New Fleet for Special Olympics Queensland Sailing
A ceremony to mark the official launch of Special Olympics Queensland Sailing will be held by The Southport School Sailing Club and Sail Training Centre at 3pm tomorrow (Wednesday, August 27) at The Southport School.
At the launch, Mr Terry Peek, Director of the Access Dinghy Foundation and President of the International Access Dinghy Class Association will present six 'Access Breeze' class boats to Special Olympics Queensland Sailing.
The boats will be used under management of the newly commissioned Special Olympics Queensland Sailing consultancy group for the performance training of Special Olympics Queensland Sailors in the lead up to the World Summer Games in Athens 2011.
Special Olympics Australia, Yachting Australia, and Sailability Australia have been working closely together since 2006 to develop sailing as an official Special Olympic sport. As a result, the inaugural Australian Special Olympic Athletes Sailing Team competed at the World Summer Games in Shanghai in 2007.
This team became one of the most successful sailing teams ever to represent Australia internationally with every sailor earning medals. Four of these members were finalists in the prestigious Yachting Australia 2008 Sailor of the Year Awards.
The Southport School Sailing Club and Sail Training Centre and Special Olympic Queensland Sailing intend to expand upon the training and resources offered to the Special Olympics Sailing Team in 2007 and will embark on a Junior Sail Training Program for Special Olympic Sailors in 2008, to identify, train and support sailors attending Special Schools and Special Education Units.
'It is a natural evolution for us,' said Special Olympics Queensland Sailing consultant and TSS director of sailing Drew Hulton-Smith. 'As a Yachting Australia Training Centre and sailing club focused entirely on junior and youth training and competition, our involvement with Special Olympics Queensland Sailing will allow us to greatly broaden the scope for sailing in the community. Our involvement in 2007 has proven that our existing training and racing programs neatly complement the needs of Special Olympics Queensland sailors and we greatly look forward to providing whatever support we can'.
For further information please contact Drew Hulton-Smith at (07) 5531 9895 or drew.hulton-smith(at)tss.qld.edu.au
by Drew Hulton-Smith 
