The Marin Sailing School Program for the Blind

Background...

The Marin Sailing School Program for the Blind provides blind or visually impaired persons the opportunity to learn the fundamental skills of sailing and the basic principles of seamanship. Our students learn to sail through the use of adaptive methods in a mainstream teaching environment.

The objective is the same as for sighted sailors: to harness the wind and to experience all the challenges and rewards of sailing.

Successful sailors must become comfortable aboard ship, get well acquainted with the equipment, understand how and why to trim the sails, and for some, learn to command the helm. With just a little guidance each of these skills can be developed without vision. Our students learn these fundamental skills of sailing and boating and at the same time build self assurance to meet day to day challenges and find self confidence to try new things.

Our Blind Sailing Program began in 2007 with a handful of students from the Living Skills Center for the Visually Impaired, now call the Hatlen Center for the Blind. The 2008 season also brought us the pleasure of coaching our first students from San Francisco's Lighthouse for the Blind. Having now instructed over 25 blind or visually impaired students, in 2009 we intend to include adults, and some teenagers, from other Bay Area organizations serving our blind and visually impaired community.

Racing....

Our first racing team (California One) participated in the 2008 U.S. National Blind Sailing Championships last August in Newport, Rhode Island. The same four-member team is now part of Team USA, having joined eight other sailors from Massachusettes, all of whom are currently training for the 2009 Blind Sailing World Championships being held March 12-21 on the Bay of Plenty, Lake Rotorua, New Zealand.

Also on the horizon in 2009, the Marin Sailing School Program for the Blind will again send racers to the U.S. National Blind Sailing Championships in Newport, Rhode Island in late August.

Background on California One Team Members participating at the 2009 World Championships...

Philip Kum is a biology major at San Francisco State University and will be graduating this May. He is also the Education and Recreation Coordinator at the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco. On the side, Philip is a technology consultant for San Francisco State's Disability Programs and Resource Center. He enjoys participating in sports of all kinds. Phil loves sailing and is charge of the mainsail and traveler for California One.

Danette Davis is a professional Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist at the Hatlen Center for the Blind in San Pablo, California. She also serves as Director, Marin Sailing School Program for the Blind. A life-long outdoor sports enthusiast, she's fulfilling a dream by sharing her love of sailing with her students. On California One, Danette's up on foredeck.

Walt Raineri, the helmsman on California One, has been blind since the winter of 2005, and suffers from a rare form of eye disease known generically as Retinitis Pigmentosa. Before he lost his sight, Walt divided his time between practicing law at a prominent local law firm (his day job), pursuing his entrepreneurial spirit founding four companies (his night job), and trying to stay in shape to take on the next adventure (his life job). Sailing competitively only since August, 2008, Walt has jumped into the blind sailing racing program at the Marin Sailing School with both feet, and arms (literally at times). He is now looking forward to representing the United States in the IFDS (International Federation of Disabled Sailors) and BSI (Blind Sailing International) Blind Sailing World Championships in New Zealand in March, 2009.

Al Spector is California One's tactician, and the founder of the Marin Sailing School. As a licensed sea captain, Al's been teaching sailing and seamanship for the past several years here on San Francisco Bay. His other lives include corporate management, international logistics, foreign languages, and the excitement of playing second base for the San Jose Orioles, a hardball team in the South Bay men's league. A proud member of California One, Al will serve as one of Team USA's tacticians at the upcoming World Championships.

Marin Sailing School Program for the Blind Upcoming Events...

• March 12-21, 2009: The 2009 Blind Sailing World Championships, Lake Rotorua, New Zealand. California One will be joining other Team USA members to compete with teams from all over the world for the coveted Squadron Cup at blind sailing's most prestigious regatta.
  

• April 18, 2009: Cycle 4 Sight, Napa Valley, California. Marin Sailing School Program for the Blind students, staff, and friends will ride in Cycle 4 Sight, a charity bicycle ride on a route through Napa Valley. It's a pledge-per-mile fundraising event for the benefit of the blind and visually impaired community.
  

• August, 2009: The 2009 U.S. National Blind Sailing Championships, Newport, Rhode Island. California One will be competing with other blind racing teams from around the country in the annual United States National Championship regatta.