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NewsNewsletter from the National Sailability Committee of , state and territory Sailability Associations and Sailability World. Issue 7 Winter 2010 . Editor and Design: Graeme Adam [email protected] into the sunshine From the helm

In this issue, we salute two branches that have excelled in the service they provide and the way they market themselves to the community. Sailability Sunshine Coast and Sailability Bayside, both Queensland operations, are shining examples of how to present well and sell themselves to their own and the wider community. If you would like to learn more about their modus operandi, their contact details are in the articles.

Bruce Dickson Chairman, Sailability Australia

Catch up with the latest from Sailability www.sailability.org or www.yachting.org.au Two of a big team: Norah Cooke, Volunteer Coordinator and John Cooke, President Sailability Go to box “Key Programs and Services” Sunshine Coast, pause on the ramp as other volunteers get sailors into and out of

By Graeme Adam HOW DO YOU EFFICIENTLY GET group of able-bodied Mooloolooba Yacht some sixty people out on the water in Club members who wanted to share the joy one morning for a really good sailing of sailing with those with disabilities. experience? And how do you garner and Every Tuesday, more and more students retain community support? from special schools from near and far As I found out during a visit, Sailability converge on Sailability Sunshine Coast. Sunshine Coast do it by setting up good And every Friday, some sixty adult systems, attracting good people and members arrive with carers, to be given presenting sponsors with a well-run unit. special treatment both on and off the water. Situated at Mooloolooba Marina on My first impression was of the high Queensland’s sparkling Sunshine Coast, standard of facilities that SSC has (home of a certain globe-trotting sailor developed - initially with the aid of MYC called Jessica), Sailability Sunshine and generous sponsors, commercial and Organization: Recreational sailors relax while Coast was set up 12 years ago by a government and service clubs. Cont p 4 waiting to enjoy their time out on the water

Sailability Australia is the Australian arm of the international Sailability movement with eight state or territory Sailability associations. Australian sailors with disabilities are represented nationally by delegates on Yachting Australia’s Sailability Committee (nominated by State Yachting Associations) and internationally through Yachting Australia’s membership of Sailability World, the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) and the Australian Paralympic Committee. Page 2 Sailability Australia Newsletter Issue 7, Winter 2010 Sailability Urunga start-up Compass Points

News from Sailability’s state associations

Whoops! In the 10 Year Honour Roll of Sailability members who received Yachting Australia awards, I omitted Paul Borg and Kylie Forth who were honoured as Sailors of the Year with a Disability for 2006-7. The USTC committee: Commodore Derek Ridgley, Secretary Rachael Case and Vice Commodore Klaus Daro. Absent: Bob Coleman, Treasurer. At the WA Yachting Awards Annette Morris was awarded SAILABILITY is alive and well again on the mid According to Commodore Derek Ridgely, Official of the Year. Her work with North Coast of NSW thanks to the efforts of an training and safety is key to the operations of disabled sailing through the energetic group of people who have launched the USTC, with scheduled Yachting Australia Sailability Program has been instrumental in the integration of Urunga Sail Training Club and Sailability Urunga. Basic 1& 2 courses underway as well as a the Sailability boats into the Progress on getting three “pre-loved” Access Safety Course. Club’s regular racing has been slow, but two have now arrived Already there are 63 members and a busy program. with more to come plus a pontoon and duck. schedule of sailing, training and social With potential for year-round sailing, there are activities. Spastic Centre of SA ran a 10 also plans to organise disabled accommodation. Contact 0400 774 652 www.sailurunga.org.au week “come and try” program for its clients at PASC and also organized with Adelaide Council for Sailability and SCOSA to run a day on the “Jessica to Jamie: can we have a chat” Torrens Lake. Lots of interest JAMIE DUNROSS is a member of from the public and visits by the TV, media, radio, council Sailability@RPYC (WA) and a Gold Medal members, Dept Recreation & Paralympic competitor. Right now, he is Sport, and YSA. heading for Darwin in his bid to become the first quadriplegic sailor to circumnavigate Apropos of our cover story, if you Australia. would like to know more about Whilst he was en route to Hobart from Perth, Sailability Sunshine Coast’s round the world sailor Jessica Watson called formula for success, contact up Jamie on the sat-phone for a chat. She was Norah Cooke at a few hundred kilometres behind Jamie [email protected]. heading for South America. Josh Sadler has joined On Jamie’s return from the epic journey Spirit Yachting Victoria as Sailability of Rockingham will be involved in a sailing Victoria Coordinator. His role program operate from the proposed combines managing Sailability Rockingham Marina. The program will be at the Albert Park Boatshed and further developing and Jamie all at sea and designed for disabled and disadvantaged coordinating the activities of checking his position members of the public. You can follow Jamie’s progress at www. Solo1.com.au the member programs of Sailability Victoria across the State.

Vale Jim Brown: a passion for sailing Josh has an extensive SAILABILITY NSW stalwart Jim Brown background in sports administration and sports passed away on 13th of February 2010 after development working more a two year struggle with myeloma and recently with Melbourne Victory amyloidosis. FC and coaching at an Jim leaves a legacy of passion, elite school level. Josh’s role is participation, and some constructive criticism supported by Vic Health and the in many aspects of sailing, including NS14’s, Yuligbar Foundation. Access Dinghies and Sailability. He was a founder of Sailability Kogarah Bay. Yachting SA has again His competitive record was impressive with appointed John Johnston as wins and places in several Access its Sailability delegate to the championships. Yachting Australia National Sailability Committee. Jim was still helming Flying Duchess at the 2010 Access Dinghy Nationals, three weeks before he died. The International Day of People with a Disability will be “Jim Brown” will continue to be seen on Passion for sailing: Jim Brown on Compass held again on 3rd December. This the water as a Skud 18, skippered by Ame yacht, Pumpkin, owned by Jim and his friend and is a useful vehicle for Sailability Barnbrook, for her campaign to compete at Sailability NSW Secretary Tish Ennis. programs to raise their profile. the Paralympic Games. (See “Amy’s Army”) Page 3 Sailability Australia Newsletter Issue 7 Winter 2010 Gold, gold, gold! for Special Olympians

What’s happening?

The 2010 Yachting Australia Awards ceremony will be held in on Friday 15th October 2010. The Sailability National Committee meeting will be held the same day. For details of the awards event and nomination criteria go to: www.yachting.org.au and then to “Events” AT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS National Summer Doubles: Level 1, Bradley Alderton (NSW) , Level 2: Sarah Millsom (VIC),: Games Sailing Competition in Adelaide, The 2011 Australian Access Level 4: Belinda Hill and Sonja Gilmour Queensland topped the Gold Medal count with Class Championships will be (QLD) ; Individual: Level 5 (Solo female): two, while , Victoria and the held concurrently with the Asia- Belinda Hill; Level 5 (Solo male) : Allister Pacific Championships and will ACT claimed one Gold apiece. Peek (ACT). be hosted by Royal Perth Yacht The regatta comprised six races for each Level Australia’s Martin Waller and Club during Easter, April 22 – sailed over three days and hosted in a very Thorpe who won silver and bronze 25. Contact: David Staley [email protected] professional manner by Adelaide Sailing Club. respectively in Level 5 solo both have Held every four years, the Special Olympics profound physical disabilities and used servo-electric equipment to operate their The next Access Class National Summer Games include a variety of Access dinghies. Results of the event will Combined World sporting competitions for people with an be used to select an Australian Team for the Championships will be held at intellectual disability. Gold medals were awarded Middle Harbour in Special Olympics World Summer Games to Sydney, Australia in April as follows: be held in Athens, next year. 2012.

Australian sailors with disabilities Bayside makes news were well represented at ISAF Worlds at Medemblik IF THERE WAS AN AWARD for slick (Netherlands) newsletters, Sailability Bayside in SKUD18: Ame Barnbrook / would have to get it. Lindsay Mason, Dan Fitzgibbon / Rachel Cox Thanks to the dedication of members SONAR: Colin Harrison, Russell John and Rosemary Were, SB puts Boaden and Rodney Angwin out four issues a year of this attractive 2.4mR: Matthew Bugg and highly readable 4 page publication. The target audience includes: sailors and their carers, volunteers, supporters, sponsors, the yachting community and government authorities. Like this newsletter, Despatches is laid out using Microsoft Publisher, part of the Microsoft Office Suite. For more on how SB does it, or about how to harness MS Publisher, send me an email at [email protected] The Australian team of Kylie Forth and Erin McGlew from Sailability@RPYC (above) competed in June in the IFDS Join Amy’s army Blind Match Racing in Italy. SAILABILITY NSW Inc is supporting a Having held second place Paralympic campaign in the the SKUD 18 through the round robin in the for the 2012 Games in London. Skipper and B1 group, they were overtaken sailing legend Ame Barnbrook (left) and by Spain who claimed third team mate, vision-impaired elite sailor place overall. Lindsay Mason urgently need your support. No matter how small, your donation will Forth has only taken on the helm make a difference. You will receive an since 2007 and sheet-hand official receipt from Sailability NSW and your McGlew has been sailing for just donation is tax deductible. To donate to three months. They will have Ame’s Army, go to the project website: the home advantage next March www.amesarmy.com.au Click on the when the Blind Match Racing “Donate” button at the top right of the Championships move to Royal screen. Donations can be made via credit Perth Yacht Club. card, direct bank deposit or by cheque. Page 4 Sailability Australia Newsletter Issue 7 Winter 2010

Sailability World news...Sailability World news...Sailability World news...Sailabilility Sunshine Coast cont’d Sailability heads to China IN EARLY JUNE, the Access Dinghy Foundation donated 5 x Access 2.3 and 1 x Access 303 to the newly established Ai Hang Hai program in Qingdao, China. Ai Hang Hai, which translates to “I Love Sailing”, will introduce the Qingdao community to sailing. These boats will be an ideal way to teach Chinese school children the sport. Qingdao was the venue for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Signs say “Thankyou” to sponsors Sailing Competition and as such is being promoted as China’s In the boat shed annexe, premier sailing city. With a volunteers run the registration population of over 8 million, it is desk while others operate the expected that Ai Hang Hai will very popular non-stop experience phenomenal growth barbecue. over the next few years. Once Ai Generous protection against “I love sailing”: These words express how the Sailability ideal Hang Hai is established and the sun is provided with is expressed in China. And these young sailors can’t wait to go operational in Qingdao, then it will sunshades on the pontoon. out. In front is Access Foundation’s Chris Mitchell and Sailability What is most impressive, World’s Jackie Kay expand to other Chinese cities and probably throughout Asia as well. however, is the professionally rendered Sailability branding that is literally everywhere. Teen Aussie medals in the Access Worlds For instance: on the side of the boat shed is a huge floor to roof In the single-person divisions, 14 Sailability sign. On either side of year-old Angus MacGregor (AUS) the pontoon ramp entrance are secured his Access 2.3 World two signs listing the sponsors, Championship with 7 wins from 8 some 24 in all. starts. And as a finishing touch, all Martin Waller (AUS) won in the the volunteers are decked out in Access 2.3 servo. Sailability-monogrammed high- In the Access 303, Zoltan Pegan quality polo shirts (not T-shirts!) (HUN) held a single point margin and baseball caps. over Chris Ruston (AUS) going The whole operation is into the final race. Pegan held on situated in a waterside park with for the Trophy with Ruston second. high visibility to passers-by. Zoltan for many years sailed in A major sponsor is Musto, Australia as an active Sailability who donate gear for a fund- member. raising raffle each year at the Magali Moraines (FRA) led the annual Australian Etchell Winter Australia’s Angus MacGregor, winner of the Access 2.3 Open Championships held at competition in action at Rutland. (Photo: IACA) Liberties into the final day Aussies, Chris Cook and Barry Coates. Mooloolooba. Cook took the race win, but with Other companies, groups and THE BRUCE WAKE 2010 ACCESS CLASS WORLD Moraines following him , the individuals provide support by Championships and the SKUD18 International Championship went to France, with way of donations of gear and Championships, run from 8-11 June, was a big success. Australians 2 and 3 overall. money, including the funding of The event was hosted by Rutland Sailing Club, the Alexandra Rickham and Niki Access dinghies. This does not just happen; headquarters of RYA Sailability UK, the largest national Birrell (Great Britain) won all but one race in the SKUD 18 SSC members are very active Sailability organization in the world. It attracted 100 in promoting Sailability to the competitors comprising 82 entries from 10 countries. International Championship . Event information is published on wider Sunshine Coast There are almost 1800 Access Class boats sailing community. around the world and as part of National Class www.accessclass.org.uk. On Australia Day, Sailability

Associations in 10 countries. Sunshine Coast President John The Access 2.3 is an ISAF International Class, whilst the Cooke was awarded Senior Citizen of the Year for the 303 and Liberty are ISAF Recognised Classes. Access Sunshine Coast Region for his 2.3 and 303 fleets throughout the UK, and involvement with Sailability. Australia continue to grow, with the majority of boats used The rest of the committee in Sailability programs. comprises: Vice President - The SKUD 18 is the two-person equipment for the 2008 David Lock, Secretary - Ray and 2012 Paralympic Sailing Competition. Troyahn. Treasurer - Lynne The next Access Class Combined World Championships Peters, Maintenance Officer - Rick Barrett and Volunteer will be held at Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney, Co-ordinator - Norah Cooke. Australia in April 2012. Having a go: Victoria’s Martin Waller