To many it is an enigma, the concept of blind people sailing. It was for me too until, in 1996, with a completely blind helm, we came second in class in the Round the Island race. The memory of Richard Horton-Fawkes helming us calmly past St Catherine’s Point, under full spinnaker, whilst boats all around were broaching, will stay with me forever and taught me to respect the ability of the human body to heighten awareness and ability when a key sense had been lost.  As a nation, we have a tradition of highly competitive and successful blind sailors. Categorised on a scale of visual impairment (VI) from B1 to B3 with B1’s having no sight at all, racing is mainly in keel boats with a mix of crew dependent on whether fleet or match racing. Crews usually include a sighted tactician and, in recent years, the use of electronic frequency transmitters on course markers has enabled blind crews to sail more independently with less need for outside assistance.

With her distinctive livery, Wetwheels has become a familiar sight on the south coast. She was conceived, designed and built specifically so I could captain her from my wheelchair. Key design features included a side-opening door, wide enough for my wheelchair to access via a ramp from the pontoon and a raised steering and navigation area so I can skipper the vessel in comfort and safety.  

But I wanted also to take friends and family, regardless of disability, so I installed a number of tie-down points for wheelchairs and we installed touch-sensitive steering so others may share the enjoyment I get from being on the water.

As a young child, I didn’t like sharing my toys. As I got older, I came to realise that you can get just as much enjoyment watching others enjoying your treasured possessions. Often people are nervous as to what to expect when boarding Wetwheels but, within minutes, everyone, regardless of ability, is grinning from ear to ear – it is contagious.