Autism on the Water to Host Inclusive Sailing Day at Haslar Marina on 5 July 2025

 

On Saturday 5 July 2025, between 10am and 4pm, Autism on the Water will hold a special Sailing Experience Day, kindly hosted by Haslar Marina, Gosport. This first big South Coast open day of the year will welcome autistic adults, children and their families and carers aboard four vessels: three sailing yachts and one motorboat, skippered and crewed by experienced volunteers.

Over the day up to 90 people will be out on a boat, and the open water, in many cases for the very first time. Each boat will take small groups for hour-long sails in Portsmouth Harbour or the Solent. Thanks to strong community support, nearly all places have been booked, with families from across the South Coast and beyond expected to participate. 

Autism on the Water's events are about much more than a fun day out. Founder Murray MacDonald and many participants emphasise that sailing builds key life skills. Murray explains that "sailing has given me, a person with autism, confidence, problem solving skills, and social skills, which are some of the most difficult skills a person with autism can struggle with on a daily basis. When autistic children and adults work together to tack or trim sails, they often find themselves thinking and communicating in new ways, and feeling proud of their achievements."

For the Gosport event, Murray added: "We are delighted to be offering this next Sailing Experience Day in partnership with Haslar Marina. We have had tremendous support from everyone involved. We know that autistic people are often drawn to activities on the water and so we are looking forward to giving many more a taste of sailing from this stunning location."

Opportunities like this are vital because autistic people often face serious barriers to inclusive recreation, from sensory challenges in crowded venues to the cost of specialist activities. AOTW's core aim is to remove these obstacles: all their sailing and boating activities are completely free of charge.

As a not-for-profit charity, AOTW relies on volunteers, sponsorship and donations to operate and without the generous sponsorship and donations from the community there is no way that it could continue.