[Yknot-list] Accessible Sailing: sailing that never sleeps

[Keith Hobbs]

      La voile accessible sailing
      --------------------------
      Update / Le point
      2005 ~ 09
     
      September 30, 2005

      ===> While for most in Canada the busy part of the sailing season quickly fades after peaking through July and August, sailing opportunities continue elsewhere from near to far. This October and November, Florida plays host to Access and Martin-16 class regattas. North America's elite athletes continue to sail year round not only in southern USA but by venturing further offshore to events in Europe, Australia and Asia.

      There are continuous developments at the sport and class political levels. For most it will be the boat shows and sailing seminars that bridge the transition of the seasons from now until spring launch.

      Your Canadian Yachting Association's annual planning conference will take place in Toronto, October 27 -30, to review the past and plan the future of sailing in Canada. As always, your input is valued.

      Indicated by the news below, accessible sailing is sailing that never sleeps.

      ---Keith

      National
         - CYA Annual Planning Conference, October 27-30. Toronto. Meeting schedule.
         - sign up for CYA's monthly Sailing Review
         - Welcome! to CYA's new Executive Director Timothy Brown


      International
         - IFDS executive vacancies, application deadline at 1700 UTC October 7, 2005 
         - Sailability World held its inaugural AGM during the IFDS SP worlds regatta in Italy.
         - IFDS single-person dinghy worlds regatta: Italy, October 1 - 10. Daily Updates.
         - Yes Asia youth sailing conference, November 4 - 7, in collaboration with Sailability World
         - September IFDS Bulletin has lots of information but yet to be posted 
       
      Class acts


      2.4mR
         - new waterline length measurement requirement maybe in effect at IFDS 2006 worlds, January 2006, in Perth Australia.
         - Open Worlds final results of regatta in Italy won by USA sailor with a disability!

      Access
         - North American championship, Naples, Florida. November 4 - 7. Registration
         - IFDS single-person dinghy worlds, October 1 - 10, in the Access Liberty. Daily updates.
         - launch of Access UD-18 to be assessed by IFDS as equipment for 2008 Paralympics.

      Hobie - Trapseat 
         - IFDS Worlds update by Gillian Thomson: the Central Okanagan Sailing Association was the proud host of the 2005 IFDS Multi-Hull World Championships, July 6-9, 2005, this year in Kelowna, BC. Teams consisting of a skipper with a disability and an able-bodied crew competed on Hobie 16s equipped with Trapseats raced 10 races over four days. The regatta was preceded by a CYA sponsored two day training camp delivered by Devin Rubadeau and attended by 90% of the athletes. Sailors benefited from very competitive races, on-the-dock opening and closing ceremonies, night entertainment, mostly sunny Okanagan weather, and outstanding Race Management with COSA's Internationally certified PRO Ron Rubadeau. There were many firsts at this event. Jen French and her husband Tim made the trip from Florida to participate in their first-ever "trapseat" event and loved the opportunity to race as a team. Nigist Sewnnet and Karen-Ann Xavier of Toronto were also first-time Trapseaters and COSA's first time all-ladies team. The first-ever Canadian IFDS-Multi-hull world champions are Danny McCoy and Larry Robinson of Canada. It appears locally that the Trapseat event has spurred some interest in continued 'racing' opportunities, that funds for travel to events is an issue for many competitors, and that many volunteers are working hard to provide opportunities for sailors interested in racing at regattas.....and in my opinion this situation is no different that the able-bodied community.

      Martin-16
         - check out the events and regatta results at www.martin16class.org
         - America's regatta, November 4-7, 2005, St. Petersburg, Florida
         - European championship called for Italy, October 24-29 

      Sonar
         - Paralympic sailors perform in open worlds in UK. Results

      Visually Impaired
         -  Israeli championship for blind sailors on September 2, 2005 was sailed in two-person Martin 16s with the blind sailor in the front seat and a fully sighted sailor in the rear; the event organizers used beeping buoys inspired by the Homerus System used at the International Match Racing Championship for Blind People held at Port Maurizio, Italy at the end of May. This system allows the blind sailor to be totally independent and in full control of the boat
         - David Brown and David Greenwood from Blind Sailing Association of Canada participated in the Homerus World Championships in Imperia Italy this last may. This method of racing for the blind and visually impaired features the use of different sounding buoys, and the absence of sighted crew. The team had never practiced using this method, which showed in their initial race results, but their times improved as the round robin progressed, notably with a win in one of the final races. They feel that they will be much more prepared at next year's championships. After experiencing the Homerus method, the two Davids feel that this method of racing could be used to allow the BSAC blind sailors to have more independence during recreational sailing as well. They are recommending that BSAC purchase a set of these buoys as a tool to teach sailing to their members.


      Provinces / Clubs

      British Columbia
         - new this year is a 'mid-island' Cowichan Valley program in Ladysmith at the Maritime Society docks.  Program leader, Chris Loscerbo reports: We got started rather late in September, so we don't have too much in the way of disabled sailors for now. However I know this will change as more people get to know of our existence. For now our inventory of boats is one Martin 16 two-man with Spinnaker, and the Access Liberty both with servo assist controls. Because we're living on Vancouver Island (Canadian Tropics) we are thinking about offering the winter sailing program. This is in the planning stage for our recreation group. Note: Chris was the 'test pilot' of the Martin-162 with power-assist controls in Sweden before the IFDS Equipment Evaluation Commission. He reports smooth sailing in wind and waves.
         - From Victoria, also on Vancouver Island, Doug Nutting notes how staff trailer two boats weekly to the Lions Easter Seal Camp Shawnigan. They provide introductions to sailing to children attending the camp that week. Generally they take up Access 303-Ws. However if we are flagged that a child or youth would benefit from the Windlass and/or Autohelm they will take up a Martin in lieu of one of the Access. We see this as a significant part of our junior development as the children and youth often elect to take up sailing when they return home from camp, either that season or in following seasons. The Martin 16 Two-person Canadian Championship was a highlight of our season. See page 3 of CFSA Newsletter The Whaler  Actually, the season itself was a highlight. As the program was fully booked for instructional purposes from early July. We had four full-time instructors providing up to 60 sessions per week depending on conditions. We used four Access 303W's and our two Martin 16's. We certified sailors with White Sail I, II, III, and Bronze IV. In addition to our regular program we also introduced children and youth to sailing from both the Lion's Easter Seal Camp Shawnigan and the Queen Alexandra Centre for Children's Health. Year-round our Sonar sails in the CFSA "Round the Buoys". Bill Macdonald adds an interesting perspective: "In the past, the Easter Seals Regatta was just a fundraiser for the Easter Seals Camp and many of the fund raising boats had little or no exposure to sailors with disabilities. By bringing in the DSA team this year we were able to demonstrate to the big boat yacht crowd that the disabled sailors are not forgotten and that their fundraising efforts were really supporting their own sport."

      Ontario
         - Ontario Sailing -- named again as beneficiary of NMMA's Boating For Children's Charity event 
      January 13, 2006 -- recently received $1,000 from The Store's Port Credit Boat Show project.
         - Ontario Sailing's Learn-To-Sail/Race symposium and provincial able sail committee meeting will be November 12, 2005 at the National Yacht Club. Agenda.
         - Queens Quay Sailing/Powerboating once again ran a sailing program for CHIRS head injury resources services consumers.
         - Able Sail Kingston (ASK) had a great spring training camp again this year, drawing people from Eastern Ontario clubs. Board chair, Audrey Kobayashi, says: we conducted volunteer training in the spring, and that resulted in a stronger cadre of volunteers for the summer program. The kids program worked well after integration with the KYC junior sailing program. Finally, a new initiative, we held a one-day match racing regatta, which worked extremely well - mostly able-bodied sailors. It was fun and worked as a fundraiser for Able Sail Kingston. We hope to extend the match racing next year, as it works very well for a small club. Newsletter.
         - Queens Quay DSP provided lots of news of its activities via Rick Waters: It seams like it was just yesterday that my season began with the "Skippers' Plan" regatta at Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club (ABYC), which is fast becoming an institution for the Toronto-area sailors that are hardy enough to brave the cold waters of Lake Ontario in early May. ABYC puts on an amazing multi-class regatta, which welcomes sailors with disabilities to compete in classes such as the Martin 16 and the 2.4mR. What really impresses me about the ABYC regatta is the number of classes of boats that they are able to accommodated in one regatta and the tremendous level of support that the club and it's members provide to sailors with disabilities. It's a great opportunity for people with disabilities to participate in a truly spectacular event and to integrate with able-bodied sailors. Toronto's REACH regatta, hosted by QQDSP, took place on the second weekend of September, with participants coming in to town from Ottawa and Hamilton. As luck would have it, the weather was beautiful with plenty of sunshine and wind throughout the weekend. QQDSP participates in regattas at Hamilton in September and Lake George, NY in October.

      Nova Scotia
         - After nine years as chair of the board of Sail Able, at Shearwater Yacht Club, Judy Simms has turned over the position to James Stewart. Earlier, Judy summarized the history of Sail Able: the Sail Able Association of Nova Scotia became a registered charitable organization in 1990 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our first boat was a 19' Rhodes sailboat and it was kept, and sailed, out of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron in Halifax. In 1994, we bought our 20' Freedom Independence sailboat "Free Spirit" and moved both boats, and our program, to Shearwater Yacht Club in Dartmouth. We have been there ever since. We have since sold our 19' Rhodes "Bittersweet".
         - At the Wallace MacAskill Yacht Club in St. Peter's, 67 on the water sessions took place, with some sailors achieving White Sail level 3 proficiency.


      Canadian Paralympic Committee
         - latest Paralympic Insider newsletter.

      International Paralympic Committee
        - IPC Newsflash newsletter

      Previous newsletters / Future News

      This and previous issues of Update / Le Point are posted on the CYA Message Board.

      Looking forward to promoting accessible sailing together.

      Send news as it happens.


      Keith Hobbs
      Chair, Accessible Sailing
      Canadian Yachting Association
      http://www.sailing.ca/learnmore/disabilities/ and
      http://www.sailing.ca/competitive/disabilities/

      CYA Staff
      http://www.sailing.ca/about/staff/staff2.shtm

      CYA's Provincial Sailing Associations
      http://www.sailing.ca/services/organizations/provincial.shtm

      CYA's national partner, the ALACD:
      Active Living Alliance for Canadians with Disabilities
      http://www.ala.ca/content/home.asp

      ALACD Community Development Representatives
      http://www.ala.ca/Content/Contact/Overview.asp?langid=1 


      Please advise of address change
     
         


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