Sailing off to Freedom

by Tom Ayers

Billy Cotton of St. Peters is a caregiver for his 22 year-old nephew, Kirk Boudreau, who suffers from a nervous system disorder that has put him in a wheelchair and limited his mobility. Last year, Billy faced his own mobility challenges when he had a knee replacement operation.

Billy still finds it a little difficult to get around, but he and Kirk both got a thrill last summer when they took part in a pilot sailing program initiated by the Wallace MacAskill Yacht Club based at the St. Peters Lions Club Marina on the Bras d'Or Lake.

"I love sailing," says Billy. "It's quiet, nice, you're more in tune with nature. I was definitely feeling a little sorry for myself after losing my mobility a bit, but a day out on the water with Kirk and that was gone."

The pilot project started out as a way for the yacht club to gain experience running programs and, eventually, to build interest in sailing among area youth. It quickly surpassed everyone's expectations and has become a permanent program for the Wallace MacAskill Yacht Club.

Club spokesman Barry MacNeil says it was the provincial yachting association that arranged a one-week visit from the Access Boom Sailing School based in Ontario, where the program usually attracts three or four participants. In St. Peters last summer, seven people showed up.

"My biggest fear was that they'd arrive here (from Ontario) and we wouldn't have anyone interested in the program," says Barry. "We were kind of blown away with seven, and they went full blast for a week."

With the help of the Nova Scotia Yachting Association, the local Lions Club, the Nova Scotia Amateur Sport Fund, the Richmond branch of the Cape Breton Regional Health Authority and people in the community of St. Peters, the program attracted participants from Halifax, Antigonish and Cape Breton.

"Through that, the seed was sown," says Barry. "We've reached the point where it's a fait accompli. There will be a 10-week program here in St. Peters this summer."

Since last summer, the Wallace Mac-Askill Yacht Club has acquired three small dinghies that can accommodate disabled sailors and has hired a qualified instructor. The program will open in the first week of July, is free of charge and is open to anyone who is interested in learning to sail.

"The term disability doesn't necessarily mean people in wheelchairs," Barry emphasizes. "It could be people with diabetes or arthritis, and it's not just for youth."

Participants can drop by for a quick visit or stay for the day. They can even go out sailing every day, if they wish. Sailing instruction is tailored to fit each individual's needs.

At the same time, the yacht club will continue to host an able-bodied mobile sailing program that comes from Pictou. Last year, it attracted 42 youths and adults, including tourists and summer cottagers. This year, it is being extended from two to three weeks. Both sailing programs will complement the club's three established regatta weekends that attract sailors from all over, including the U.S.

"The ideal thing would be for our disabled program to develop into an integrated program with able-bodied youth," says Barry.

Sailing clubs throughout North America and the world are starting to recognize the therapeutic and recreational benefits of sailing for able-bodied and disabled people alike. It turns out that, with the right equipment, the water is an equalizer that eliminates any distinctions between the two.

"Sailing is one of the most accessible sports that you can do and there is no reason why anyone setting up a sailing program can't set one up for disabled or able-bodied people," says Frank Denis, executive director of the Nova Scotia Yachting Association.

As a result of the success in St. Peters last year, the access sailing program is spreading, with plans to offer it this summer at the Mira Boat Club and at Ingonish.

"We're waiting on some funding applications, but we fully expect them to be successful," Frank says.

If the program proves as popular in Ingonish and on the Mira as it has been in St. Peters, the provincial yachting association could develop its own mobile access sailing program to take it farther afield.

"The only reason we're going to Mira and Ingonish and St. Peters is we have a community champion in each one," Frank adds. "We're hoping once other communities in Cape Breton see this up and running, they'll become interested."

The Wallace MacAskill Yacht Club is fairly young, having started in 1999 with about 15 members. Today, the roster lists over 50 members. With no building or overhead to worry about, funds raised by the yacht club through the Lions Club and others in the community are poured into programming, and now, equipment. And the club really appreciates the use of the Lions Club Marina.

The Lions Club took over the marina from Devco and has expanded it over the last seven years. Manager Gerry Gibson says it has become very busy, and the Lions Club is considering further expansion in the future.

The access sailing program was a wonderful addition to the traffic at the marina last year, he adds. "It's terrific. I never thought it would be like that. When you see those kids out there, it's great. They don't want to come back in.

"It made my eyes open when I saw them out there on the water. Hopefully, it'll grow beyond what we ever imagined."

Billy says he and Kirk will be back at the marina this summer for the access sailing program, and he recommends it for anyone. "To see some of those kids down there, it's truly a great thing."

For more information on any of the sailing programs in St. Peters, contact Barry at 1-902-625-3475 or by email at barry.macneil@ns.sympatico.ca or the yacht club website www.wallacemacaskillyachtclub.com.

Click on the below link to view a CBC Broadcast regarding this story.

http://www.centralcapebreton.com/AccessSailing.wmv