Sailing for Everyone

Sailability ACT and the Lake Tuggeranong Sea Scouts, in conjunction with the Spinnaker Island Yacht Club, and the Access Dinghy Sailing Association will conduct the championship in Canberra on 5 and 6 February 2000. We invite everyone to participate in the event, regardless of age, ability or disability.

The Access Dinghy national championships are now in their 5^th year and have grown from 20 boats and 36 sailors to this year when we plan to have over 65 boats and set 3 world records for participation.

The greatest number of boats of a single class in a disabled regatta.
The greatest number of female competitors in a disabled regatta.
The greatest proportion of female competitors in a disabled regatta.

The regatta itself remains open to everyone regardless of age or ability as Integration is what we are really about, so these 3 world record attempts will be sailed over one race using 2.3's on Saturday afternoon after the day's championship heats.

This year we have International guests in Mark Ellis and his supporters from the UK. Mark is blind since birth and at the recent UK Access Dinghy Championships won our prize of a return trip to Australia to compete with us at Canberra.

Sir William Deane, Governor General of Australia and Patron of the Access Dinghy Foundation has also invited us all to a reception at Government House, Yarralumla, between 5.30 and 6.30 pm on Friday 4^th. Dress is neat casual.

We really feel that this year will be a most sensational event and invite everyone's participation. It's a great opportunity, in the Olympic year, to demonstrate to the world what we are doing here in Australia.

1. The Venue. Lake Tuggeranong is a small man made lake adjacent to the Tuggeranong Town Centre, some 20 km south of the centre of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.

2. The Organising Authorities. Sailability ACT co-ordinates Sailability programmes at various venues throughout the ACT, including the Lake Tuggeranong Sea Scouts. Lake Tuggeranong Sea Scouts is a large scout group who sail thirty of their own dinghies. Spinnaker Island Yacht Club is affiliated to the Australian Yachting Federation (AYF). The Club will provide the championship race management, including providing officials who were the Race Officer and Protest Committee Chairman for the last two Access Dinghy Australian championships.

3. Eligibility to Compete. The championship is open to all Access 2.3 and 303 class dinghies. Competitors with very high level physical disability may sail servo assisted or remote control assisted boats. Vision impaired competitors may be radio assisted. Boats shall hold third party liability insurance cover of not less than $1 million. Entrants under I8 years of age shall provide a 'consent to participate' letter from a parent or guardian.

4. The Rules. The championship will be governed by the International Sailing Federation's Racing Rules of Sailing [RRS], the prescriptions and safety regulations of the AYF, the rules of the Access dinghy class and the sailing instructions. Changes to the RRS, made to meet the purposes of the Access Dinghy Sailing Association, will be detailed in the Notice of Race.

5. Advertising. The championship is classified as a Category B event in accordance with RRS rule G4. Competitors may be required to display sponsor's logos, which shall be affixed to the hull as prescribed in the sailing instructions.

6. Safety. Boats shall comply with the AYF special regulations Part 2. The Organising Authorities will provide rescue boats to the standard recommended by the AYF. A first aid tent will be manned by St John's Ambulance officers during the event.

7. The Boats. Competitors may sail in their own boats. Other boats will be allocated to competitors at random by the race committee, and will be checked to ensure fairness of competition.

8. Divisions. Access 2.3 competitors will be split into divisions according to their known sailing performance. The Race Committee will seek advice from participating organisatons before making the allocation, which will be posted prior to registration. There will be separate categories across divisions for Servo Assisted and Open divisions. Access 303 competitors shall sail in a single division. Doubles Division will be sailed in 303's.

The boats will sail in 2 fleets. 2.3 divisions 1 & 2 will sail with the 303 (singles) division and 2.3 divisions 3 & 4 will sail with doubles division (using 303's).

9. The Races. Six races for each division are scheduled. The first warning signal each day will be displayed at 0954 hours. At the conclusion of Championship racing on Saturday, the World Record race will be sailed. At the end of the championship on Sunday there will be a 'Top Gun' race.

10. Entry. Entry shall be made on the entry form (which will be sent to you soon) and posted to arrive by 29 January 2000. Competitors shall register between 1500 and 1900 hours on 4 February 2000 or between 0700 and 0830 hours on 5 February, at the Lake Tuggeranong Sea Scouts Hall off Mortimer Lewis Drive. The Entry Fee per sailor is $30.

11. Meals. The Sea Scouts will be running a canteen all day. It is planned to have a Championship dinner on Saturday night, at a local club where meal prices are very reasonably priced.

12. Accommodation. Special rates are being negotiated with local providers, and there are camping facilities on the lawns around the clubhouse.