Sail on!

Mandy Latimore
By Mandy Latimore
6 Min Read

Summertime and the travelling is easy

October was a very busy period as the disability sector geared up for Disability Month in November, culminating in our International Day for Disability on December 3. There are many events to attend and my diary is full. Here are some of the highlights…

Sailing Day for People with Disabilities
I was approached by Iuan Gray to attend the Paralympic Development Programme in Weymouth, UK so that we could learn more about sailing for people with disabilities. We were one of six countries who attended, with sailors ranging from experts to beginners. It was hosted by the Royal Yacht Association in Britain and there were Paralympic coaches from the UK, America and Sweden. We sailed the smallest of the three Paralympic class boats – a 2.4m single-seater craft, which was a bit daunting, but once I grasped the concept of heeling the boat over and keeping my body straight, I was able to enjoy the fantastic sensation of having the level of the water close to my face. The days were long, starting at 07h30 and ending at 20h00, but as this was a learning curve for both Iuan and me, we embraced it wholeheartedly and tried to get as much information and knowledge as possible. My competitive nature has kicked in, but I realise we need to build a base at home first before we attempt international competition. We already have some sailors who have competed in the Paralympics, so we will keep the connection with the ISAF (International Sailing Federation).

On our return, Iuan went back to his club – The Cat Club at Bronkhorstspruit Dam, where they had already started making the club accessible – and put together a Sailing Day for people with disabilities to come and try out the sport. He managed to gather four WindRiders – a really stable trimaran, which has trampolines on either side of the central cockpit. This allows a coach or anyone else to join the sailor on the craft. The rudder can be worked either with foot pedals or with a hand tiller. A group of 12 people with disabilities attended, ranging from amputees and people with spina bifida to paraplegics and quadriplegics – and the fantastic volunteers assisted with transfers (after a crash course on proper lifting techniques). Everyone loved getting onto the water and a few really brave sailors even tried to board other catamarans.

Family members were encouraged to join their sailors on the trimarans and spouses and kids were all amazed at how easily and quickly they learnt to sail.

Everyone involved expressed great interest in moving this forward and so we are looking at creating a National Disabled Sailing Association, so that we can train coaches and volunteers round the country. People with disabilities will be able to join local sailing clubs and participate in either sailing for fun or competitive racing should they choose.

Happy travels!

The Lilizela Tourism Awards 2015
These awards are given in recognition of service delivery within the tourism industry. The awards ceremony this year, the third annual event, was held at the Sandton Convention Centre. It is always a glitzy black-tie affair and as the Eco Transport Month had chosen Sandton as the non-motorised hub, we were all advised to ensure we planned our routes carefully in order to arrive in time.   The word “Lilizela” describes the ululating sound that African women make when they are expressing strong emotion, and we all practised our ululating – even the men present, although the ladies rule in this instance!

The evening was hosted by Joanne Strauss and Stoan Seate and there were fantastic performances by Lira, The Soil and Brenda and the Band. Minister of Tourism Mr Derek Hanekom gave the keynote speech and handed out the awards to the winners in the various categories. Of course my interest was in the awards that go to establishments within the Universal Access category and so I made sure I had an unobstructed view to get pics of the winners. Here they are:

Universal Access            

  • Accommodation General: – Holiday Inn Johannesburg, Gauteng
  • Accommodation Mobility – Soli Deo Gloria, Western Cape
  • Accommodation Mobility & Hearing – Access2Africa Safaris, KwaZulu Natal

Holiday Inn Johannesburg is based in Rosebank, a short walk from the major shopping malls and a quick trip from the Gautrain. www.ihg.com/holidayinn

Soli Deo Gloria – a delightful self-catering fisherman’s cottage in Paternoster in the Western Cape (it also won last year).
www.paternoster-accommodation.co.za

Access2Africa Safaris, based in Durban, is run by the wife of a quadriplegic and they offer accessible trips and tours within South Africa.   www.access2africasafaris.com


Mandy Latimore is a consultant in the disability sector in the fields of travel and access. email: mandy@noveltravel.co.za

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Mandy Latimore
By Mandy Latimore Consultant
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Mandy Latimore is a consultant in the disability sector in the fields of travel and access. email: mandy@noveltravel.co.za.
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