Papercourt Weather

Sailability at Papercourt - Making disability plain sailing

Enterprise Class at Papercourt
Sailability has been established at Papercourt for the last nine years and has RYA Foundation status

Sailability has been established at Papercourt for the last nine years and has RYA Foundation status. It is a major activity of our club and is run entirely by committed, well-trained volunteers. Our aim is to give disabled people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to enjoy the fun and freedom of sailing. We take great care to ensure that our sailors have a very positive experience.

One of our disabled sailors has recently competed in national and international Sailability championships. We also have very experienced helms who accompany beginners and less confident sailors.

We now have five Access dinghies, one Liberty and a lovely Cornish Crabber called "Lady Jay" for those who prefer to be in a larger boat. We also use other small dinghies, if appropriate. We have two hoists for the jetty and our shore facilities include specialised showers and toilets. We provide all buoyancy aids and wet weather gear for our sailors. In between sailing sessions there is always time for a friendly chat over a cup of tea. We have a lot of fun and make sure that no one misses out on the cake during tea-time!

Sailability takes place on alternate Friday afternoons throughout the sailing season starting in April and ending in October. Thanks to Alex Hovden, one of our teenage sailors, we recently introduced a couple of racing sessions. Alex made us very proud by becoming “RYA Thames Valley Region Young Sailor of the Year 2008” and one of the four national finalists at the London Boat Show. To quote Alex - “PSC is fantastic. They taught me to sail and now I am in the RYA Challenger Transition Squad aiming for the 2012 Paralympics. They gave me freedom from my wheelchair and opened up a whole new world. I am addicted to the sport.”

The one or two racing sessions were part of our normal Sailability programme. These proved very popular with the more competitive sailors and we plan to include them again this season. We are still careful to meet the needs of our sailors who just want to peacefully sail around our beautiful lake in light winds on a sunny Friday afternoon! That can’t be beaten either!

Sailability at Papercourt offers you a special experience in a place that has a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. So even if you have never sailed before, come and give it a try!

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Newsletter Summer 09