ISLANDER HAYDN TO SAIL FOR TEAM GBR

Over the May bank holiday weekend, 11-year-old Isle of Wight Optimist sailor, Haydn Sewell, competed in the Optimist selection trials and secured himself a place in the British Team that will compete in the European Championships in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, this summer. The selection trials were held at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy over four days, where Haydn was racing against the top 82 optimist sailors in the country, aged up to 15-years-old, battling it out for places in the British Worlds, European and Development Teams. Over the four days, 13 races were sailed with sailors spending up to 9 hours a day on the water. A mix of very light to winds up to 16kts meant sailors were tested and had to be able to race well in all conditions. Having set his sights on a Europeans Team place going in to the event things didn’t go quite according to plan for Haydn at the start when in the third race he was over the line too early and was disqualified, taking maximum points. Despite this set back, Haydn showed a tremendous level of calm and maturity taking a cautious approach to starting and using his boat speed and tactics to score a series of good results and climb the leader board. Going into the final day, Haydn was lying in 13th, occupying the last Europeans Team spot. In a determined and controlled day of sailing, Haydn scored his best results of the selection trials regatta with a 13th, 8th, 7th and a 3rd to finish in 8th place overall, the highest ranked for his age group, securing him an automatic spot in the British Team. Commenting on his success Haydn said: “I’m so excited to be part of Team GBR and going to the European Championships. As I was part of the Development Team that went to the Bodrum International Regatta in Turkey last year, moving up a team was what I wanted to do this year. “The last day of the selection trials was probably the best days sailing I’ve ever had. I’m very lucky to be supported by the Royal London Yacht Club Youth Trust, Isle of Wight Talented Athlete programme, Wightlink, Crewsaver and North Sails who have helped me with all my sailing. My school, Christ the King, have been really supportive too. “I can’t wait for the European Championships and to race against so many top sailors from around the World.” Along with the Championships themselves, Haydn will travel over to Dun Laoghaire with the Team at half term for a week of training and take part in a number of weekend training sessions.

Calling British sailors: Get your landlubber friends sailing!

Calling all British sailors who would like to see their friends enjoying the sport as well. There’s just one week until Britain gets ready to Push the Boat Out as part of a national festival of sailing and windsurfing offering free and discounted taster opportunities for all to ‘have a go’ on 17-18 May. Over 250 sailing clubs from Stromness to Torpoint, will be offering everyone, regardless of age, experience or ability, the chance to get out on the water to sample sailing at low or no cost and get a taste for a fantastic social outdoor sport where everyday life really does get left on the shore. 'The weekend provides a fantastic opportunity to show people just how easy it is to get involved in sailing locally so please do encourage any non-sailing friends and family to get down to their local club and have a go!' said Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Club Support Advisor Jackie Bennetts. 'Many clubs will have refreshments available and a warm welcome is guaranteed with BBQs and other social activities taking place to give newcomers a real sense of each club. All you need for any of the Open Days or ‘have a go’ sessions are a change of clothes, soft soled shoes and a towel and the clubs will provide everything else you need'. RYA Push the Boat Out is part of National Watersports Month this month. If you have friends that you think might enjoy sailing but haven't yet had the experience, find your nearest RYA Push the Boat Out event, and what activities are on offer at www.rya.org.uk/go/PTBO

PUSH THE BOAT OUT...

SAILING is one of Britain's most successful Olympic sports and one of the most accessible for people with a disability. The sport has seen huge investment by the RYA and Sport England in the last four years and many clubs have comfortable lounges, dedicated training rooms and up-to-date changing rooms, plus there are hundreds of boats available in clubs across the region for children and adults to learn to sail. May is also National Watersports month and Carsington Sport and Leisure has a variety of events on offer, including three have-a-go activities on May 18 as part of the RYA's Push the Boat Out weekend. Each session lasts an hour and costs £10. All that is needed is a change of clothes, soft-soled shoes and a towel – the centre will provide everything else. To find out more, go to www.carsingtonwater.com.

South Yorkshire sailing club to hold open day

Pennine Sailing Club will host the event on Sunday, May 18, between noon and 4pm at Winscar Reservoir, Dunford Bridge. For more information, visit www.pennine-sc.co.uk.

Bolton Sailing Club opens its doors to people who want to try sailing

BOLTON Sailing Club in Belmont is set to open its doors for anyone to try this exciting sport. Reporter Elaine O’Flynn went along to learn the ropes. AFTER spending the day fielding calls from prospective councillors, poring over planning documents and attending briefings with town hall officials, I was thoroughly looking forward to a blitz of country air and a spot of peaceful sailing. But driving up to the Belmont Reservoir, tucked away in the valley, my images of lazily floating with beer in hand were quickly put to bed. It was race night at Bolton Sailing Club, and dozens of industrious sailors were working away at their boats, preparing them for the timed contest ahead. I met Rob Paul, the vice commodore of the club, and his wife Jill who quickly handed me a life jacket and got my boat ready for our expedition. The club, founded in 1952, runs sessions four times a week, with about 400 members regularly getting their feet wet and taking to the water. I’ll be honest: sailing, at first, seemed extremely technical. As Rob and Jill worked intuitively together to attach the pulleys, hook the ropes and lift the sails, I felt a little bit out of my depth. They looked like they had been doing it for decades, but actually their passion for the hobby only started about 10 years ago, when Jill was stuck for a birthday present and bought Rob a sailing lesson. After that, the whole family became hooked, and they and their two children are now regular sailors. As Jill steadied the boat to let me in and — literally — show me the ropes, the boat’s mechanisms began to make sense. I was given control of the jib, the sail at the front, which you manoeuvre by pulling one of two ropes at the front to keep it taut. Being able to read the wind is a big part of the sport, as are quick reaction times — both in terms of making the most of any sudden changes in wind direction, and dashing across the boat to balance it off. Adjusting the sails — don’t forget to duck — we picked up the wind and headed towards the island at the far end of the reservoir, where thousands of black-headed gulls reside in one of the UK’s largest colonies. While practising steering with the tiller — a stick at the back of the boat — Jill told me how a recent £50,000 boost means the club will be able to extend its building in a bid to attract more members. Sailing is often associated as a middle class sport for older men, a stereotype Bolton’s sailors are already challenging. As well as having numerous female members, the club has a thriving junior section and owns a number of special, “unsinkable boats” kitted out so that disabled youngsters and adults can enjoy them. As we chatted, disaster struck. The wind, already lacklustre, completely died, and Jill and I were left floating towards the birds’ colony in a scene that would vie for a spot in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. I shouldn’t have worried, though. Thanks to Jill’s skillful direction and pumping — rocking the boat to make it move — we soon arrived safely back to shore. It is safe to say I won’t be travelling around the world like Ellen MacArthur any time soon. But my short look into the world of sailing revealed a challenging, fun sport that will definitely blow away the cobwebs of anyone’s working week. A big thank you to Jill, Rob and Bolton Sailing Club for their hospitality — I’ll see you soon. • Free sailing taster sessions will take place on Saturday, May 17, between 10am and 4pm. Visit www.sail.org.uk for more information about the open day, membership and training.

Sailing a lifesaver for record-breaking quadriplegic yachtswoman Hilary Lister

Hilary Lister had had the difficult conversation with her husband -- a few times in fact. The quadriplegic had finally made the decision to end her life, had prepared to say goodbyes to Clifford and the rest of her family. "It got to a point where I evaluated my life," Lister told CNN. "I had to decide whether the space that I take up on the sofa [which unable to move she had done for hours and days on end] was still worth inhabiting. "I came to the conclusion it wasn't. I was at a very, very low point. "I knew if and when my condition got any worse I would end my life. That was a decision myself and my husband were both aware of. You don't make that decision on your own, you have to prepare yourself." It was to be a pre-ordained death with rules. "Basically, I wouldn't allow myself to take my tablets any more if I got much worse or got depressed or whatever," Lister added. "But I also set parameters to make sure that it wasn't a spur of the moment thing. I have wonderful friends and family, who made sure they did everything to make sure my life was worth living." For all their collective positivity, though, nothing worked, until a friend lured Lister to an outing on the water at Westbere Sailing Club, her local club in southern England. "It wouldn't overstate it to say that sailing saved my life," said Lister. "It just gave me a little glimmer of thinking that space I was taking up on the sofa was worth inhabiting after all, particularly as someone had managed to get me off it to get on the water. "It was like 'gosh, I've found a reason to live.'" That was 11 years ago. Since that Damascene conversion she has sailed single handed across the English Channel, circumnavigated Great Britain and most recently sailed the 1,500 kilometers across the Arabian Sea from Mumbai to Muscat, her first proper offshore expedition. It made her the first paralyzed women to complete the voyage while also on board was Omani yachtswoman Nashwa Al Kindi, the first Arab woman to complete the trip. Muscle waiting disease Lister suffers from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a muscle wasting disease caused by a genetic blip that now prevents her from using her arms and legs. With her sole movement in her head, Lister's boat for that voyage -- a 28-ft Dragonfly trimaran -- was rigged up for her to sail it using innovative methods originally designed in the United States. "I have three straws with which you register positive or negative pressure - so puff or suck," she explains. "That turns the winch one way or the other. The magic thing on the latest trip is that I was able to turn port and starboard in opposite directions at the same time thanks to reversible winches and thus fully tack the boat rather than doing it slowly, slowly bit by bit." The 41-year-old hasn't always lacked mobility and it wasn't until the age of 11 that she noticed there might be something awry. "I came off the hockey pitch with really sore knees," she recalls. "I thought it was growing pains and would go away. By 13, it was hurting walking up and down stairs but again I thought it would go away." It didn't. By the age of 17, she had lost the use of her legs, though she refused to give up on her ambition to become a biochemist -- an ambition she says she had from the age of three, which she achieved with a university degree followed by a PhD. Working in a lab on her PhD she had to concentrate on not dropping things. One day, though, three months of work and £12,000 worth of samples slipped out of her hands. She never returned to the lab and a complex operation, which involved blood drained from her arms with an injection to stun painful nerve ends, did not work. "Life isn't always straightforward," reflects Lister. "You just have to be grateful for what you have when you have it." "It's such a liberating place, it's where you feel free. Once on the boat I can sail it as well as anyone really. I can forget about work or home life, anything in fact. "You just think about the next wave and the next puff of wind coming. The wheelchair's not there, I'm a sailor and it's a huge feeling of freedom. "But it's more than that. It's there that the pain dissipates. It doesn't entirely go away, when you smack a wave, wow, I feel it. But it's like an itch, if there's something else, you forget about it." Despite her lack of movement, Lister still suffers from crippling pain thought to be caused by one particular fully functioning problematic nerve that sends a feeling of immense pain, heat or cold coursing through her veins. It's something that has to be treated with a daily diet of opiates and morphine, though the pain never properly vanishes. It does not, however, stop her from planning new expeditions. There is one dream trip for Lister, who is sponsored by GAC Pindar, that hangs above all others. "I want a longer crossing and I'm looking at something for next year. "The dream would be to sail across the Atlantic -- it's something I've been thinking about and looking into for a long time. But we're quite a way off from getting to that point. "People talk about the dangers but I have a safety boat with me in case I capsize. There are dangers certainly but it's about risk management. There are more people hurt riding horses each year than sailing." It is such dreams that give Lister hope as she sits back on her sofa thinking of a myriad of oceans still to explore.

We are getting Annan Harbour back into use

The job is to clear the Harbour of silt accumulated over the last 50 years, to make the harbour a focal point in the town. Our small but active local group has achieved core money from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). We are asking for your help with the matched funding that will release the money from the EFF. Annan Harbour had become just a dumping ground for old mattresses and bikes. An eyesore. We decided to take action! So we launched a Harbour Festival, inviting local choirs and bands to do the entertainment, local craftworkers and food producers to set up stall, and for the first time in 40 years, got boats to sail in from the Solway. And with community support we have completed a number of projects. This is the slipway we built! And these are some of the members of Annan Harbour Action Group. We are all volunteers. We also got funding to improve the quayside. We have installed 2 noticeboards explaining the fabulous birdwatching in the area, and something about our history. Locally you can see knot, egret, barnacle geese, snipe, redwing, curlew, woodpeckers. We will be installing a birdwatching scope later this year and a seating area. We have another noticeboard planned. The new C2C, Coast to Coast, long distance cycleway will be starting from Annan Harbour. Taking you from the Forth to the Firth. So the new noticeboard will show all the cycleways and paths, including the Annandale Way, which converge on the town. Clearing the harbour The work itself must be done by a specialist contractor as we are close to a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Solway, just a mile downriver, is a Special Area of Conservation. So we are currently applying for a licence to do this work. Marine Scotland will give the contractor a detailed specification to follow. We have been going since 2011. All volunteers, including a fireman, a bricklayer, some fishermen, a lab technician, a coachbuilder, a mechanical engineer and an office manager. We are enthusiastic and hardworking. Why bother? Annan is an ancient town. Robert the Bruce's ancestors were kings here! Robert Burns worked here! Thomas Carlyle taught here! The town has a great past, and we want to work to get a great future, showing off our history, the beautiful landscape, the fabulous birdwatching, the cycling, the walking. As well as the Annan Harbour Festival that we run in May each year (17 May 2014), there is a traditional Riding of the Marches festival on the 1st Saturday in July. Watch the Pipe Bands Parade in 2013 The major employer has closed. So we want to get some new life in the town by getting the harbour open again. We have a great history. Annan Harbour Action Group believe that opening the harbour will give us a great future. Thank you for your time reading this, and look forward to your support.

Northamptonshire’s sailing clubs hold free open days in May for people to try out sailing

Seven of Northamptonshire’s sailing clubs are holding free open days for people to try out the sport next month. Northampton Sailing Club, based at Pitsford Reservoir, and Banbury SC, based at Boddington Reservoir in Byfield, will open their gates on Sunday May 4. Middle Nene SC, near Thrapston, follows on Bank Holiday Monday. The following Saturday, May 10, it is the turn of Hollowell SC - the 2012 RYA Club of the Year - to welcome all-comers to their open day. Saturday May 17 will then see Cransley SC, Rugby and Daventry SC and Northampton Sailability, which runs sailing for the disabled, all offering free ‘have a go’ sessions as part of national RYA Push the Boat Out weekend. Some of the clubs will also be providing free windsurfing and powerboating taster sessions. Jon Sweet, RYA sailing development officer for Northampton, said: “All of our clubs in Northamptonshire run accessible, affordable and inclusive activities for all, regardless of age, gender, background or experience. “These events are an incredible opportunity for local people in Northamptonshire to discover what sailing and sailing clubs are really like, and enjoy a fantastic, social outdoor sport where everyday life really does get left on the shore.” For details, visit www.rya.org.uk/go/ptbo

Alastair set to sail around the country

He has battled adversity for his entire adult life, and now Alastair Carr is preparing for a challenge of his own - sailing round the United Kingdom. 24-year-old Alastair Carr from Wood Enderby was diagnosed in 1998 with a brain tumour which has left him with limited mobility in the right-hand side of his body. After a chance invitation to the Isle of Wight to take part in a sailing weekend with The Ellen MacArthur Trust Alastair has now turned to sailing. Now the Sheffield Hallam University student is preparing to sail single-handedly, quite literally, around the country. Alastair is planning on following Dame Ellen’s footsteps as he sails round the UK, beginning his journey in Hull at the end of May after he has finished his final year of University studies. The ex-Banovallum School pupil told the News that he first became involved in sailing through the Ellen MacArthur Trust after finding out information about the organisation at University. “I thought it sounded like a great charity because they take young people sailing, and I thought that would be brilliant. “I really wanted to meet other people who had been through the same experiences as I had. “I ended up speaking to the CEO of the Trust as I could only find his contact details and he asked me if I could go to Cowes on the Isle of Wight. “So I went down there and had a beautiful four days of sailing and fell in love with the sport. “I only really went on the trip to see how other people had coped with brain tumours and different cancers and I ended up loving sailing.” In preparation for his round-the-UK trip, Alastair has been practicing by sailing up and down the River Witham most weekends. “I’ve also completed a skippers course with the Royal Yachting Association,” Alastair continued. “That gave me the confidence and let me know that I can go out and sail on my own.” Alastair will be setting off from Hull as Dame Ellen did in 1995 as she began her first solo UK trip. He will then travel north towards Scarborough, Whitby and Middlesbrough before sailing round Scotland then making his way back down the coast of Wales and round Land’s End. After coming round the West coast of England Alastair’s last stops before returning to Hull will be Gibraltar Point and Grimsby. He has named his boat The Flying Scotsman as he is studying Railway Engineering at University. “I want to do this to prove to myself that I can do it. I’ve spent my whole life overcoming adversity and this is an opportunity to show people what I can do. “It’s so inspirational having someone like Dame Ellen to look up to, and I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to meet her too. “She found strength in adversity when she set her world records and I’m hoping the thought of that helps me overcome barriers like these. “I think I’m fully prepared for the trip, but I know that I need to expect the unexpected while I’m out there.” Alastair has also been talent spotted by Matt Grier who is the RYA’s Disability Racing Development Coach. When asked if he could see himself crossing the Atlantic some day Alastair replied: “Who knows? Let’s see what happens.”

My trip aboard historic sailing vessel

By Andrew Wakefield :- With a majesty and grace acquired over decades, a stately old lady continues to ride the waves along Devon’s Jurassic coast. Provident, an historic fishing ketch, is now a training ground for young people, with repairs and upkeep funded by private trips for tourists. Manned by an experienced crew of four, up to 12 passengers can embark on a journey which not only offers the chance to experience the true adventure of life on the open wave, but also preserves the heritage of this amazing boat. One of just 200 vessels on a protected heritage list alongside iconic ships such as HMS Victory and Cutty Sark, Provident is part of the Trinity Sailing family - a charity which preserves historic boats while running training actvities for younger people. Travelling from Derbyshire to Devon to embark on a short break aboard Provident, I little knew what to expect. I could not have predicted the impact sailing on the open sea would have on me - nor would I have thought I could so comfortably spend several nights in a narrow bunk in a shared room. I was in no way prepared for life aboard and while I had hired oilskins to keep me dry at sea I was a little concerned about the fact my previous experience on the open waves amounted to a hop across the Channel to Calais on a commercial ferry. However, the many years of experience, the tales of a nautical life long past and the prestigious heritage which imbue the very timber of Provident served to quickly put my trivial worries into perspective. Every moment on board Provident is a privilege, offering a tiny glimpse into the wealth of sea-faring history which, as an island people, we were once so proud of. Head of Operations and Skipper of Provident, Nick Legg, said: “The Trinity Sailing Foundation was launched in 1999 with Provident, Leader and Golden Vanity. I joined in 2011. “We’ll be sailing all three this year around France, Scotland, the Scillies, the South West of England, the Channel Islands, Holland, Denmark, and Norway.” Nick, who started training at the age of just 16 as a bosun with a youth charity, has since seen many young people coming through the ranks as life on the sea ignites the flame of adventure in their hearts. He added: “We have people who come back year after year. There are eight members of staff at Trinity, but we also have a pool of dedicated volunteers. “Our trips are guided by the conditions at sea - we can’t make any firm plans, so when we organise a trip for individuals to join, we sketch out a rough itinerary but keep things as flexible as we can. “Vessels such as Provident are important threads in the rich tapestry of nautical history and if they were to fall out of use they would simply rot away. “The only way to preserve them is to keep them at sea and that is why our ships offer a range of activities from chartered trips and youth acitvities to organised breaks for individuals and couples to join in with. “There are some amazing sights at sea. Viewing the coastline from the water is both beautiful and special, but we have also seen some of the wonders of nature from the boats including phosphorescence in the water at night and dolphins swimming alongside us.” Life on Provident is a happy marriage of old and new, with the latest navigation technology, modern equipment and state-of-the-art life belts used alongside nautical charts, the ship’s compass and a wooden helm. And life aboard is a heady mix of learning new skills and working as a team to reach your destination. Passengers are encouraged to take the helm, work the ropes and hoist the sails as Provident travels from place to place. The fresh sea air and energetic days are tempered by stunningly prepared meals which are both comforting and sociable. In just a few hours, a group of disparate strangers can become a well-oiled team, taking directions from the crew and working together to guide the boat to harbours new. From a confirmed land-lubber with no particular desire to experience life at sea, a few days aboard Provident changed my perspective completely. With her wooden helm beneath my hand and the light sparkling off the waves as we nosed into the historic Brixham harbour at the end of our journey together, I knew that this particular lady had inspired in me a love for sailing, for the sea and a longing to preserve this little slice of a time long past, but not forgotten. For more information phone 01803 883355, email team@trinitysailing.org or log-on to trinitysailing.org

Irene sailing ship berthed in Penzance.

A VISITOR to Penzance harbour last week and likely to become a familiar sight in Mount's Bay over the course of the summer, the Irene is a West Country trading ketch, built in 1907 by FJ Carver and Sons. Owned by the same family since 1965, Irene has sailed extensively around the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and UK waters and now, following a complete rebuild lasting six years, she is earning her keep as both a sail training vessel and a sustainable cargo business. The Irene spent the early part of this week in Falmouth, joining in a gathering of historic wooden vessels, but is due to return to Newlyn today, staying for a few days. At the end of the month she will sail back to Falmouth and pick up passengers for a trip to the World Gig Championships on the Isles of Scilly. After that the Irene will return to Penzance to do some training in Mount's Bay with the RNLI and the Coastguard.

Eilidh McIntyre and Sophie Weguelin steal the show

SOPHIE Weguelin and Portland’s Eilidh McIntyre stole the show on day three of the ISAF World Cup Hyeres, taking a clean sweep of race wins in the 470 women’s event as competition stepped up a gear. This first day of the finals series saw mixed fortunes for the British Sailing Team’s medal contenders in France, but the European bronze medallists took it all in their stride to take the gun in both of their two races, and move into overall second place. The duo are in competition for the first time since their gold medal-winning outing at the Miami World Cup in January, with McIntyre having been sidelined from the Palma World Cup earlier this month after breaking a finger in training. The Paralympic Sonar trio of John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas have nudged ahead of their main French rivals, with a four and two on the board from their two races yesterday. Meanwhile, overnight leaders Charlotte Dobson, from Weymouth and Sophie Ainsworth are remaining positive after a less than ideal start to their first day of final series racing in the 49erFX class. The duo picked up a false start penalty in the first race of three, which Dobson admits affected their subsequent two races. They pulled back to post a ninth and a fifth in the second and third races to see them in overall second place, just two points behind the Braziian pairing of Martine Soffiatti Grael and Kahena Kunze. Portland’s Megan Pascoe is edging closer to the podium in the Paralympic 2.4mR fleet, for whom there are two more racing days left. Pascoe was quick out of the blocks on Wednesday, picking up a race win and a second to consolidate her third place and extend the gap to fourth place – occupied by team-mate Helena Lucas – to 10 points. Weymouth’s world champion windsurfer Nick Dempsey gained ground on the series leaders in the RS:X event, and ended the day in fourth just two points from the bronze medal position. Portland-based Luke Patience and Elliot Willis had a good start to their finals series after a tough qualification round – they’re eighth overall with a fourth and a seventh yesterday in the 470 men’s event.

Sailing classes for disabled extended

Sailors with disabilities will be able to enjoy their hobby more often thanks to Otley Sailing Club and a Lancashire company. Dozens of severely disabled residents from the Hollybank Trust have been enjoying regular Wednesday sessions at Otley Sailing Club since 1994. Now adult enthusiasts will be able to attend sailing sessions on Mondays, too, after club member Mark Stephens volunteered to cover the Trust's fuel costs for two days a week over the next 12 months. Mark, the son of the club’s senior instructor Norman Stephens, is a co-founder and director of Preston-based firm Freightlink – and, through the business, is also funding Hollybank’s corporate membership fee for the year. Mr Stephens said: “We’ve had a relationship with Hollybank Trust now for some time and it’s one we want to continue because we see the value in education. “The positive impact Hollybank has on the lives of many children and adults is something that should continue.” Hollybank's enrichment project manager Stewart Geddes said: “This is just fantastic news for us and will help to meet the high demand for sailing places. “We can increase our numbers from 14 to 24 each week. We are so grateful to Mark for his donation and to all the club and volunteers for their support over the years.” In preparation for the additional sessions Hollybank staff have been receiving training, free of charge, from the club – with Andy Powell, Farrah Roberts, and Stewart and Mick Jackson all recently passing their Royal Yachting Association Safety Boat Training certificates. The Trust's driver, Frank Hemingway, and volunteer Fred Yarwood have also been trained to use the safety boat. Mr Geddes added: “We can now be more self-sufficient at the club because we have qualified staff trained to a very high standard to be able to support people. “The training included diving in and out of the freezing water rescuing boats, which shows our fantastic dedication. “We had a wonderful season last year with lots of people trying the sport for the first time as well as established sailors. We also had visitors from parents, companies via fundraising, independent advocates and social workers, as well as managers. “We have sailed, eaten and laughed together and all had a great time. We are very excited that the new season has now started again.” The Hollybank Trust cares for and educates children and adults with complex needs. It says its residents, who are nearly all wheelchair dependent, enjoy a great feeling of independence, freedom and self-esteem when they are out on the water.