Passion Unlimited !

How would you define passion? What if you could look at a race going on and you wouldn't see anything to let you know the sailors are blind? Well, that’s how I’d describe passion!

To sail. To spread a wing in the air and soar. No internal power. No fuel, just atmospheric energy. The only motion created by the elements of wind and water. To some humans, sailing calls as powerfully as the ancient lure of flight itself, and to those who pursue it, the passion only increases. Can you imagine the feeling for the sailor who is blind?

Where a sighted sailor might look up at the telltales - small ribbons on the aft edge of the sail that indicate optimum wind flow - blind sailors learn to use other senses, such as the feel of the wind on their faces to determine direction, intensity, and critical shifts.
Sailing promotes self-confidence, provides socialization, makes you mentally tough, and gives you the ability to multitask - there are all kinds of abilities that arise from the challenge of competition that go beyond sailing.

To enjoy sailing, blind sailors require no special boats or adaptive equipment. However, boats small enough to provide a responsive helm are recommended. Steering with a tiller rather than a wheel is preferable to improve a blind sailor's ability to "feel" the boat. Equipment such as talking compasses and whistles can be used to provide audio orientation and assure safety. Some blind sailors may also prefer tactile markings.

Blind Sailing International (BSI) Regattas include boats ranging from the 23 foot Sonar to the 36 foot Farr design. BSI prefers to use boats crewed by two blind and two sighted persons. Over the years, several attempts have been made to create aids for blind sailors: noise-making telltales, talking GPS. These would allow blind sailors to handle boats with a minimum of assistance from sighted crew.

Some have learned to incorporate such simple items as kitchen timers and pieces of tape on the sheets to give a sense of sail trim. Talking GPS and compass systems are developing, but are expensive and unnecessary, say some blind sailors!

So don’t be surprised if the next successful circumnavigation is completed by a sailor without sight. For where there is passion there is always a vision!

Regatta : The Ace Race

Any patron of the sailing community would come across the term Regatta in normal sailing conversations and would interpret it as just another boat race.

But Regattas are more than just that - they are a boat race organised just for the joy of competition, camaraderie, and general promotion of the sport.

MORE THAN SOMETHING SIMPLE

A regatta is a term used to describe either a boat race, or series of boat races. Although the term typically describes racing events of unpowered watercraft, some powerboat race series are also called regattas. Most commonly, a regatta is either a series of rowing, sailing or yacht racing. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type (or "class") championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place.

Although regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually very highly organized, formally structured events, with complex rules precisely describing the schedule and procedures of the event; sometimes may be organized as championships for a particular area or type of boat.

Regattas are customized by their organisers based on the uniqeness found in the waters they are held or based on some special whims and fancies of the participants also. The Committee Vessel - a boat that of the organiser, overlooks the preceedings of the race and at the same time makes sure every competitor participates fairly to the spirit of the race. It's a lot like a Pace Car of Formula 1 races.

Regattas may be hosted by a Yacht club or a sailing association. In some western coastal towns and cities high school regattas or college regattas are held to promote the sport and participate in the joy of the event.

SIGNIFICANT REGATTAS

One of the largest and most popular regattas is the Henley Royal Regatta held on the River Thames, England. The oldest running regatta in the world is Cowes Week, which is held annually by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England and usually attracts over 900 sailboats.

INDIA

Back home in India, Regattas are held during the sailing season by the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, Bombay Sailing Association, Colaba Sailing Club and other such local clubs and associations. The Madras Boat Club down south has its fair number of regattas held in the eastern coast of India.

Its a commonly held practice to celebrate the beginning and mark the ending of the sailing season with a special regatta in almost all of these clubs. Recent times have seen sponsorship and extensive media coverage and has increased the popularity of these.

Hence, Regattas are the real sailing races - they are held in the true spirit of the sport. Apart from being about speed and course, they are about taking the spirit of yachting to the hearts of the yachtsmen. Every yachtsmen would start his/ her passion of sailing with a Regatta.

An increase in the number of Regattas held and their publicity would be a definite start to the increase in the acceptance of the sport of sailing amongst both the masses and the classes here.