Paralympics 2012: GB sailors aim to break medal duck by striking gold

They have got here in different ways. Half of the six were born with their disabilities while the others suffered accidents or illness. Some have sailed since they were children, others only took to it in later life. But all six will be looking to make history. Surprisingly, for a nation with a proud seafaring tradition and a fine Olympic record, GB's sailors have failed to win a single medal since the sport became a full Paralympic event in 2000. The class of 2012 are intending not only to win medals but to do all they can to make sure they are gold ones. "We want the gold medal," Hannah Stodel, the tactician in the Sonar keelboat, said. "We only want one medal. Any other medal would be rubbish for us. That's what gets us out of bed in the morning." Three types of keelboat sail in the Paralympic regatta. The Sonar is a three-person boat, and two people, at least one a woman, race in the Skud-18. A single sailor of either sex competes in a tricky little boat called the 2.4mR. Up to 80 sailors will be taking part at the London 2012 regatta from 23 nations. The giants of the sport include Germany, who top the overall medal table, France, the USA, Australia and Canada. But nations not as well known for Olympic or Paralympic sailing such as Puerto Rico, Malaysia and Japan will also be represented. Athletes have a wide range of disabilities and the boats are specially adapted to try to make sure all can compete on level terms. Some, for example, are fitted with foot pedals that control the tiller. Tilting seats or pulley systems are can be used to make sure the sailor is in the right place. Competitors in the small 2.4mR sit down low in the boat with all the controls to trim the sails and steer within arms' reach. A complex classification system based on an athlete's ability to perform tasks on the boat is designed to ensure fairness. The Sonar trio is GB's most experienced Paralympic sailing outfit, having competed together in Athens and Beijing, finishing sixth both times. Stodel said the trio were "heartbroken" to do so poorly at Beijing and thought about going their separate ways. "We should have medalled and we didn't. We let ourselves down, we let other people down," she said. Their "greatest" moment came when they sat down together to discuss their future and decided to stick together and campaign for London 2012. "That's more powerful for me than anything because we committed to each other," Stodel said. Asked to described the team dynamic, Stodel comes up with "random". Born without a right forearm, she began sailing aged three on the Essex coast and became GB's first woman sailing Paralympian. John Robertson, the helm and at 40 the oldest member of the ParalympicsGB sailing team, is a former weapons technician on Harrier jump jets, who uses a wheelchair following a motorcycle accident. He also had sailed since he was a boy. The third member of the team is Welshman Stephen Thomas, who was a keen rugby player as a young man but came to sailing after losing his legs below the knees when he contracted meningococcal septicaemia. A fierce competitor, as he lay in his hospital bed he began dreaming of taking part in the Paralympics. In the Skud-18, Niki Birrell and Alex Rickham make a fascinating pair. Birrell, who has cerebral palsy, was an excellent able-bodied sailor, campaigning in the 470 Olympic class with his brother before concentrating on the Paralympics. Rickham was paralysed after suffering a spinal injury when she dived into shallow water in her native Jamaica. She tried sailing as part of her rehabilitation and teamed up with Birrell just months before Beijing. They came a creditable sixth place and are tipped to go better this time. Rickham's injury means that her body's thermostat does not work properly. She typically wears five layers on top and three below, plus a balaclava. She has to be careful about how much she drinks because it is tricky for a wheelchair athlete to answer a call of nature while on board. The sixth member of the GB team, Helena Lucas, has taken part in both Olympic and Paralympic campaigns. She was born without thumbs but became one of GB's most talented sailors and won a silver medal in the 2006 Olympic test event in Beijing in the Yngling class. "I've grown up just finding my own way to do things," Lucas, who finished seventh in Beijing, said. "I was disappointed but I think I learnt some very valuable lessons." Of course, the regatta is not just about the GB sailors. There are many compelling characters from other nations. Such as the Israeli Sonar team, all of whom were left disabled while serving in the military. Australia's Liesl Tesch will also be worth watching in the Skud. She is a multiple Paralympian medal winner – but in basketball rather than sailing. It will be interesting to see if the Paralympic regatta grips the imagination in the same way the Olympic one did. The Nothe spectator area, a hit during the Olympics, has been dismantled. The Paralympics regatta takes place within Portland Harbour and can be viewed (binoculars recommended) from the shore. Sporting activities, which proved popular during the Olympics, are being staged on Weymouth beach. Though Ben Ainslie and the rest won a total of five medals at the Olympics, the team were a little disappointed to slip behind both Australia and Spain in the medals table. It may be time for their Paralympic counterparts to shine.

Society's collapsing... let's sail to Greece and learn survival skills

A BRISTOL couple have sold their home and all their possessions and bought a boat – to give themselves a better chance of withstanding the collapse of Western civilisation. Naomi Smyth, 30, and Sam Rossiter, 34, have sold their Montpelier home and bought a 22ft yacht – to follow their dream of sailing to Greece. ​ ​The couple will be leaving behind the Bristol sights such as the Suspension Bridge in favour of Greece's Acropolis •••..The couple set sail from Bristol Harbour over the weekend, heading initially for London via the Kennet and Avon Canal. When we caught up with them aboard their boat, Lexia, yesterday, they had only gone as far as the Jolly Sailor Inn at Saltford. "It's not about seeing how quickly we can get to Greece," Miss Smyth said. "It's about taking our time, meeting as many interesting people as we can along the way, and learning as much as we can from them." Miss Smyth, a freelance film- maker, and website administrator Sam, have left behind their Bristol- based careers to make the journey, which they believe will take them at least a year. "We think we should get to Greece around this time next year," Miss Smyth said. "First we travel on the inland waterways to London, in order to get more used to the boat. Then we cross the English Channel and join the French canal network at Dunkirk." The couple will spend the winter travelling slowly through France, before emerging at the Mediterranean in the spring. "We then want to take a detour across to northern Spain for a few weeks, before following the coast of southern France and Italy, before finally island-hopping through Greece." The couple hope to pick up survivalist skills along the way, which they believe will help them to survive in a post-banking collapse world. "A couple of years ago, when we first started planning this journey, people couldn't get their heads around why we would want to visit Spain, Italy and Greece to find out more about living without money," Mr Rossiter said: "But now they see the euro collapsing in those three countries, and they're increasingly starting to get it. "We were very conscious that the skills we had picked up in our careers were all very good for filming documentaries or running websites but when it came to being self-sufficient and living in a post-industrial world, we were hopelessly naïve." The couple bought the boat for just £500 from an internet auction site last year, and have spent the last few months making her sea-worthy. "Our parents are particularly worried about the periods where we will be going out to sea," Mr Rossiter said. "I can't blame them really. I have been on some sailing courses, but it's fair to say that our maritime knowledge is at about the lowest point at which we could realistically take this challenge on. But we're hoping to pick up a lot along the way – that's the whole point of the trip." Miss Smyth said: "It is far more than a gap year. It is also an exercise in seeing how far we can strip down our lives – how few material possessions we actually need in order to have a happy life. Parting with all our possessions was traumatic at first, but once we started giving things away it became addictive and very liberating. "The money we have from selling the house, we are hoping to put to one side, and when we return from our journey we will buy some land and set ourselves up with a more self-sufficient life in the countryside. "This whole thing began because Sam and I were starting to think about settling down properly and having children. But we were both genuinely concerned about bringing children into a world where we didn't have the right skills to look after them if the financial system that we all rely so much on was to totally collapse. "The fact is, it is already happening in Greece. So perhaps we can learn from the Greek people a bit more about what may be facing us in this country a few years down the line – and what basic skills we will need to live more self-sufficiently. "I personally would like to pick up skills like blacksmithing, foraging, food cultivation, and above all food preservation – something that every woman in England knew how to do 100 years ago, but which few people care much about in today's throw-away society." Miss Smyth will make a series of short documentary films along the way, and upload them to the couple's website. You can follow their journey at: www.howtosurvivethefuture.org.

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Sailing

Sailing - Different Types of Sailboats

When you learn to sail, you will hear different sailboat terms like monohull or multihull. But just what does this sailing terminology mean? Follow this easy sailing guide to look at the different types of sailboats to help you decide on the best to fit your brand of sailing! Monohull Sailboats - Pros and Cons Pros: Mono means "one" of something, so in sailing, a monohull means a sailboat that has just one hull. Most sailors on the water sail on boats with a single hull. They are easy to sail, cheaper to purchase, simpler to rig, and take up less room when docking or turning. Most new sailors learn to sail on small monos called dinghies. Once they learn how to sail aboard a dinghy, sailors might move up to the larger cruising monohulls. These cruising sailboats heel over less than their dinghy cousins, have more room to move around, and might have a head (toilet and/or shower), galley (small kitchen), and inboard or outboard engine. Cruising sailboats with single hulls have made successful voyages across every ocean in the world. Cons Small monohull sailboats like dinghies heel over a lot. If they heel too much, they can flip over. Larger monohulls heel over too, but most of these will not flip over because they carry extra weight in a "keel" below the waterline. The keel helps to counter-balance a lot of the heeling. In breezy conditions, you will begin to heel a lot and the boat will become more difficult to hold on her sailing course. You will need to reduce sail--called "reefing"--when this happens to keep the boat balanced and easy to steer. Single-hull sailboats can have limited space for supplies like food, clothing, sailing gear, water, fuel. You will need supplies like this if you go cruising for the weekend or longer. The longer you stay out cruising, the more supplies you need. So, on a monohull sailboat, you need to be careful to be extra careful to load the supplies the correct way so that the boat stays "in trim" (in balance and level). Multihull Sailboats - Pros and Cons Pros: Multihull boats have more than one hull, attached by cross members. Catamarans have two hulls with a wide flat area or cabin space between. Trimarans have three hulls. Both boats give you a lot more living space for supplies and living aboard. Boats with multiple hulls tend to heel much less than monohulls because of their wide beam. This gives a much more comfortable ride in most calm to moderate sailing weather. Underway or at anchor, these boats give you more room for sleeping and offer more privacy for friends or guests that come aboard to cruise with you. Below the water, these boats have less depth--of "draft". That means you can poke into coves and shallow waterways where deeper draft boats could not go. And that opens up a whole new cruising world for you. Cats and Tris can skim across the blue green waters in the Bahamas and Caribbean to explore new areas that other boats could not. That's one reason these boats are so popular for island cruising. Cons: Multihulls cost more than monohulls because you are buying two hulls (or three in the case of a trimaran), instead of one hull. Overall maintenance costs can be higher because you have two hulls to take care of. Marinas may charge more for boats with multiple hulls. They take up more dock space than a single hulled boat. Multihulls need more care when sailing. Because they heel less than their monohull cousins, you need to be careful not to carry too much sail. This could cause the boat to become unstable and in extreme conditions, cause the boat to capsize. Reduce sail sooner than you think on windy days to keep the boat balanced and sailing at peak performance. At anchor, multihulls tend to sway back and forth because most of the boat lies above the surface of the water. Two or three hulls present a lot of surface for the wind to blow against. Rig an anchor bridle that looks like a "V" from pontoon to pontoon. Join the anchor line to the apex (point) of the "V". This will help the multihull behave in a windy anchorage. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6974541

Spotlight on Sailing Gear

Yacht racing and dinghy racing are popular participant sports in the waters around Great Britain. Sailing sports, such as these require special sailing clothes. There are many companies that specialize in producing high quality sailing clothing, like sailing jackets and trousers, as well as footwear and accessories meant specifically for sailors. Modern sailing clothes are generally made of synthetic materials, which are waterproof. Modern sailing jackets are engineered to provide protection from the elements, along with a high factor of comfort. Being the outer layer, the jackets must be waterproof, and they must be able to protect against the winds that are present over open waters. This protection, however, must be done with minimal loss in comfort. The sailing jackets, therefore, are designed and manufactured with a degree of breathability so the sailor does not feel stifled. Anoraks and parkas are also convenient for mariners, especially in colder weather. Sailing trousers are tailored for comfort and durability. Deck work on yachts and dinghies can be hard on these trousers, so they are often compiled of durable fabrics, such as nylon. There are also many brands of sailing trousers that are designed to dry quickly, so that the sailor wearing them is not burdened down by soaked clothing or chilled by the cold waters that may wash onto the deck. Sailing trousers are necessary accoutrements for those participating as yachtsmen and as dinghy racers. Specially designed jumpers and smocks are also important articles of clothing for sailors. Like the outer layer of sailing clothing, jumpers and smocks must also be breathable and comfortable, while maintaining a level of insulation against the outer air. A polyester layer of clothing is also helpful to be worn near the skin to wick perspiration from the body out through the other layers of clothing. Sailing accessories and footwear are also beneficial additions to a sailing outfit. There are multiple varieties of footwear used by sailors that include deck shoes, sailing and dinghy boots, deck trainers, and sandals. As with other articles of sailing clothes, the sailing footwear must be proficient at keeping the sailor's feet dry so that blisters and discomfort can be avoided. Accessories that are useful to yachtsmen and dinghy racers are sunglasses, gloves, and hats. Polarised sunglasses and hats are extremely important for sailors on sunny days, because the sun reflects off of the surface of the water, so it is possible that the eyes will receive damaging UV rays from the sun itself and its reflection across the water, while gloves protect the hands when working with lines on the deck of the vessel. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6865580

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Sailability Scotland in the Round Shuna Pursuit

Sailability Scotland’s challenger fleet, including Paul Noble will, will be joining the Round Shuna Pursuit race on 26th August 2012. Clyde Corinthian Yacht Club has kindly allowed them to take part in their well-established event to help raise funds for Sailability Scotland. This is the first time that they have entered such an event to raise funds but they’re keen to step up to the challenge. They will be joining roughly another 50 boats who will also be taking part. The race will be taking place at Craobh Haven and will cover a distance of around 10 nautical miles. Support is already gathering for the challenge as Mark Hampton, Principle at Craobh Haven Watersports, will be allowing the Sailability Scotland sailors to use his facilities free of charge. Sailability Scotland tries to help people with all levels of disabilities to get on the water and enjoy sailing but is looking for people to sponsor Paul Noble and his fellow sailors to help increase opportunities on offer to disabled sailors and to increase the numbers getting out on the water on a regular basis. The Challenger sailors do have their own traveller series with venues for 2012 including Strathclyde Park, Helensburgh, Loch Venachar, Bardowie Loch and Lochaber Yacht Club. They also organise a number of sailing experience days at various venues to increase participation numbers. Despite all the activity they run, Paul is still very much aware that the Shuna Pursuit will be a real challenge to him and the rest of the fleet but is motivated by the impact it could have on their resources and programme. If you are interested in finding our more about this challenge or would like to sponsor those taking part then please get in touch via email: sailability.scotland@tiscali.co.uk