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Wednesday 11 September 2024

Adapted boats bring accessible sailing to Norfolk


 

A norfolk sailing club has invested thousands of pounds in accessible boats and equipment to allow people with a wide range of abilities to take to the water.


People with mobility issues will be able to get into the two vessels using a new pontoon which has a hoist built into it.


Snettisham Beach Sailing Club has invested £27,000 in the facilities, which are the first of their kind in the county.


Accessible sailing sessions will start in April 2025, but volunteers are needed to start training now.


Adrian Tebbutt is the commodore at the club and is managing its accessible sailing programme.


"There are no facilities like this within a 50-mile radius," he said.


"There are a lot of people who will now be able to access the water – be that those with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or just as you get older you can't necessarily launch and recover your own boat.


"We're trying to make this as inclusive as possible."


Alex Hawtin learned to sail at Snettisham and is now teaching others to do the same.


"I've made loads of friends here. It's a really good vibe," he said.


With sessions planned for next year, the club is looking for new volunteers to train to use the boats and supervise accessible sailing activities.


Instructor Amelia Eaton said the focus was always on what people could do rather than what they could not.


"We've got lots of things we can do to make them more comfortable and to meet their needs," she said.



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