Sailability and Special Olympians sail around Tortola

Perfect winds provided the Sailability sailors the power to circumnavigate their home for the first time ever during the weekend of July 1 through July 3, visiting Cooper Island Beach Club, ‘Stanley’s Welcome Bar’ at Cane Garden Bay, Foxy’s Taboo on Jost Van Dyke and The Jolly Roger in Sopers Hole for warm welcomes, memorable lunches and afternoon refreshments.

Lenford Pope and Glenford Gordon helmed their Squibs ‘Hope’ and ‘Charity’ throughout the three days with no external help.  Their crews at all times were fellow young sailors with special needs. After almost a month in Peebles hospital, Delroy Gordon was discharged by his doctors on Thursday evening, but would still be unable to take part in the sponsored sail. Coming to the rescue, RYA assistant instructors from BVIWSC – Eben Meyers and Jaye Noel, skippered his Squib ‘Faith’ for the duration of the trip.

The young sailors that took part in the three day adventure sailed 64.3 miles finding themselves in bays and on sister islands that they had never seen before. This made the challenge all the more rewarding.  Zva Vern Adams, Ali Davis, Akeem David, Chelton Felix, Brandon Foxe and Jamie Murray completed the task put to them ahead, while raising money for the two helms to travel and compete in the UK in August. This regatta will act as an international warm-up to a larger team attending the Special Olympics Summer Games in Greece next year.

Day three of the voyage took in the West End Yacht Club’s annual, ‘Firecracker 500 Race’, a 20 mile, four hour, gruelling pursuit that illustrated striking focus and physical staying power in Lenford and Glen as they and the third crew (just aboard for the race) Alison Knights Bramble, took second place.  Eben Meyers and Danny Petrovic still only 14 and 13 years old, also raced ‘Faith’ to an impressive fourth place overall.

"I like the waves,but didn't like telling the crew to pull the jib in!  I liked the race and having to concentrate on hiking for long time.  The spinnaker was exciting,” said Lenford Pope.

Brandon Foxe said he enjoyed the long sail around Tortola; he also liked the crew.

However, Akeem David said while he liked to be far away from land, he didn’t like the waves when they made him feel sick.

After crossing the finish line back in Sopers Hole, the remainder of the Sailability BVI crews jumped back aboard the fleet, keen to complete their last leg up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and back into the home waters of the Squibs - Sea Cows Bay.

"Having personally rebuilt all of the 3 squibs over the past couple of years and christened them in January of 2010, I was as proud of the fleet's performance, as I was of the intriguing capacity of all the sailors with special needs to stay the pace in such an enthusiastic and switched on manner.  The two helms Glen and Lenford who showed themselves as competent and strong sailors, never tiring during the long daysails and the support of youth sailors without special needs, who give up their time to be there for the Sailability BVI crews make me extremely proud.

We had put the fundraising ball back in the court of the children and their families to a certain degree this time and the response from some parents in their efforts to raise sponsorship has been quite amazing - they should be congratulated too!" said Alison Bramble of Special Olympics BVI.

Thanks must go to volunteers from Special Olympics BVI for essential, land based support, namely - John Everitt, Colin Bramble and Lorna Dawson who chauffeured the team from venue to home each day.

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