Pre?s Posts

Y-Knot Is Beneficiary of Sagamore Chowderfest and ...

? id="Con?">

Blog: What's New at Y-Knot Sailing

Ac?ible Sailing on Lake George and else?e...

Y-Kn??am a?s disabl?o go?h the wind

By PATRICIA and ROBERT FOULK?pan>
Speci?o The Post-Star

LAKE GEORGE --? and?ed, Rebecca Stanley had surged down big waves into f? place at the finish lin?hen exclaimed, "Oh, man! That was cool!"

????est race in the Y-Knot Cup R?ta on Lake Georg?er a windy Columbus Day weekend.?e boats finished in ? sec?, and the bows of the first two were?s than a foo?art when the?ossed the line.
Stanley c? from Altamont and i?esident of Y-Knot Sailinsed at Camp Chingachgook. She has come a long way since a car accident more than 20 ?s ago left h?aralyzed from the shoulders down. Sh?ill has use of her h? and arms, just ??o handle? sailboat. S?ses a joysti??eer and all lines for the sails are with?each? />
She won at the ?? Quebec in M?eal a couple of ?hs ago, and when racing was ? she? the overall winner ?his regatta too. Sta?? one of 15 disabled ?? competing in the fifth ???ta, whic?ew competitors from Burl?on, Vt., Con??, Montreal and K?ton,?ario, to compete?h the Y-? reg???his area? />
Racing began in conditions ??ld d? many able-bodied sa?s. T?ind had pipe? to ?o 26 mph?ing the morning, and sea?ilt ???t the day.

The?rivethe dock in their wheelc?s an?e lowere? crane into a seat on their ???ed i?hey steer and control both m?ail and jib. Managing th?rocess f? to Dock?er Maryellen Rudolph from Al?, who di?s the vo?? as ? rig the boats and load ??ailors.
Mike ?so from Guilderland,?esident ?he g????tending Y camps.?'s a beautif?hing," he said. He l? the?erplay of wind a?? and the con?ration needed to make decisions duri??ace.

Ron Byrn?om Schenectady, treasurer of the group, reme?s ho? began. Duri??ummer of 1996, Dave Whalen, a la????husiast and quadriplegic, got togeth?ith Byrne and George Pai?, di?or of Camp Chingachgook, to arrange a sailing day.

Whalen organized a fall clinic ?hare the?erience with?able?iends. The fall day was ?hing? com?able -- cold and win?ith soaking rain -- but the disabled sai??ldn'?it. More than 20 of them sailed ??? />
By 1998, another boat had been added, one desigfor ??ith disabili?, wi?wivel seating an?ecial rigging. This ???ted with a j?ick and sip 'n' puff tiller ?rol ?e on that later)? qua?legi?ho canno?e a ?tick? />
The?t addition came in 2000 when the?st Martin 16? donated to the fleet. N???am has four ?he b?, ingeniy designed by Don Martin and built by Abbot ?s of?nia,?ario, to make sailing possible for disabled ?le.
The b? are 16 ? long with a heavy keel,?ted with??? seat in the center ?e all controls lead and a second seat aft for a ?er. ? can be sail?olo or double, bn racing all the controls belong to the disabled ski?? />

We met a?ner of a?tin 16, Rene Dal??om M?eal,??an of the class. He was a co??e skier before his accident, then was fo to become a spe??ntil the?tin 16 brought him back into competition as a sa?? />
Dal?e and his co-owner Marc Land?ail the "Aladdin?ing sip and puff?hod,?????nted in front of him so he c?lace one in his ?h and ei?? or puff. On?raw ?? the rudder, the oth??rim ???. Anyone?? the use of either legs or arms can still sail b?eathing in o?t.

Many of the sa?s were competitive i?her ?ts b?e their acci?s, Raggio said, but "the community of disabl?ailors is ve??-knit, a?hey ?ort each other."

After di? on the night of regatta, th?oup sat ??elli?tories o?nny, scary and o?wise?able sailing events. Mike Pelusa told of the time wh??eat ?as anchored ?oppe?t and he wondered wh?ould?pen ?, including being je?oned overboard. His radio di??k and his whistle had gotten? and onl?ueaked, but ?oughed i?t and came in wi?t any mo?roblems.

?her Berg fro?rlington recalled wh??as asked to steer for the first time? a breakwater loomed ahead, the ?nteer sitting behind? said, "??hink? want to tack?" She did tack and?er found? the volunteer didn't kn?he is visually impaired.

?ick Standen told abo?hat ?ened when he ove???hat he could do.? sunfish?ped ? and he righted it, but then?iced that his ba? (a ?ox bottl?as f?ing ?. He?nged in and paddled ??er i?? boat was sailin?ay. Finally he gave up on the ba? and swam after the ?, knowing that he had vi??ule one -- n? lea?he boat ?ntil he was luckily rescued by a?herman.
S??ailors mentioned the ingenuity of BJ Henry from Mayfield, who has a knack fo?eating just the right piece of e??? a disabled sail??e. He has made harne?? of carg?? and?ille?stem usi??hield wiper motors.
A number of Lake ??ailo?olun? to make Y-Knot sailing ?ible, including members ?he Lake ?ge Corinthian Yacht Club who?e made it their special project.

Dave McComb ?he Lake ?ge Club ? cli? and "barks" at disabled sai? in an affectionate way ?hey stri?o make good ?ical cho? on the race?se.
Rex Moon ??ome of his o?? thi?? to ?nteer.

TO LEARN MORE
Anyo?ishi?o vo?eer and inte?ed disabled sailors ?ld call
George Painat 656-9462.??e information on Y-Knot Sailing,
visit www.yknotsailing.org.

This article originally appeared ?he November 4, 2004 ?ion ?he G? Falls Post-?, an??ublished?e wi????ion.?an>

11/05/2004 11:55:00 PM?p;

Pre?s Posts

Blog: What's New at Y-Knot Sailing

Y-Kn??am a?s disabl?o go?h the wind

0 Comm?: