Skippers and crew members taking part in the Round Ireland Sailability event are busy getting their boats ready for their passage. On June 26, three yachts will leave Greencastle with owners and crew heading east to circumnavigate Ireland to raise awareness of sailing for persons with disabilities. They will be joined by another yacht at Carlingford. The skippers and their crew members are full steam ahead with their preparations.
Foyle Sailability volunteers are taking on this adventure to raise awareness of Sailability Ireland, a national organization aimed at increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in sailing and water-based activities.
The boats will stop at each of the Sailability centres round the island of Ireland where events will take place to mark their arrival. First stop will be at Belfast Lough Sailability centre at Carrickfergus. Bob Harper of BLS said’, We are thrilled Foyle Sailability volunteers are taking on this Round Ireland trip in the name of Sailability. It will help raise awareness of the benefits of sailing, and in particular for people with disabilities. We have been providing sailing to people with disabilities for over 15 years now and have first hand experience of the benefits it can provide. It’s wonderfully uplifting and a brilliant escape from the frustrations that disabled people face on land. A lot of people think sailing is too expensive and inaccessible and because they’re disabled, it’s logistically impossible. But this is just a myth. We constantly surprise people that they can sail, once in the boat, they are as capable as anyone else.”
The yachts will set sail from Greencastle, Co. Donegal on Friday 26th June when there will also be a ‘Day of Fun and Games On and Off the Water’ for people with disabilities. With support from Loughs Agency under the EU SDF programme and MalinWaters, we look forward to a great day and giving our adventurous sailors a great send off on their journey which will take approximately 2 weeks making stops at Carrickfergus, Carlingford, Dunlaoghaire, Kinsale, Galway and Killybegs.
Ciaran Murphy, Sailability Ireland, added, “We look forward to welcoming the Foyle Sailability members to each of the centres around the coast and raising wareness of the benefits of sailing for people with disabilities throughout the island of Ireland.”
Supported by MalinWaters which is funded by the EU INTERREG IVA cross border programme under the Sail West project, Joy Harron of Donegal Tourism said, “The emergence of the MalinWaters region has been a major milestone in the development and promotion of marine leisure and tourism and we are delighted to give support to Foyle Sailability and their members who are undertaking this Round Ireland Passage to promote Sailability Ireland.”
