Issue date
On January 27th 2013, Olympic Gold Medallist Jo Aleh will be one of the many helping Sailability Auckland celebrate 20 years of organized sailing for people with a disability in New Zealand.
Originally named “The Sailing for the Disabled Trust” when the organization began in 1992, Sailability Auckland has grown from an organization that chartered keelboats for training young disabled people to one that offers thousands of sailing opportunities every year at all levels of the sport.
In recent history, Sailability Auckland has continued to be a model organization for the growing trend of disabled sailing in New Zealand and their programmes have progressed in size and capability to host even NZ’s most elite Paralympic Sailors. The Royal Akarana Yacht Club now serves as a partner to the Westhaven Marina based organization, and will be the host of the 20th Anniversary dinner and auction on Sunday January 27th.
Tickets are on sale through the RAYC Website , and for the low cost of $60 each, guests will enjoy a three course dinner, guest speaker (Olympic Gold Medallist Jo Aleh), and a silent auction. The fundraising auction includes some unique and highly sought after items: a two hour sail with Jo Aleh in a Paralympic Class SKUD 18, a signed and framed Emirates Team New Zealand shirt, a gift package from Yachting New Zealand, original artwork and more.
New Zealand has a proud history in disabled sailing, with years of early success first in Blind Sailing which progressed to opportunities for people with a physical disability through the 2.4mR keelboats in both Christchurch and Auckland. New Zealand participated in the first Paralympic Sailing demonstration event (1996), and again in Sydney 2000 where our best yet result of 5th in the 2.4mR was achieved. After a 12 year draught, Sailability Auckland supported and fostered three of their members to represent New Zealand at the Paralympics again at London 2012.
Sailability Auckland was the first to offer formal sailing opportunities for people with a physical disability and they were also the first in NZ to host an IFDS (International Association for Disabled Sailing) World Championship in 2009: the Kiwi Cup was born from the combined IFDS One Person Dinghy World Championship and Access Liberty Open World Championship.
The Sailability Auckland 20th Anniversary Dinner is also the closing event of the 2013 Kiwi Cup and NZ Access Class National Championships which are raced at RAYC from 24-27 January. Prize giving for the National Championships start at 6:00pm, all welcome, and the RAYC bar will be open!
Event Details
Sunday January 27th
Royal Akarana yacht Club
7:00 – 9:00 (doors open 6:00)
Three course meal, speaker, and auction
Dress Code Smart Casual
Tickets $60 – purchase by 12:00pm Friday 25th
For More information contact:
Tim Dempsey
Sailabilityauckland@xtra.co.nz
(09) 834 0557
Or
Kristine Lederis
Kristine@yachtingnz.org.nz
021871301
