Sailability news round up - spring 2020
Celebrating our 2020 RYA Sailability Award winners
The Sailability Awards Dinner and Awards is always a highlight of conference weekend. Recognising the priceless contribution made by sailors, volunteers and partners.
Ann Molyneaux from Rutland Sailability and the Challenger class won the Volunteer of the Year Award. She said: “I was really surprised, delighted and honoured to receive my award. There are so many volunteers who are ‘unsung heroes’ I would like to think I could receive it on behalf of all the volunteers. This has been almost like a second vocation. I’m not the sort of person who’s going to sit and retire in front of the TV!"
Meanwhile, Bolton SC were named Team of the Year, Whitefriars Sailability's Flossy Campion claimed the Young Person of the Year Award, the #MoreThanSailing Award went to Andy Beadsley and The Wheelyboat Trust and 15-year-old Ben Foulsham collected the award for Sailor of the Year. In addition Andrew Cushen (Dart Sailability), Dave and Shirley Musgrove (Disabled Sailing Association), Jim Aldis (Whitefriars Sailability) and John Deason (Oxford Sailability) were revealed as Exceptional Contribution Award winners.
Here is the full story - Sailability National Conference and RYA Sailability Awards
The season ahead - what's on
There are lots of things to look forward to and dates to get in your diaries this year. Here are a few highlights...
- RYA Sailability Multiclass Regatta - returning to Rutland Sailability on 1-2 August, more information, the Notice of Race and the entry process will be published in April.
- Challenger 40th Anniversary Ruby Regatta - can we get 40 boats on the start line at Oxford SC on 29-30 August?
- Mayflower 400 Hansa Regatta - as part of the celebrations of the 400th Anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, Dart Sailability will be hosting this Hansa event on 5 September.
What you've been up to
Exe SC - Sailability received a boost as the Devon club celebrated the opening of it's new clubhouse extension in November. This much-needed extension provides additional changing space, a workshop area for sheltered indoor maintenance activity and a dry storage area for sailing and training gear. Last summer, the club’s specially-adapted Hawk dinghy operated over 500 hours of Sailability sessions. The boat’s ancillary equipment will now be appropriately stored when not in use and it will be easier for clients to access their clothing and lifejackets. Read the story - Exe SC opens clubhouse extension
Oceans of Hope - Remember the 'Life on the water with Multiple Sclerosis' feature in the last Sailability Bulletin? Well Robert Munns, founder of Oceans of Hope UK, has been off doing exciting things again, taking part in a five-day Challenge voyage with fellow 'Ms'ers' aboard the legendary racing yachts, Steinlager 2 and Lion New Zealand, in New Zealand. Robert has written a blog about their adventures in December and it's well worth a read - Our second visit to New Zealand proves magical
London and South East Disability Awareness Course - some 14 Sailability volunteers from four different sites enjoyed a Disability Awareness Course at Herne Bay SC in January. Sarah Sibley, London and South East Disability Development Officer, said: “Everyone went away with a greater understanding of disability and how to respond and react to different scenarios. Feedback was that the course was really useful and informative.”