This weekend, Sailability NSW will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a
regatta and gala lunch. In fact, the organization was established in
December 1995, but due to a busy 2015 sailing season, the celebrations have
been held over. On Saturday 27th February, there will be an Anniversary
President's Cup regatta, held at Dobroyd Aquatic Club and on Sunday 28th, a
20th Anniversary lunch at Le Montage, Lilyfield.
The President's Cup will be staged jointly by Dobroyd Aquatic Club and
Sailability Dobroyd. The first race is at 11am, the second at 2pm. There
will be up to 40 competitors over the two races, sailing in some 20 Hansa
dinghies. Sailors cover a wide range of disabilities including physical,
intellectual and vision-impaired. Entrants are coming from around Sydney
and regional NSW.
Sailability NSW boasts a proud tradition of bringing the joy of sailing to
everyone, regardless of ability. Sailability NSW started as a committee of
Yachting NSW, chaired by yachtie and wheelie Denis Critchley. Sailing
commenced in early 1995 at Gosford. In May 1995, disability sports pioneer,
Dr Phil Vardy, Neil Anderson, Paul Tayler and universal sailboat designer
Chris Mitchell organised a 'Come & Try' day at Dobroyd Aquatic Club in
Sydney. Jackie Kay brought a group from her work at North Ryde
Rehabilitation centre.
On December 21, 1995, Sailability NSW was incorporated as an association
with Sailability Gosford and Dobroyd the first branches. In 1996, Neil
Anderson became the second Sailability NSW President. (Neil today is Chair
of the National Sailability Committee of Yachting Australia.)
By end of 1996, Sailability NSW had spread to North Sydney (now Manly),
Pittwater, Illawarra, Narooma, Belmont, Albury, Northern Rivers and Middle
Harbour. There are now 27 Sailability programs in the state, making NSW the
largest Sailability organization in Australia.
In 1995, global solo sailor David Adams became Patron (now Paralympic sailor
Liesel Tesch).. In 2000, Nava George was first ventilated quad in the
world to sail solo (in an Access 303) on Sydney Harbour.
Other highlights: the 10 year celebration of SNSW at Rushcutters Bay in
2005, Sailability wheelie Lindsay Dalmon being awarded YA's Disabled Sailor
of the Year, launch of the Access (now Hansa) 303 in '98 and Liberty in
2004. There was the first state conference in 2007. In 2011 Ame Barnbrook
received the Sir Roden Cutler Award for outstanding sporting ability.
But, according to John Price, President of Sailability NSW, the most
meaningful developments have not been the ones that made news, but the
steady improvements at the grass roots. “We have gone through a period of
rapid growth, which has caused some problems with issues of governance, so
we have tightened up our conditions of entry into the Sailability family.
“Growth has been solid in regional NSW and over recent years, we have
achieved a good balance between physically and intellectually disabled
sailors. Sailability is for everyone!”
Sailability NSW is part of Sailability Australia, comprising seven state or
territory Sailability Associations and some 76 programs. Sailability NSW
enjoys an excellent relationship with the other six state associations.
Australian sailors with disabilities are represented nationally by delegates
on Yachting Australia's National Sailability Committee (nominated by State
yachting Associations). Sailability Australia is part of Sailability World.
Issued by Graeme Adam, PR, National Sailability Committee of Yachting
Australia
