Sailing Pros Get Adaptive Lesson

Courtesy of Able Newspaper

     Hilary Lister, a quadriplegic sailor who was the first woman with disabilities to sail solo around Britain, joined the GAC Pindar Team in Cardiff for the UK leg of the Extreme Sailing Series. The British born sailor, who has been a Pindar Ambassador for nearly a decade, cruised into the record books in 2005 when she sailed across the English Channel. In 2009, Lister sailed solo around Britain in her adapted racing keelboat.

     At the series, a select group of guests and some of the GAC Pindar team were given the opportunity to sail with Hilary around the racecourse. Using the “sip puff” method, guests used their breath to control the boat via three straws connected to computerized pressure switches that enabled the boat to move.

     “I’ve been very lucky to spend a lot of time going on some amazing boats, the Extremes being a part of that group,” said Lister. “What was really lovely was that people got the opportunity to sail on my boat. It was great for them to understand the challenges I face when sailing and have a go themselves. When you spend 24 hours a day confined to a wheelchair or a bed, sailing is the ultimate freedom.”

     “The skill and technical expertise she demonstrates in controlling her boat using breathing techniques is incredible and very difficult to master, and we are really pleased that she could teach others how it’s done,” said Andrew Pindar of the GAC Pindar Team. “It was great to see Hilary skillfully sailing her Artemis 20 out in Cardiff Bay on the race course that was also used by some of the world’s best able-bodied sailors, demonstrating how inclusive the sport is.”