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A Paper by the inaugural chaiman
of Blind Sailing International Mr. Colin Spanake (New Zealand)
setting out the direction of Blind Sailing as a "sport under
it's own rules." This paper was delivered at the formation
of Blind Sailing International at the second World Blind Sailing
Championship Regatta at Fremantle Australia, January 1997.
BLIND SAILING AS A SPORT
UNDER ITS OWN RULES
1. International Blind Sports Association conducts International
competitions for the blind three separate groups, viz. B 1, B2,
B3, thus permitting fair competition for those with differing
degrees of vision impairment. Blind Sailing International seeks
to continue this practice.
2. The development of recreation and sport sailing for blind
and vision impaired athletes stemmed from the emerging recognition
that far from being disabled, this section of the community had
the same potential for developing the skills and enjoying the
sport as any sighted person. There are some activities, in particular
those where the spheres of operation are predictable, in which
the blind can perform unaided. But in sailing, where international
laws require the maintenance of a proper look-out at all times,
a sighted helper is required, in the boat, or else in continuous
close proximity. Despite this, many blind are physically, capable
of performing all tasks relative to sailing that a sighted, able
bodied
person can. They are not physically disabled. They, are generally
mobile.
3. At the inaugural meeting of Blind Sailing International in
Perth in 1994, experience in the First
International Blind Sailing Regatta in Auckland and experience
in racing generally resulted in the unequivocal decision of all
the delegates, even those who were currently working with their
local
Sailability, that the blind wished to develop their sport as
an integrated blind/sighted cooperative effort, recognising that
safety factors dictate the presence of sighted sailors. The Second
International at Fremantle sailed in tougher conditions hardened
this attitude A ratio of one-to-one of sighted to blind on a
boat was recognised as the optimum. The soundness of this requirement
was amply demonstrated at Fremantle when the sighted tactician
on a boat on its way to the start line became incapacitated while
the yacht was sailing to windward in 20 knot winds in open waters.
The sighted crew took over the helm, organised the blind crew
and returned the engineless yacht safely to the marina.
4. There was no wish at this
Perth meeting to ignore International Foundation for Disabled
Sailing, or to dissociate from that body. Rather, there was a
desire that the WDS and IYRU recognise that the blind had special
needs which could best be met by a regulatory body representative
of the blind sailors and dedicated to the special and unique
skills of the blind. There was expressed the hope that IYRU would
ultimately accept BSI as its regulatory body, either directly
or through IFDS.
5. One of the goals of teaching sailing for the Blind is to enable
them to take a part in the recreation or sport of sailing, as
an active, fully integrated member with the sighted participants.
Experience during the last 20 years of racing and cruising sailing
has shown that such integration can be achieved without
detriment to sighted sailors success rate. There are examples
of blind sailors in NZ and no doubt elsewhere in the world, helming
and crewing and winning competitions in open company. The
separation of the blind from the able bodied, sighted world which.
occurs in the IFDS handicap system is regarded as not in keeping
with the goal of Integration.
6. Sighted crews sailing at all levels from normal day sailing
for fun to the Americas Cup and Admirals Cup contests, develop
sophisticated levels of communication. The navigator and tactician
feed information to the Helmsperson, even the advice to "tack
now" or---gybe now trimmers may indicate the necessity for
changes and advise the helm of the need to do so, foredeck hands
may call "Hoist" or "drop" or "ease
now". Very often no words are needed, the commencement of
an action by one member triggers off actions by others. It can
be no less so with a blind and sighted crew. It may even require
more skill in that the lack of sight requires greater sensitivity
in senses other than sight. The development and maintenance of
that particular skill is a high priority for blind sailors, not
only between sighted and blind, but also between blind sailors
themselves.. There is no suggestion that those skids are not
present in physically disabled sailors.
7. The development of electronic devices such as the audible
compass, and the linking of normal navigation instruments to
voice synthesisers are developments which have lessened the effect
of loss of sight. Their availability together with others to
come, will lead to the goal of having a blind crew which
will require only a sighted lookout and an emergency sighted
crew in a five-man boat.
8. All these factors make blind sailors reluctant to accept in
international competition the limitations of a handicap system
such as that established by the IFDS which, admirable though
it may be in equalising the abilities of physically disabled
sailors, inevitably relates the blind to being 'pullers of sheets'.
In discussions on the IFDS system, the blind recognise that if
the goal is to win an International title, it would be highly
unlikely that a Blind Helmsperson would be chosen. The blind
may be in demand as crew. Some are very skilled at foredeck work
and race regularly in two-man open company races, but
nevertheless want the regular opportunity to excel at all the
tasks required in a racing yacht.
In summary then, Blind sailors wish to compete under the three
group classification system established by the IBSA, each
group having its own competition. Blind sailors are generally
able bodied and mobile and are physically capable of performing
swiftly at a high level of skill all tasks require to race a
boat.
Safety considerations require able bodied sighted tacticians
and crew on a one-to-one basis on each boat competing except
in special circumstances. There is no wish to dissociate frorn
IYRU or IFDS. The special abilities and needs of the blind are
best
served by a regulatory body which can work either directly with
IYRU or through IFDS. ntegration of blind sailors into sighted
sport is well established. The blind feel that separation from
the
general sporting world, is not desirable. Special skills of communication
which are not readily analysed develop between blind and sighted
crew and between blind crew themselves. The speed of response
is notable.
The IFDS handicap system would limit the numbers of otherwise
capable blind sailors who would get the chance to compete at
international level. The lack of sight would inevitably relegate
them to sheet handlers. Development of electronic aids opens
up a new potential in blind sailing. Blind sailors wish to pursue
this potential in inter-national competition.
Colin Spanhake
Chairman Blind Sailing International
11 July 1996
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