Gareth Bishop represented Australia at the 2026 Hansa Class European Championships, held this year in Barcelona.
Gareth’s sailing journey is a fantastic example of what can be achieved.
He first learned to sail in 2009 after moving from England to Sydney, crewing on an Adams 10 yacht in Middle Harbour Yacht Club’s Saturday series. An accident in 2014 left him reliant on a wheelchair and crutches. In 2015, his recreational therapist suggested that he continue his passion for sailing, and he joined Sailability Middle Harbour. He was able to sail independently again!
Initially, Gareth was hoisted in and out of the boat, but by 2018 he had recovered sufficiently to walk independently. It was then that he ‘switched sides’ and joined our team of volunteers as a skipper.
Gareth is now one of our regular volunteers and can often be seen riding his e-bike down Parriwi Road on Sailability days, ready to skipper a boat or act as coxswain on the safety boat. He is enormously popular with our sailors — in fact, there can be some stiff competition over who gets to sail with him! For those interested in learning to sail, Gareth’s calm instruction has proved extremely effective, while for others his gentle nature makes their sailing experience so enjoyable.
At the European Championships, Gareth won the first of the final races in the Silver Solo Fleet division — a tremendous achievement.
As Sandy Hamilton, one of our very proficient skippers, commented:
“You should be really happy with what you achieved, particularly when you consider how many Spanish entries there were, sailing in their own boats and familiar with the local conditions. To win a race at a European Championship is amazing.”
Gareth also teamed up with Zaida from Chile for the doubles finals, finishing 31st overall.
Reflecting on the championships, Gareth said:
“It was a great experience — it’s such a great bunch of people doing these regattas, and it was great to meet everyone! I managed to squeeze in a bit of sightseeing — visited the Sagrada Familia basilica and watched FC Barcelona win 7–2.”
2026 European Hansa Class Championship Results
And in the photo of the fleet heading downwind, look closely — that’s Gareth out in front with the bright yellow sails!
