We choose to come to the Multiclass Regatta as it is a great opportunity to sail with other boats, see other classes on the water and to meet other people,” said Patrick Parker. New for 2012, the Ken Ellis Trophy was contested in mixed class teams and was won by Team Draper/Smith/Hovden. A special thank-you also goes to the 60-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. Visit Sailability.TV to see footage of the event. Multiclass Regatta 2013 9

th, 10

th & 11

th August at Rutland Sailing Club

http://www.ryasailability.tv/

FOGHORN Autumn 2012


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Lancashire Special Schools Sailing Regatta

Nine schools from around Lancashire gathered at Bolton Sailing Club for the Lancashire Special Schools Sailing Regatta on 11 July - the biggest turnout yet for this event. The sun was out but the weather was not kind with a steady force 4-5 wind all day. However, this did not deter the intrepid sailors who even went out for a quick practice before starting the first race. Conner from Moor Hey got off to an excellent start and was way ahead on the first leg. However as he reached the windward mark it became apparent that the wind conditions had worsened and most of the sailors were struggling to cope. It was decided to abandon the race and return to shore for lunch. Despite the wind all the sailors came in with big smiles and even bigger appetites for the wonderful spread provided by the ladies of Bolton Galley. After polishing off the delicious buffet, the sailors went back out for the second race to

decide the results. The wind was kinder and most managed to negotiate the course successfully. The final result was: 1

st Ridgewood Community High School

(Burnley) 2

nd Astley Park (Chorley)

3

rd Broadfield GLD School (Oswaldtwistle)

Well done to all the other schools who took part – Tor View School (Haslingden), Moor Hey School (Lostock Hall), Pendle Community High School (Nelson), Sir Tom Finney Community High School (Preston), Green Lane Special School (Warrington)

and Great Arley (Blackpool). Many thanks to Pendle School Sports Partnership for their support. The access boats were kindly loaned by Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club, Bolton Sailing Club, Gill Head Outdoor Centre, Blackwell Sailability and the Access Association. Finally a big thank you to all the staff who came with the children and the 15 fantastic volunteers from Bolton Sailing Club who made this super day possible.

RYA Sailability National

Conference 2013 The 2013 RYA Sailability National Conference will be held from 16

th to 17

th February 2013 at

Wyboston Lakes Conference Centre in Bedfordshire. Event information and booking forms can be found at www.rya.org.uk/sailability. For more information, please contact Lorna Conder at RYA Sailability on 023 8060 4271 or email [email protected].

http://www.rya.org.uk/sailability


FOGHORN Autumn 2012


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Diamond seal of approval for Otley Sailing Club

The Sailfree programme at Otley Sailing Club, near Leeds in Yorkshire has been given the royal seal of approval with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2012. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service originated in 2002 to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and Otley Sailing Club joins over 100 other organisations receiving this prestigious award in 2012. The club’s Sailfree programme was selected because of the outstanding contribution made to the local community by the volunteers involved. Sailfree enables young people and adults with physical and learning difficulties to sail and complete skills and badge qualifications. It was started over two decades ago by a member of the club, Norman Stephens, who remains involved. The club, which is an RYA Sailability Centre of Excellence, regularly works with a variety of groups from the local area, including John Smeaton Community College and John Jamieson School, Leeds; Bradford College; Henshaws College, Harrogate and Hollybank, Mirfield. Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society, said: “Volunteers make a huge difference across our society and should be recognised for their selfless dedication. They are an inspiration to others to get involved and make their own positive impact.”

Former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE, Chair of the Voluntary Service Award Committee, said: “In this Diamond Jubilee Year the judges have been hugely impressed by the many imaginative ways that volunteers are coming together to help build and sustain the fabric of our society. They are proof that in these difficult times the community spirit is alive and well right across the UK.” Sailfree at Otley is run purely by grants and donations from various sources and raising the money is carried out by the volunteers. The fact that Sailfree has been running for over twenty years is due to the hard work of all the volunteers and the generosity of the sponsors. More information about the Otley Sailing Club and the Sailfree programme can be found at www.otley-sailingclub.co.uk, by contacting the Club Rear Commodore, Peter Fox on 07801 979945 or by emailing [email protected]

http://www.otley-sailingclub.co.uk


FOGHORN Autumn 2012


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RYA Sailability Regatta 2012

The RYA Sailability regatta in conjunction with Sunsail was held on 10 and 11 September 2012. There was a total of seven boats taking part, with over 70 people attending the fundraising dinner on the first night at the Royal Yacht Squadron.

The regatta is held to raise funds for Sailability and also opens up opportunities for Sailability sailors to take part in and experience a different type of racing. This was certainly the case when the yachts were faced with strong winds and very competitive racing on both days.

At the end of the first day Sailability Boat One, a partially sponsored boat with a crew of volunteers and supporters, was sitting in first place having taken a first and a third in the first two races.

The evening was spent on the gun platform of the Royal Yacht Squadron enjoying a fabulous meal and a few successful fundraising games

which resulted in over £2000 being raised, solely as a result of the generosity of the sailors and dinner guests.

The second day was equally competitive and blustery. Two very close races were completed before returning to Port House for the prize giving. The event was won by the Warings Furniture team, who took two firsts, a second and a third to win the trophy. HPM investments came a close second with Sailability Boat One taking third.

A fantastic time was had by all participants with many requests to take part again next year. The event raised over £8000 for RYA Sailability and the projects it supports.

Pat Dodd, Chairman of RYA Sailability, commented: “We are delighted with another wonderful fundraising event. We thank the competitors, the Royal Yacht Squadron and Sunsail for their fantastic support and look forward to welcoming everyone back next year.”

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.

the newsletter of rya sailability autumn 2012 … newsletter of rya sailability autumn 2012 foghorn...

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