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	TX: 18.07.07 - Sailability PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON

	THE ATTACHED TRANSCRIPT WAS TYPED FROM A RECORDING AND NOT COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT. BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF MISHEARING AND THE DIFFICULTY IN SOME CASES OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS, THE 麻豆约拍 CANNOT VOUCH FOR ITS COMPLETE ACCURACY. ROBINSON The Royal Yachting Association, together with the RNIB, believes there is still time to train up disabled yachtsmen and women skilled enough to represent Britain in the Paralympics in 2012. The two organisations are pooling their expertise for a campaign that they're calling 'Sail On', it got underway at the weekend. John Thorne joined a class of visually-impaired teenagers and some specially adapted single-handed keel boats at a sailing club at Ottley, near Leeds. ACTUALITY Okay, right smashing. Now put it middle, straight up, push, push, push, lovely and left. Great. Middle. Smashing. Push out Paul, you pull that. If I shout let go you let it go forward. Are you happy for me to give you a push and you are sailing in this lake on your own? Yeah absolutely. Can you hear me? I can still hear you thank you, yes. THORNE Norman Stevens gives Steve his final instructions at the jetty side. Then with his headphones comfortably adjusted Steve, who's blind, is gently launched alone on his first sailing expedition, confident that Norman will guide him from the shore side. ACTUALITY Left, left, left a bit. Middle. Excellent. You are now at about a hundred yards away from me in the middle of a big lake all on your own. You're sailing away into the distance. THORNE Steve's introduction to sailing comes because a report estimated that at least 60,000 people among the country's disabled population would try boating given the chance. So a combination of the RNIB and the Royal Yachting Association funds these opportunities. John White is the RYA's special development management. WHITE Out there today we can see what are called access dinghies, which are very user friendly dinghies, which can be adapted to all sorts of different disabilities. THORNE Unsinkable, is that right? WHITE Pretty much, never say never. But no very user friendly and they can be adapted right the way down to a joystick that can control a boat through just tongue movement or as we see today the participants have got headsets and they're being guided by the volunteers on the bank. So phenomenally adaptable. THORNE Of course the fun is in the unexpected. For Steve a pull too far on the joystick that guides his yacht brings the lake water gushing over the gunnels. But the rescue boat is quickly alongside. A rescue is a bit more difficult when the yachtsmen are blind but it is still great fun in the unsinkable keel boat. An hour or two later, dried out and reliving the voyage, Steve is eager for more. STEVE I love sailing, I mean it's not something I'm going to stop doing just because I sank you know. You don't really have to see to - well you have to see to know where you're going but you don't really have to see to sail really because you've got control of the wind on the sail, so you pull the sail tight until you feel the wind and then you slacken off the ropes a bit to give it more of the speed because it's the wind that controls the acceleration. I'll try and not be a submariner next time. ACTUALITY Now are you ready? So we have one with little creatures in an ice house, an igloo, you have got 1960s psychedelic stripy colours, really horrible and you're dirty and old and orange. Are you ready now? We can take you down to the boat. THORNE Colourful life jackets on, now it's the turn for a group of girls from Huddersfield, who are gingerly led down to a bigger dinghy on the jetty. ACTUALITY Very, very gusty wind out there today I'm afraid, so we might even get a few wet a bit later on, but I'm sure you'll be up for that won't you. You sit yourself down on that seat, that's it, right now then you sit in sideways on to the boat. You can hear me, I'm sat at the back, and the front of the boat is the other way. Okay? There's two big sails above you - one at the front and one above your head - and that's what pushes the boat on. Okay? So we're going to start setting off now. So if [indistinct word] just push the bow. Enjoy. Tell him how fast you want to go. Very, very fast. THORNE Susan Robinson brought this visually-impaired group to Ottley for the sailing day. What do you think the girls will get out of this trip? ROBINSON Oh a feeling of freedom and enjoyment and doing what everybody else does. THORNE And they might get a ducking but that won't matter? ROBINSON No because the first time I took them sailing to Windermere one jumped over and they all jumped, and there were just all these children bobbing up and down. Fortunately all in life jackets. But the sight was wonderful. ACTUALITY Hard right Chris. Middle Vicky, middle, middle. You bring it round right Chris. THORNE The instructor Norman Stevens again, using the headset to choreograph a yacht race between Chris Owen and Vicky Banley, who are both completely blind. ACTUALITY You've passed him Vicky already. Right, right, right. Right, right, right Vic, right Vicky, right, right, right. THORNE Vicky is at university but has recently been reintroduced to the joys of single-handed sailing. VICKY Being out there in a boat with somebody else directing you off land when you can't see anything is pretty impressive I think. THORNE Have you had near misses as it were? VICKY Yeah I've had a few times when I've got pretty wet but I guess that's just part of the fun really and it's a whole independence thing of being able to do it yourself. ACTUALITY Keep it there Vicky, beautiful, you're just passing him going the other way. You're half a lap in front. You keep going straight Vicky, right a little touch Vicky, ready to come left, left, left Chris. ELLISON I'm Eleanor Ellison, recreation and lifestyles manager for the Royal National Institute of Blind People. Once you're out there on the water a blind or partially sighted sailor is very much in the same boat - to coin a pun - as everybody else, it's a great leveller. THORNE And this idea that possibly there might be a Paralympic sailor out there just beginning, is that a possibility? ELLISON Very much so, we're looking to 2012 of course and we're hoping, yes, that someone will come along today, get the bug and be there in five years time. STEVENS I personally believe and always have done that it is sport for all. And every single sport should be wide open. Our motto, down here: If you will, they can. There's nothing that you can't be. If they're willing to have a go you've got to do it, it's as simple as that. To my mind you're not a true sportsman if you're not willing to share with all. ROBINSON Norman Stevens ending that report. Back to the Transcripts homepage Back to the You and Yours homepage The 麻豆约拍 is not responsible for external websites

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