My first sailing day was 30 years ago with my professor from Uni. We sailed from Venice to Pula-Croatia.
When I am sailing I am really in the elements (the sea and the wind).
You become part of the elements. You have to cope with wind and waves. The other important aspect to me is that you are a part of the crew sharing all the fears and wills.
My Son, Pardo, has grown up on a sailing boat (34″ family boat in the Arctic sea). I sail Hansa 303 Double with Pardo.
The first thing is I feel SAFE. The boat is stable and comfortable.
The most important aspect of an inclusive sailing event (like 2018 Hansa Worlds) is meeting true people, hearing about their experiences and there is no hypocrisy here.
To me inclusion means FORGETTING that I have a disability. I really forget my disability here.
When I go home I will remember the people of the regatta. It is always very nice for me to meet the Hansa community. Also I will remember the Japanese people, so polite, so elegant and always smiling.
If I could invite anyone in the world to sail with me, I would like to invite my friend (almost brother). He is the one who I was sailing with last year. He got a brain aneurysm so he is now disabled. This happened one year ago and we are fighting to give him the opportunity to sail.