[Yknot-list] Accessible Sailing: constructive communication

[Keith Hobbs]

      La voile accessible sailing
      --------------------------
      Update / Le point
      2006 ~ Vol. 3, No. 1
     

      ===> Greetings!

         This is the third year of monthly accessible sailing newsletters from your national network.

         Canada has been an early developer of accessible sailing initiatives, starting in 1977 with the annual program for persons who are blind or visually impaired http://www.bhyc.on.ca/galleries/2004_galleries/VIP_2004/index.html at Bronte Harbour Yacht Club. 
         In 1980, Independence Afloat Sailing School was underway in Toronto http://ontariosailing.ca/media_lib/PDFs/Independence%20Afloat%20Sailing%20School.pdf 
      and by 1989 there were new programs on Canada's east and west coasts and others percolating 
      in central Canada. Our history is valuable to understanding the way ahead to our future together.
          As you prepare for the 2006 sailing season, if you have questions or issues that need to be addressed, please let me and your provincial sailing association know, so timely action can be taken.
      Constructive communication.
      Send news. Get news. 
      ---Keith

      Networking: communication / collaboration
         As part of a member organization of the Canadian Yachting Association and its Provincial Sailing Associations (PSA), you are already included in the official sport network drawing on web-based and skilled staff resources, programs and policies. New CYA Website  See also accessible sailing page, Discussion Forum, Newsletter. Together, the CYA and PSA's cover the sailing spectrum from training and development to volunteerism and fundraising. Ontario, home to over half of the able sail programs in Canada has a provincial network Able Sail Ontario. 
         If you like networking internationally, you can sign up for accessible sailing information / discussion on the ISAF Sailor website. Or join in the USSA SWSN's group.
         The DSA-BC funded national Network of Disabled Sailing Organizations (NDSO) -- now called the Able Sail Network (ASN) http://www.ablesailnetwork.ca/ is being launched via a teleconference on March 8. Accessible sailing program operators will receive an email invitation. DSA-BC headquarters, which has been granted $254,792 by Social Development Canada (SDC), controls the Mobility Cup regatta, holds the design rights to the Martin-16 and appoints builders and distributors for the Martin-16 throughout the world. According to the former SDC Minister's March 15, 2005 speech: "This funding is being used to create materials that will help sailing organizations for persons with disabilities across the country with such things as volunteer recruitment, training standards, and fundraising techniques. It will also pay for new equipment and help get more chapters across the country up and running. ..."
         Wherever we have two or three gathered in the name of sailing, we have a network. You get to choose who you network with but the official sport governing body CYA is Sport Canada's choice and consequently our national authority for sailing.


      Charitable Status / Fundraising / Lobbying
        It's worthwhile to check the Canada Revenue Agency's (CRA) Charities newsletters / publications for changes http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/charities/menu-e.html in such matters as receipting, fair-market-value, gifts, and penalties. As part of increased transparency, for year 2005 onward, CRA will web-publish all financial information of charities' Information Returns. And if significant staff time (20%) is involved in obtaining government grants, Industry Canada wants registration as a lobbyist http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inlobbyist-lobbyiste.nsf/en/nx00111e.html

      Sailed On
         Since our last newsletter, the able sail community has paid tribute to the lives and accomplishments of sailors Doug Baylis of Manitoba, and Debbie Donald and Eugene Besruky of Ontario.

      Camps / Regattas 2006
        CYA invites you to list your training camps and regattas on the CYA Regatta Schedule where 
      direct data entry is possible. Best also to email the CYA Racing Coordinator.

      ASK is asking for an instructor
         Able Sail Kingston seeks a sailing instructor for 2006. Reply to Dr. Audrey Kobayashi, Chair, ASK.

      Sailed in Oz
         Congratulations to the Canadian 2.4mR / Sonar teams for strong participation in the IFDS single- and three-person worlds in Perth, Australia. CYA coach Brian Todd's report.
         Also, in Australia was David Cook of Victoria for the Access Australian / International Regatta and launching / sailing of the UD-18.

      Florida
          Debra Frenkel reports: Thirty-two sailors of various ages and abilities fled "to" the waters of Lake Avalon, at Sugden Regional Park in Naples, Florida, leaving behind wheelchairs, crutches and their personal assistants to compete against one another in the We Gotta Regatta, also 2005's* North American National Access Dinghy Championship. *postponed by weather until January 2006.
         Midwinter regatta just completed at Shake-A-Leg Miami.
         St Petes YC, midwinter NOR invites, 2.4mR, Sonar, UD-18 and M-16 classes, with Martin-16 to be scored as one fleet whether sailed single or double, March 23 - 26.
         Special Olympics: this May 12-14 event in Clearwater, is a good launching pad to start working with the Special Olympics organization in your community. Sailing is an event at the Special Olympics World Summer Games. Florida contact is Sandy Ackley. 

      Challenged America
         Some have seen CA's article in Sailing magazine; also available electronically for the asking in PDF. Now you can see / hear Urban Miyares's, presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. People of Persistence: A Journey Beyond Disability 
      is a 43-minute video addressing the personal and equipment adaptations for offshore big boat racing; in this case to Hawaii.

      ParalympicSport.TV
          Tune your computer to www.paralympicsport.tv from March 10-19 for the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. Here's hoping for sailing to be webcast in 2008.
         From March 11 to 19, CBC will keep Canadians up to date on all of the action in Turin with reports airing weekdays at 4:55 p.m. (local, Quebec-West), as well as later in the evening, following CBC News: The National. During the weekend, the daily TORINO 2006 - THE PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES packages will air within CBC Sports Saturday. For viewers in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, a special 30-minute broadcast welcoming home athletes from these respective provinces will air on March 28 at 7 p.m. (local) on CBC. Plus, two weeks following the conclusion of TORINO 2006 - THE PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES, CBC Sports will produce and broadcast three Paralympics specials hosted by Tara Teigan, beginning on April 1 at 5 p.m. ET and continuing on April 8 at 4:30 p.m. ET and April 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET. And during the Games visit cbc.ca/paralympics daily.

      The Great Canadian Accessible Sailboat Fleet


            BOATS BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS NF Totals 
             2.4mR 2    15     17 
             Access 5 2   50 5 2 3 2 69 
             Challenger Tri.     1     1 
             Freedom/Ind.-20     1  1 1  3 
             Hobie-Trapseat 14 2   3     19 
             Martin-16 14 5 1 6 18 5 2   51 
             Mini-12 12    4     16 
             Sonar 3 1   1     5 
             Sunbird   1   1    2 
             Other keelboats      6     6 
            TOTALS 50 10 2 6 99 11 5 4 2 189 

      Notes: 
         1) this data does not include the boats used by Queens Quay Yachting with the CHIRS program, nor the Lake Joseph YC program with CNIB, nor Bronte Harbour YC's keelboats for its annual program for persons with a visual impairment.
         2) for strategic planning purposes with its Long Term Sailor Development Model, the CYA needs to put on paper a boat progression model for the development classes for athletes with a disability just as it does for its other programs, where for example one moves from an Optimist to a 420 then a 29er and then Olympic class boats. In our case the obvious categories are the cat rigged Access 2.3 for entry level, then all the sloop classes: Martin-16, 303, Liberty, Challenger, Trapseat, Freedom-20, with the Martin-T/Martin162 at the top prior to the three Paralympic classes of 2.4mR, UD-18 and Sonar. This is an exercise of logic on paper where in reality one can start anywhere in the system if you have the capabilities to handle the boat.



      Your National Sailing Network

      You know of the Great Canadian Accessible Sailboat Fleet but what of the Great Canadian Accessible Program Network? You'll be pleased to discover that you already have one of those too!

      Let's reflect on the programs and services available to us, and to consider what our connection is to the official sailing network.

      What is the CYA

      The CYA is the national authority on the sport of sailing in Canada. Details at http://www.sailing.ca/about/organization

      Also, helpful to any discussion is knowledge of CYA's vision and mission as found at http://www.sailing.ca/about/strategic.shtm 

      It is you the sailors and organizational members of CYA that form our strength and potential for excellence.

      How are we organized?

      CYA itself is an organization led by volunteers with program development and delivery through professional staff and trained volunteers.

      Key components of the network are you the sailor and accessible program operator.

      The primary funding source is Sport Canada which recognizes the CYA as the official governing body for sailing across the country.

      CYA members include Clubs http://www.sailing.ca/services/organizations/clubs.shtm Class Associations http://www.sailing.ca/services/organizations/class.shtm Schools, Camps and affiliated organizations, all for which CYA represents sailing at all levels.

      Through the CYA and it's (your) provincial sailing associations (PSA's) http://www.sailing.ca/services/organizations/provincial.shtm we are building sustainable networks that foster inclusion through sailing as leisure, recreation and sport.

      Together, we provide sailing access for persons with disabilities across Canada and help programs with everything from fundraising to volunteer recruitment, strategic planning, compiling best practices, standardized manuals and training programs to ensure that the maximum number of persons with disabilities benefit from our collective endeavours.

      Accessible program organizers have varying degrees of understanding of what CYA does for them, just as with all other programs; but we can build on that knowledge to make your program and our national network the best it can be.

      What does it do?

      The way the system operates, the PSA's work directly and actively with local programs to ensure needs are being met. Part of CYA's role is to equip the provinces to work directly with the membership. As we all know, there is quite a range in size and needs of programs by province and similarly in the capacity of each PSA to act. In Ontario home to over 50% of accessible -- able sail -- programs, there is dedicated PSA staff and a dedicated accessible program network of the CYA family. This is not to say that the other PSA's are any less prepared to address the needs and interests of sailors with a disability. PSA representatives bring matters to my attention; I know that they care. And I'm willing to help, wherever I can. If anyone in Canada is aware of variances or inadequacies, I'm happy to intervene on your behalf and with your assistance.

      How to help?

      It's not only a matter of what can CYA and its PSA's do for you but what can you offer to expand sailing opportunities in your community and demonstrate support for your official provincial / national sport / recreation bodies.

      Are all sailors ever on the same page? Take for example, IFDS's equipment decision for the Paralympic two-person event. Sailors being sailors continue individual discussions about whether this was the right equipment or even the right event. You will even recall that in 2004, IFDS tested two different formats and equipment options as possible additions to the Paralympics.

      Important issues for all of us -- some of whom have been actively involved for over fifteen years -- are the sustainability of all elements of each program and succession planning to ensure appropriate leadership and direction. The answers vary with each program but let's continue to explore solutions in common.

      Where do we go from here?

      Can the network be improved? It's your network, so have your say. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when one can just improve upon what is currently being done. In this way we can avoid fragmenting the resources available to all sailors in Canada.

      I welcome continued dialogue on how to make the network better and to make the official world practical to sailors and program organizers across the country.

      You get a lot now from your network that you may take for granted, whether it's learn-to-sail or learn-to-race, regattas, instructor and program liability insurance.

      In addition, there are class associations http://www.sailing.ca/services/organizations/class.shtm available to support enthusiasts of one boat design or another.

      It's CYA and the PSA's role to offer a forum to all these various interests without need for an agent or an umbrella union as an intermediary that would only add another layer to our communications.

      I've been advocating for changes in CYA / PSA's handling of accessible sailing and appreciate your contributions to the thought process.

      New ideas are welcome from our partners and all sources. 


      As indicated in each monthly newsletter for the last two years, this information is also posted in the CYA's open discussion forum of its Message Board, which welcomes your constructive input at http://www.sailing.ca/scripts/discus/discus.cgi 

      So there you have it, the Great Accessible Program Network and illustrated above on this page, the Great Canadian Accessible Sailboat Fleet -- based on this newsletter's survey in fall 2005, updating its work from the previous year.


      Previous newsletters / Future News

      This and previous issues of Update / Le Point are posted on the CYA Message Board. which offers an open forum for discussion.

      Looking forward to promoting accessible sailing together.

      Send news as it happens.


      Keith Hobbs
      Chair, Accessible Sailing
      Canadian Yachting Association
      http://www.sailing.ca/competitive/disabilities/
      My role with CYA and sailing overall is strictly as a volunteer. I chair the CYA accessible sailing committee, produce this newsletter and liaise with sailors and programs across the country to support all events and class associations. 

      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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