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Blind Sailing Australia |
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blindsailingaustralia.org
Latest News IFDS 2009 Blind Sailing World Championships Rotorua New Zealand Results Join the blindsailinggroup discusion group 2007 Match Racing Regattafor Blind & Vision Impaired Sailors A Great Success Paul Borg & Morgan Staley hold a commanding lead at the Sail Melbourne International Regatta
For details visit accessclass.org
Australian Blind Sports Federation
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From Kylie Forth Dear blind sailors I am sending this to you because your email address was included in a group email sent by Paul Borg late last year regarding blind sailing in Australia. Apologies if you are not an Australian, but even if you are not, please consider entering a team into the Homerus championships. For those of you who do not recognise my name, I have been the Skipper of the Australian entry into the Homerus International Match-Racing Championships for the last two years. You may already know, but the 2010 Homerus Match-Racing Championships has been granted World Championship status by IFDS, and is as such an IFDS event. It will be held on Lake Garda in Italy from 20-27 June 2010. Homerus are calling for expressions of interest from nations as places are apparently filling fast. The fleets will be divided into a B1 fleet with places for 10 teams, and a B2-3 fleet (B2 Skipper) with places for another ten teams. The Notice of Race has not yet been released. Since I became involved in blind sailing, I have been interested in establishing a blind sailing program in Australia. I know that there has been discussion about establishing an Australian Blind Sailing committee to this end, and wondered how things were progressing on that front as I have not heard anything further? I would be interested to be involved with such an initiative. However, of utmost importance at the moment is to ensure that Australia has two teams in next year's championships. Apologies if discussion on this point is already under way as I have not subscribed to the Yahoo group which was set up for blind sailing. I am willing to act as a rallying point for sailors interested in participating in the championships, and am happy to give anyone more information if they need. Please circulate this information to anyone who may be interested, and to any other sailors with vision impairments that you encounter. Kind regards Kylie Forth forthk01 @ student.uwa.edu.au
Blind & Vision Impaired Sailing in AustraliaAustralian blind & vision impaired sailors have demonstrated their capacity to excel in international sailing competition, however there is no organised domestic program to foster new talent. It is hoped that this website will provide a vehicle for discussion about participation, skill development and competitive sailing opportunities for those who are blind or vision impaired. What Blind & Vision Impaired Sailing is happening in Australia now?
What else is happening?I am sure that people would like to know what’s happening around the country. If you know of participation, development or racing activities that provide opportunities for blind and vision impaired sailors, let us know so we can include details on the website. Contact Us (admin@blindsailingaustralia.org) What is happening in other parts of the world? There are widely varying opportunities and initiatives throughout the world. Italy seems to be leading the way with Autonomous Blind Sailing thanks to the Homerus project of Alessandro Gaoso. This involves training for racing along with offshore sailing and navigation. Thanks to this project, the Italians have always provided tough match racing competition. Blind Sailing International is active in New Zealand and the USA , with an IFDS World Championship being conducted this September by the New York Yacht Club. The IFDS will only bestow World Championship status on one blind sailing event every one or two years. Canada has an active blind sailing keelboat racing program and the Royal Yachting Association (UK) has for many years run “Blind Week” where 30-50 keelboats cruise the English coastline with blind sailors aboard for up to a week. There is no separate Paralympic blind sailing discipline, however the blind or vision impaired can be classified under the IFDS Functional Classification System (FCS) and therefore be eligible to compete as part of a mixed disability crew in the three person Sonar or the SKUD 18, the new two person class for Beijing developed by Chris Mitchell of Access Dinghies in collaboration with Julian Bethwaite.
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Competitors at the 2008 Australian Blind Sailing Championships
Kylie Forth from Western Australia took on the International Champion in her first match race as a skipper
1st Place at the Australian Match Racing Championships, Borg and Jewell
Borg and Jewell from Victoria win the Australian Match Racing Championships Australian Blind Sailing Regatta Team at Port Stevens
Borg vs Parente, Got him on Starboard
The victorious Australian Team at the 2006 Homerus Blind Match Racing Championships presentations. L-R - Sonya Staley (escort), David Staley (coach/manager) Paul Borg (helm), Kylie Forth (sheet hand), Margaret Forth (escort).
Winners are grinners – Paul Borg & Kylie Forth after being presented with their 2006 Homerus International Championship trophies.
Paul Borg & Kylie Forth training for the 2006 Homerus Blind Match Racing Championships.
Paul Borg won the 2006 Australian Access Class 303 Championship against a fleet of sighted competitors.
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