Sailability for London – a three-year project geared towards facilitating disabled sailing throughout London and its boroughs was recently unveiled by The Princess Royal.

At a reception at William Kent House on 4 December, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal presented the project to over 100 people. As a patron of RYA Sailability, The Princess Royal opened proceedings with a speech about the benefits sailing can bring to disabled people.

Those attending the event were mainly representatives of major businesses, local authorities and disability and sporting organisations. The launch was designed to raise awareness of the scheme among the many interested parties and to present RYA Sailability’s strategy for increasing participation in disabled sailing.

The princess, an experienced sailor herself, pointed out that “at present there are 15 sites in London which provide these facilities but are used by less than 1,000 people. With a population of nearly 7 million, 1.1 Milllion have some form of disability”

Geoff Holt, a trustee of RYA Sailability confirmed that the project has the support of many organisations both in the private and public sector and speaking on behalf of the RYA, he said: “With such tremendous support, we hope it will not be long before many people with disabilities who live and work in London can experience the joys and freedom of sailing.”

Over the Over the last three years RYA Sailability has helped raise in excess of five million pounds to improve more than 200 sailing sites throughout the UK providing opportunities for over 10,000 disabled sailors.

For more information on Sailability for London go to: www.rya.org.uk/sailability