Dear Sailors, Supporters and Volunteers,

Many of you may know we had a fantastic weekend with thanks to many organisations from Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club, Island Sailing Club, UKSA, The Globe Cowes and many more including our amazing volunteers but most of the thanks goes to Holly from HK Physio, who came for training over Cowes Week in Dolphin and in the back ground over the last 3 months Holly and Matt had planned this huge logistical weekend.

Read more below in the press realise below and also check out some photos on Social media and a Video Linked in our app gallery or click here – https://acfsailing.teamapp.com/clubs/286366/photos/1689366?_detail=v1

Thank you from all of the ACF Sailing Team

Press Release
Sailing for all – whether you have legs or not!

A group of amputees has spent a weekend in Cowes overcoming their disabilities and learning the basics of sailing.

The ‘would be’ sailors, mostly from the south west, were guests of the Andrew Cassell Foundation (ACF), based at the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club. Very few of those in the group had any sailing experience but by the second day, had helped to rig a boat and been given the chance to take the helm.

The Foundation’s director, Matt Grier said: “There was amazing camaraderie. We had a mix of ages and gender but everyone had something in common in that they all had a disability and most had lost either one leg or both – in fact we had 20 sailors and 20 legs! No one in the group had met before and it was great to see how barriers were broken down once everyone realised they were all in the ‘same boat’ so to speak! The weather was perfect – warm, a gentle breeze and lots of sunshine.”

The event was held in conjunction with HK Physio Ltd., a specialist organisation dedicated to supporting amputees through physiotherapy, exercise and rehabilitation. Sailing has been just one of the activities provided by the company along with kayaking, mountain biking and any other sport that patients feel they would like to try. The ACF boats used at the weekend were 23 ft Sonars, open keel boats that are spacious enough to accommodate up to five people. They are known for their stability but exciting to sail, especially in a strong wind. The skippers and support crew for each boat were made up of both able bodied and disabled sailors as well as an experienced amputee sailor to provide mentorship.

According to Grier, the weekend proved such a success that the Foundation and HK Physio hope to repeat the exercise next year. “Some of the sailors were so exhilarated by the experience, they didn’t want to go home. Being able to offer something like this is unrivalled when it comes to people’s mental health and restoring confidence and self-esteem.”

The sailors all stayed at UKSA, one of the few places able to offer fully accessible accommodation within the town. “Without their support, this event wouldn’t have happened as Cowes has very few facilities for disabled visitors.” Said Grier.

Further information:
Nine disabled or impaired people took part in the weekend of which eight were amputees and five had never sailed before.
The Andrew Cassell Foundation (ACF) was started by Andy Cassell, a top class sailor from the Isle of Wight who was born without legs but for years competed with able bodied sailors. He entered his first Paralympics in Atlanta in 1996 and brought home a gold, something that inspired him to find ways to help others with disabilities.
www.acfsailing.org
20/09/22

Press release thanks to ACF Volunteer and CCYC Member – Sue Frumin
Photo thanks to ACF Volunteer and CCYC Member – Syliva Evans

Location

Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club, 39 Birmingham Rd, Cowes PO31 7BH, UK