Scotland was very well represented at the National RYA Sailability Annual Awards which took place in Bedfordshire on Saturday 17 February 2018. The Scottish winners, all of whom learnt or do sail at Clyde Muirshiel’s Castle Semple Centre in Lochwinnoch, won three of the five awards on offer. It certainly was a fantastic result.
David Hill, Senior Instructor at Clyde Muirshiel’s Castle Semple Centre said “I’m really proud of all these guys and the effort they have put in. They are an inspiration to us all and it certainly goes to show that disability is no barrier to success.”
The Young Person of the Year Award went to 16 year old Rory McKinna from Stewarton. Rory learnt to sail at Castle Semple in an accessible dinghy.
Rory’s 2017 Results alone make for impressive reading:
- Scottish TT Hansa 303 Singles Champion
- Scottish Club Trophy Champion
- GB Hansa Nationals 303 Singles Champion
- Winner of the Endeavour Trophy Hansa Nationals
- RYA Multiclass Regatta Hansa 303 Singles Champion
- Silver Medal representing GB at the European Para Youth Games, Genoa, Italy
- GB sailor on World Sailing Para Development Programme, Meze
- Member of UK Hansa team at Hansa European Championships, Meze, France
Rory has been consistently sailing at a high level for a number of years now with some fantastic results in 2017. He learnt to sail at Castle Semple, doing all his RYA courses with the Castle Semple Instructors using one of their accessible Hansa 303 dinghies, he is still a regular for training sessions and at Regatta’s.
He has also moved into mentoring other young sailors with a disability through Castle Semple and Able2Sail and will continue this through 2018 working with the instructors at Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park to drive on development and help grow participation in sailing.
The Team of the Year Award went to Able2Sail. With the help of the outdoor instructors at Castle Semple – using their knowledge, equipment and enthusiasm they trained, supported and encouraged the Scotland West team to double Silver medal place and a bronze at the Special Olympics (SO) in Sheffield in August 2017.
The Team are:
- Jamie Cairns, Student at West College Scotland, Clydebank Campus
- Darren McGregor, Student at Glasgow Kelvin College
- Lewis Nicolson, pupil at Riverbrae School, Linwood
- Mick Kelly, teacher/helper Riverbrae School, Linwood
- Shannon McGhee, Student at West College Scotland, Clydebank Campus
- Laura Carrick Able2sail Youth Co-ordinator
- David Hill, SO Head Coach & Senior Instructor at Clyde Muirshiel
The On the Water Award went to Mary Christison, Renfrewshire Disability Resource Centre (DRC) Paisley for all the effort she puts in to get as many of her members sailing as possible. As one person said “We would not be on the water without her work“. The vast majority of the DRC’s on the water activity takes place at Castle Semple, Lochwinnoch.
A very well done to all the award winners, volunteers and their supporters, what inspirational stories. It all started (and continues!) at Clyde Muirshiel’s Castle Semple Centre, Lochwinnoch, Scotland’s only Centre of Excellence for accessible sailing.
IMAGES:
Photo 1 – Group photo of all the Award Winners.
From the left Margaret Riley, Able2Sail Secretary; Shannon McGhee; Jamie Cairns; Laura Carrick; Gerry Campbell, Chair Able2Sail; Darren McGregor; Mick Kelly; Rory McKinna; Lewis Nicolson; David Hill; Craig Holland, DRC Member; Mary Christison.
Photo 2 – Close up of The Award
Photo 3 – Hansa 303’s racing on Castle Semple Loch at Multi-Class Regatta Sept 17. (Craig Holland, DRC, Paisley dark blue sails – won the single hander races, Rory McKinna E Ayrshire, red sails won single hander Scottish Traveller Series 2017 overall )
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