Disabled Sailing Association of BC and the Martin 16
Dec 21, 2017
The Disabled Sailing Association of BC’s (DSA) was born when in 1988 Rick Hansen presented Sam Sullivan with a British Sunbird that he had received from then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The Sunbird was a great success and provided DSA with many years of service. The Sunbird, however, was an aging design, and even though the addition of a Sip ‘n’ Puff control system made it more accessible to tetraplegics, its performance was negatively affected, and it ceased to be a competitive sailboat. This prompted DSA to turn to world renowned yacht designer and manufacturer Don Martin of Richmond. The joint effort resulted in the Martin 16, the first boat in the world to make the needs of tetraplegics an integral part of it design.
The Martin 16 is a breakthrough in small boat design. The weighted keel makes it a very safe boat for people with severe disabilities. The high lift keel makes the boat very stable, trailer launching is simple and the boat can be easily rigged by one person.
The inherent stability of the boat, along with the adjustable seating and specialized control systems make the Martin 16 truly accessible to all physically challenged sailors. It is also a lively performance boat for able bodied sailors; this promotes DSA’s goal of integrated sailing for recreation and competition.
Canadian Don Martin designed and built the Martin 16 sailboat, that allows children and adults with physical disabilities the possibility of leaving their wheelchair or other mobility device behind and go sailing! Even individuals with weak arms or no use of their arms can sail independently using power assist technology.
Gerry Burns, DSA fleet captain: “The learning curve in sailing goes on forever. It’s thrilling and aggressive when you are up against other people in a race. The wind is howling, and the boat is leaning right over, and everyone’s flying! Waves are breaking over the bow but no-one is backing off – it feels like you are living on the edge
“And at other times you can be out on English Bay enjoying the awesome scenery and wildlife popping up, like seals and eagles, and you’re catching some rays feeling totally independent. Often I’ll look at the whole city of Vancouver and the mountains, and think I’m the luckiest guy in the country. I’m quadriplegic but the luckiest guy in the country.”
SharaGutsche: “When I sail I feel stronger. I have no fears when I sail. I feel peaceful. I feel free. I’m not disabled, I’m a sailor.”
The team from the OnBoard newsletter is all avid boaters. One of my greatest joys is sailing out here on BC’s West Coast. If you as a sailor want to share these feelings, then I urge you to contact the Disabled Sailing Association and be a volunteer for someone like Gerry or Sara.
-BN
