Debbie Blachford, manager of RYA Sailability, a charity which encourages and supports people with disabilities to take up sailing and facilitate sites to develop sailing opportunities, believes the foundations have been laid for an annual nationwide series of sailing festivals exclusively for people with learning disabilities after the success of the RYAs Sail LD 2010 three region trial. With thanks to Emma Slater at the RYA for this story. Visit the RYA site here.

Sail LD 2010 was created to give young people with learning disabilities in the West Midlands, East and North (Yorkshire and Lancashire) the chance to develop their sailing skills and then take part in fun regional Sail LD regatta events against youngsters from other clubs and schools.

Co-ordinated by each regions Sailability Regional Organiser, Sailability clubs and centres in each of the three regions welcomed youngsters from local special schools to Sail LD sailing sessions over the summer, specifically taking into account each individuals abilities and complex learning needs. The regattas, a mix of fun games and races, were a celebration of all the skills the young people had learned.

In total more than 90 youngsters, aged from 11 to 19, took part in the three Sail LD 2010 regattas, hosted throughout September by Edgbaston Watersports, Birmingham (West Midlands), Otley Sailing Club, Yorkshire (North) and the Woolverstone Project at Alton Water, Ipswich (East).

Debbie said: "We introduce hundreds of young people with disabilities to sailing every year and a huge proportion of our sailors have a learning disability. We wanted to give these young sailors the best possible chance of developing their sailing and racing skills and give them something really fun to work towards.

The feedback weve received from the three regions has been extremely positive and we will now look to extend Sail LD by rolling it out nationwide, and to adults as well as young people, so that even more people with learning disabilities have the chance to take part in similar sessions and festivals next year".

The West Midlands event attracted the biggest turnout where 60 youngsters from five special schools represented Upton Warren Outdoor Education Centre in Bromsgrove, Bartley Sailing Club in Birmingham, Walsall Outdoor Education Centre and Edgbaston, having enjoyed six, weekly sessions of specialist RYA coaching and boat handling development in preparation for the festival.

Meanwhile, the Northern regatta ended up a true War of the Roses as nine schools from across the region descended on Otley where the Town Mayor and the deputy Mayor of Leeds were among those nailing their white (Yorkshire) or red (Lancashire) colours to the mast and where even the fairy cakes pledged a county allegiance.

Many of the competing Yorkshire youngsters had learned to sail as part of the 800 disability sailing sessions run every year at Otley while the Lancashire contingent were supported by Bolton Sailing Club in the build up to and at the event.

The Eastern regatta attracted sailors from as far afield as Wembley, one sailor and his parents doing the 180-mile round trip to Ipswich to represent Colne Valley Special Sailors (CVSS), while there were also sailors from Fairlands in Stevenage. Sailability clubs and centres in the East had been invited to enter sailors in the event and then work with them on developing special racing skills ahead of the festival.

There were prizes galore at each regatta, with Sailability goodie bags and certificates handed out to every competitor. All racing took place in Access class dinghies.

Debbie added: "Massive thanks must go to all the volunteers, carers and buddies who made it possible for the sailors to attend sessions during the summer and who not only made the Sail LD regattas happen but made them such a success".

To find out more about RYA Sailability visit www.rya.org.uk/sailability

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