UK Sonar Class Nationals Championships 2024

Sometimes you just can’t be prouder of our ACF Sailing Team. 

With us having such a range of disabilities on board our boats I think we all agree that it felt like the whole of Cowes Week rolled into 1 weekend with such fun, great racing.

The main event report can be found in the below link but we must update you further on our amazing crew many of whom were similar to our Cowes Week Teams but with added new members.

ACF Spare Part – I mean wow!
They tackled the weekend so well, with Jack only joining us this summer and learning to challenge is brain injury in very different ways than he has ever before talking his first Cowes week and using ACF to help him think about how he does things.

To Wendy, with 6 years of limited sailing experience with Sailability, and having been inspired by her brother, become passionate to learn more and progress in the sport. Having joined us only 2 weeks ago, we could instantly see her ability to get stuck in and under the fantastic guidance of skipper Mark and training skipper Ant who crewed for the event, they pushed the boat and themselves coming out with the biggest smiles! Finishing in a fantastic 7h place.

ACF Limbitless - had the biggest smiles of the Weekend.

Skippered by Amputee Laurence and crewed by 2 of his Cowes Week Team, volunteer Helen, Jock (also single above knee amputee), they were joined by a new volunteer Amanda. This team powered through to regularly be fighting at the top finishing closed and close getting a consistent 3rd place in every race.

Jock having only joined us early summer and took part in Cowes Week as a fast track continues to impress us with his passion to do more and learn. Both Helen and Amanda’s commitment as volunteer to come down from London on a regular bases speaks for itself.

ACF Dolphin – becoming a power house.

ACF Dolphin’s team was put together to frankly get prove what we can achieve at ACF in Cowes Week which went on to this event. Skipper by myself (Matt, ACF Director), the crew are individuals who have through out the year pushed so hard to achieve these opportunities. Starting off with volunteer Jon, who has become part of the woodwork, he has driven himself as a training skipper and learning in the sport and with the boats all of the time, we even had him out skippering the day before introducing a new sailor with spinal injuries.

Lizzie, having been on the podium in Cowes Week now 3 times still amazes us how good she can handle the mainsheet, being completely blind and 50% deaf we power through subject to the hearing aids working. This was a real challenge on the short course racing for us. The short course means lots of talking and changing of what we are doing and Lizzie has to keep up. With the lighter wind Sunday the radio going off was causing interference for the hearing aids that we had to keep turning it right down causing other comms problems but we power through and just manage it. 

Bex has Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia just to name a few so you can image the challenge we can have supporting Bex and Lizzie together, but Bex’s passion to dive it was great to watch how they had progressed. We found now as long as we push Bex hard then they can handle it and keep going. The key is with he ADHD you cant stop! Thus once you’re going you have to keep going! And so nice to see Bex laughing off the challenges and progress.

We are all shattered now but yet so inspired.

From here on we are back to our calmer basic training getting ready for the next season so do get in touch if you wish to join in.

To read more on the event please to click the link below to find out more and see social media for some great pictures.

https://uksonar.teamapp.com/cl…

Regards,

The ACF Sailing Team

Location

70 High St, Cowes PO31 7RE, UK