Queen Mary Sailability Pushes the New Boat Out

Queen Mary Sailability launched a new boat for sailors with disabilities as part of the RYA’s Push the Boat Out week-end (17-18 May 2014). The new boat was launched by Wraysbury Lake Sailing Club (WLSC) Rear Commodore Steve Lloyd and named Wraysbury.

Alan Woolford, Queen Mary Sailability group organiser, said: “Queen Mary Sailability encourages and supports people with disabilities to take up the sport of sailing. Through RYA Sailability over 40,000 young people and adults with disabilities across the country are introduced to sailing per year, and many go on to sail on a regular basis.   

“The boat, a new Access/Hansa 303, was purchased with funds donated following the closure of WLSC. A group of WLSC members came to see the launch and afterwards sailors and visitors enjoyed a tea party, at which thanks were made to WLSC for the generous donation.”   

The donation follows the closure of WLSC, which was formed in December 1956, after the club's sailing waters were taken over by a new landlord with plans to transform it into a dedicated fishing lake. Jack Holt, the designer of the popular Enterprise and Solo dinghies, was the club’s first Commodore.   

There have also been donations from WLSC to Littleton SC and Silver Wing SC, where many former WLSC members will continue to sail, and to other clubs in the region.   

Queen Mary Sailability is staffed by volunteers and meets every Thursday, from April to November, with mornings for Special Schools and afternoons for individuals. The group also meets on Saturday mornings integrated with able-bodied sailors for Saturday Club. Racing and race training has become a regular activity in Access dinghies. For more information visit sailability.aspx     

The RYA Push the Boat out event, part of National Watersports Month, saw 260 open days and sailing taster sessions take place across the country, drawing some 24000 visitors and inspiring over 17,000 people of all ages and abilities to take to the water.   

RYA Sport Development Manager, Duncan Truswell said: “We’re grateful to the many clubs, centres and volunteers who supported Push the Boat Out. This year 140% more clubs took part and as a result we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people attending the events and those experiencing sailing.   

“Push the Boat Out is all about people connecting with their local sailing club or provider and discovering how easy it is to get involved in the sport. So far we know that clubs gained more than 1,000 personal memberships and over 500 families became members of the clubs they visited. For our clubs and the sport this is a huge success.  We’re now analysing the great feedback we received from the clubs and using it to inform the planning of next year’s event in order to deliver a bigger and better opportunity for clubs to promote themselves in 2015.”   

For more information on RYA Push the Boat Out visit PTBO