Freedom The annual newsmagazine of Sailability Australia Issue 2 2013/2014 With contributions from state and territory Sailability Associations, their Sailability programs, their members, the National Sailability Committee of Yachting Australia and Yachting Australia Schoolkids sailing at Sailability Central West SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL: Why Sailability’s remote programs are so important RIDING HIGH: Sailability members all at sea on the Lord Nelson and loving it Wounded warriors go sailing WA SCORES: Sonar crew bag bronze and Sailor of the Year with a Disability SAILABILITY MY FAVOURITE PLACE: Is Sam our youngest volunteer? DEAF SAILOR GOES GLOBAL: Surprise award on UK national television From the helm The year in pictures Sailability people...Sailability people...Sailability people...Sailabilility people .....Sailabilility people ......Sailabilility There are currently 65 dedicated Sailability centres around Australia. Less than half of these are large-scale operations. The majority are far from capital cities, have a small membership, a handful of boats, and modest facilities, but are strong in energy and heart. While the larger centres continue to expand and make a difference in their communities, the small centres are providing much needed variety to the lives of people with a disability that live in our regional areas. Clockwise: Australian Hansa Class Championships (inc. SA Hansa Class Chps) The feedback I have received, from will be held at Goolwa Regatta Sailing Club April 17-21. All divisions from 2.3 Single people throughout the country, is that Person to Liberty. Details; www.accessclass.org www.ahca.yachting.org.au; Lisa there is often limited opportunity for Quirk (Secretary Sailability Rushcutters Bay and stand organiser at the Sydney Boat recreational sport for people with a Show with John Bissel (Sailability Kogarah Bay) and Russell McLaren (Sailability disability in more remote areas, and the Cronulla); Sailability Victoria president David Staley is now Sailing Manager at Royal ability to get out on the water on a dam Brighton Yacht Club. David is President of Sailability Victoria and Secretary of the or inland river has been a great boost to International Hansa Class Association; Recipients of the Yachting Australia 2013 the lives of many people. Award for Sailor with a Disability: Jonathan Harris, Colin Harrison, Russell A big ‘Thank You’ to everyone that has Boaden, with CEO of the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) Jason Hellwig. helped get these centres up and running. In this issue of “Freedom”, we salute three of these Sailability centres. I hope you enjoy their stories. Do you belong to a small regional centre with a great story to tell? We’d love to be able to share your story. Maybe your story will inspire someone to try sailing – or even start a new Sailability program in another regional area! Send your story to the editor [email protected] Left: Sailability WA members Kylie Forth (pictured) and Erin McGlew were success- Happy sailing! ful and came home with a Silver medal at the 2013 Blind Sailing World Champion- Neil Anderson ships in Japan. Right: Australia’s Paralympic class sailors began the long road to Rio Chairman - National Sailability 2016 Paralympic Games when the Sonar team (Russell Boaden, Jonathan Harris Committee - Yachting Australia and Colin Harrison) competed in the 2013 IFDS World Championships in Kinsale, Ireland. Fellow Australian Matt Bugg finished fourth in the 2.4mR class, his best re- sult at an IFDS World Championship. Published February 2014 Freedom Editor, Copy, Design, Production, Distribution, Graeme Adam [email protected] “Freedom” - The Newsmagazine - is published annually in print and electronic form. “Freedom” updates published electronically. Distribution to all Sailability Left: Genevieve Wickham was awarded 2013 Yachting WA Sailor of the Year with a branches and through them all members, to Disability. Genevieve has sailed a Liberty in competition for the past eight years in yacht clubs via state yachting associations. club, state, national and international events. She skippered a SKUD in New Zealand during Sail Auckland achieving 8 wins in the regatta against a field that included a NZ Contributions for news items up to 50 words Paralympic and Olympic team member; Right: Demonstrating that disabled sailors with good hi-res digital images or ideas for can master any nautical challenge, Paralympics Gold Medallist and wheelie Daniel features up to 500 words to the editor. 2 Fitzgibbon has ordered a Sydney 38. Seen here with Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (Sydney) member Phil Smidmore at RPAYC’s Sailing Season Opening Day. Sailability people...Sailability people...Sailability people...Sailabilility people .....Sailabilility people ......Sailabilility “Sailability my favourite place in whole world” 12 YEAR OLD SAM BECAME A SAILABILITY DOBROYD (NSW) member at the beginning of the 2013 season. He comes along with his Dad Ian Henning, (who also helps) and is a grandson of Keith Henning, who through his trusteeship of the David Henning Foundation donated $10,000 a few years ago for the purchase of two 303s. From the beginning, Sam was keen to sail and also gain a power boat licence, so that he could drive the rubber duckie. So for Christmas, Ian gave him the funds for a course, and he subsequently gained his boat licence. As a result of his efforts, one sailing Sunday, Sam both skippered "Golden Duckie", and also took father Ian Henning out for a sail! What a remarkable double achievement for one so young. Sam is so enamoured with Sailability ("... my favourite place in the world") , that he made his experience the subject of a school class presentation. Capricornia cracks national media FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW. When enterprising Sailability Capricornia on Queensland’s mid north coast, contacted ABC TV in Rockhampton to send a crew down to do a story, little did they know that the story would go national. The piece was picked up by ABC News 24 in Sydney which ran it nationally on ABC News 24 and ABC1. Sailability operates from Capricornia Cruising Yacht Club, sailing on Causeway Lake, Yeppoon, out of Rockhampton. One of their more unusual craft is a Hobie Trimaran which was launched last year. Sailability ACT also made it onto TV having arranged for ABC TV ACT to run a story on the Hansa World Championships at Canberra Yacht Club. http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/7pmtvnewsact/video/201303/7PMn_Sailing_3103_512.mp4 http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2012/10/05/3604601.htm Lion-hearted gesture for disadvantaged kids IN AN EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN SAILABILITY and service clubs, kids from Westmead Childrens’ Hospital in Sydney had a big day out. Lions Carlingford-Dundas, represented by Geoff & Chris Bailey and Maureen joined the kids and their carers, at Manly Yacht Club where the kids had a new experience – Sailability. This was a great introduction to sailing for these kids where they got to enjoy a one-on-one sailing exercise with instructor Daniel Perinich Twenty volunteers from Sailability Manly led by volunteer coordinator Eli Demeny gave the kids a morning to remember. And the Sailability movement made new friends in the wider community. Brazilian sailors get on board with Aussie help EIGHT HANSA 2.3 DINGHIES HAVE BEEN PURCHASED by the Australian Embassy in Brazil with funding via AusAid's Direct Aid Program (DAP), a worldwide assistance and development program. They are being donated to Federação Brasiliense de Vela Adaptada (Brazilian Adapted Sailing, the local equivalent of Sailability). Hansa Sailing Systems MD Chris Mitchell (pictured) and team member Vlad transported them to Sydney and loaded them in a container for Brazil. The Brazilian Paralympic Committee imported them into Brazil with the assistance of IFDS who provided a letter to allow importation without duty. www.hansasailing.com Chernobyl children treated to taste of sailing RUTLAND SAILABILTY IN THE UK RECENTLY INVITED A GROUP OF youngsters from Belarus to Rutland Water for the day. The children live in the areas worst affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. They visited the area thanks to charity- the Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. Our picture shows Sailability members, from left, Chris Mynard, Linda Pattison and Nancy Brand with some of the children. Chernobyl Children International works with families and communities in Chernobyl affected regions to help them to overcome the domino effect of .poverty, poor health, and social and psychosocial impact that was the 3 aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Photo and report thanks to Rutland and Stamford Mercury. Sailability people...Sailability people...Sailability people...Sailabilility people .....Sailabilility WA’s amputee president sails to Bali Sailability WA Inc’s President Graeme Martin, a below the knee amputee, completed a 13 week voyage competing in the 2013 Fremantle to Bali Rally, followed by some Indonesian cruising and a return to Perth via the west coast. Often with only one other crew member and in extreme weather, this journey shows that people with a disability can participate and compete at any level and in any conditions. Graeme also had success in the 2013 Access Liberty Class State Championships. He was a clear winner of the 7-race series, with Mike Cull and Genevieve Wickham taking 2nd and 3rd places. In his second year as president, Graeme is looking forward to helping grow the Sailability family in WA. Soldiering on with help from Sailability Sailability SA and Port Adelaide hosted the Soldier On organization whose members were able to go out on the water in 303 dinghies, 20ft West wind day sailors or on Ribs. Some participants are now keen to learn to sail and assist in the Sailability program. Soldier On is about Australians coming together to show their support for our physically and psychologically wounded, giving those who have served our country the chance to do and be whatever they chose.