Visually Impaired Sailors’ Week – Blind Week 2022
Event Date: 02 – 09 July – Lymington
Applications need to be received by Friday 08 April 2022
With fingers crossed, that when the current Omicron wave finally passes, so will the worst effects of the pandemic, we are writing with a warm invitation for you to participate in the coming year’s restarted event.
Our 2022 sailing week will be Solent-based and hosted once again by the Royal Lymington Yacht Club. Of course, Blind Week will be subject to any Covid regulations, laws and conditions that are current at the time of the event, but with the high vaccine and testing levels now achieved, and seven months to go, we are optimistic that the event will happen – keeping everything crossed naturally!
Participants will gather during the afternoon of Saturday 02 July and we start the week with an opening dinner at the lovely Royal Lymington clubhouse that evening.
Having sailed to a variety of locations around the Solent and beyond during the week, the yachts and their crews will re-convene at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club for the closing dinner on the evening of Friday 08 July. The event will then end on the morning of Saturday 09 July when crews will disembark their yachts and return home.
The event will again be facilitated through the Sporting Activities for the Disabled Charitable Trust.
If you are visually impaired and would like to apply for a place to crew on a yacht for the week please fill in your responses to the questions below as soon as possible – at the latest by Friday 08 April 2022.
If you would like to take part in the event
Please fill in the below downloadable Form below and fully read what it is all about section Blind Week – VI APPLICANT 2022 Form – word Format
and send the form to this email address mail@blindweeksailing.co.uk
Applications need to be received by Friday 08 April 2022
We will quickly acknowledge receipt of your application, but please note that the firm offer of a place and allocations to yachts will not be made until the end of April.
Whilst we are very aware of the need to keep costs under tight control we are, nevertheless, conscious of the fact that prices have risen significantly since our last event three years ago. Despite this, we are keeping the VI participant’s fee for the 2022 event to £260. However, applicants will be pleased to learn that should Blind Week be cancelled then the VI fee for a place on Blind Week will be fully refundable.
If you haven’t participated in Blind Week before, please read the section in the downloadable entry form: ‘What’s it all About?’ – a description by regular VI participants.
We should emphasise that you really do not need any prior sailing experience to participate in and really enjoy Blind Week! Complete beginners and newcomers are just as warmly welcomed as experienced VI sailors whose skills have been developed over many sea miles. If you know of any visually impaired person who may not be aware of the event, but might also like to come along, or any friend who doesn’t appear to have received this email, please do ask them to contact us
The RYA’s video of the event below
Please note that Blind Week only caters for applicants over 18 years old. In addition, the sailing yachts used are not specially equipped or adapted to cater for physical disabilities, and therefore the event requires moderate agility by all the crew, including all VI participants. This agility requirement is set out in the ‘What’s It All About’ document, Section 4, and we ask all applicants to confirm that they meet it.
At this early planning stage, it is impossible to offer firm places until we know the availability of boats. So, while we will quickly acknowledge receipt of your application, we will only be able to confirm your place and your provisional yacht allocation at the end of April.
We very much look forward to hearing from you!
If you would like to take part in the event
Please fill in the below downloadable Form below and fully read the what it is all about sectionBlind Week – VI APPLICANT 2022 Form – word Format
and send the form to this email address mail@blindweeksailing.co.uk
Applications need to be received by Friday 08 April 2022
We will quickly acknowledge receipt of your application, but please note that the firm offer of a place and allocations to yachts will not be made until the end of April.
Once again – our best wishes for 2022… a year in which we hope you’ll spend some of your time on the water, sailing with us!
Will Bridge Blind Week Co-ordinator & Rosie Shorman Blind Week Co-ordinator
Visually Impaired Sailors’ Week – Blind Week
Sporting Activities for the Disabled Charitable Trust: Charity no. 1044893
31 Pacific Close
Southampton SO14 3TX
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