Disabled Sailors Association launches £1.2m appeal for new fully accessible catamaran.
The Disabled Sailors Association (DSA), a pioneering charity that has opened up sailing to people with disabilities for more than 30 years, has launched a £1.2 million fundraising appeal to complete the build of a groundbreaking new catamaran.
Based at Port Solent, Hampshire, the DSA was founded in 1993 by Mike Wood MBE, who, following a life-changing accident that left him paralysed, set out to make sailing accessible to all. Now aged 80, his vision has enabled more than 50,000 people to experience the hands-on exhilaration of sailing.
The charity supports people of all ages and abilities, from wheelchair users and amputees to those with complex disabilities and long-term health conditions, including their families and carers, ensuring that those who might otherwise never step aboard a boat can take to the water.
Operating from its current vessel, The Spirit of Scott Bader, the DSA delivers around 1,000 sailing opportunities each year. However, following the closure of the Jubilee Sailing Trust in 2024, demand has risen sharply and now far exceeds supply.
To meet this growing need, the DSA is building a new, fully accessible Dazcat 1500 at The Multihull Centre in Torpoint, Cornwall. The £2.5 million project will double the number of places the charity can offer, while being carefully designed to maximise independence on board, featuring deck wheelchair lifts, internal lifts to both hulls and spacious accessible facilities throughout.
While the DSA has long been supported by grant-making trusts, alongside valued partners including Scott Bader and, more recently, Airtech, this ambitious project now depends on a number of new corporate partnerships and sponsorships to maintain momentum ahead of a planned Spring 2027 launch.
Mike Wood’s mission is to build a lasting legacy for future generations of disabled sailors, and he is calling on the maritime community to help make it happen.
To find out more about supporting this project, please contact helen@disabledsailors.org.
