Meet Sandy
My father introduced me to dinghy sailing in Scotland when I was 12 years old and I have enjoyed sailing ever since. I moved to Sydney many years ago and before long I had started sailing on Sydney Harbour, a pastime that continues to the present day.
Sailing can be purely social, or a more competitive activity that develops teamwork and camaraderie. It’s also a way of connecting with nature and depending on the wind and weather conditions, it can provide a range of experiences, from peaceful and relaxing to exciting and exhilarating.
Volunteering at Sailability gives me the opportunity to pass on the benefits and enjoyment of being on the water to people who may not otherwise have access to sailing.
Seeing the sailors experience the joy of sailing is very satisfying and the positive feedback from many of their parents and carers, who tell us how much the sailors look forward to coming to Sailability, makes it all worthwhile.
An added bonus is the opportunity to work alongside the dedicated and talented group of volunteers who form the team at Sailability Middle Harbour.
Meet Anél
My husband James and I joined Sailability two years ago. We live in Manly and love spending time on the water. We decided to join Sailability because we wanted to give something back, but we have found that we get much more out of it than we thought. The volunteers at Sailability are all such wonderful, generous people and it is a pleasure to meet up with them every fortnight. We have gotten to know the Sailors as well over time and it is very humbling to see how they and their carers approach life with so much positivity. Spending time in the sunshine on the water with such lovely people always brightens our day!
I love learning new skills and apart from sailing, I joined a dance school this year for a jazz and a hip hop class each week. My other passion is my job. I’m an orthodontist in Manly and I get so much joy out of straightening someone’s teeth and seeing their excited smile at the end of their treatment! It is a privilege to be a part of my patients’ lives for a little while.
Meet Hazel
I joined Sailability Middle Harbour, when I returned to Sydney after many years residing in Country NSW. I enjoyed growing up with a sailing family and began sailing at a very young age. Returning to sailing when I came back to Sydney was how I learnt about Sailability Middle Harbour. I enjoy working with the friendly and generous team of volunteers who make sure that our participants have a safe and happy time sailing.
I am retired now but during my physiotherapy career I always enjoyed working with families who have special needs because of disability. This makes Sailability is a wonderful combination for me.
Meet Jeremy
I first cut my sailing teeth on the rivers and lakes of England’s Norfolk Broads, before expanding into coastal sailing, cross channel adventures, and various regattas including Cowes Week (with two Fastnet races), Cork Week and Antigua Race Week. I also spent many weeks cruising in the Greek Islands and a season skippering Sir George Martin’s Turkish gulet Topaz. Moving down under in 1998 I soon discovered the delights of racing out of Middle Harbour and up in Pittwater.
Sailability first made an impact on me as I was doing a few Sunday morning yacht maintenance jobs at MHYC. It was a blustery winter’s day and some of the few boats out sailing were the well-reefed and supremely stable Sailability dinghies. It looked such fun! That day I enquired and two weeks later was given a training sail and signed up.
It’s enormously satisfying to teach a new sailor the ropes so that in time, despite any physical impediments they may have, they can start sailing solo. Others who are less able still help with steering and trimming, while some sailors simply sit back and enjoy the therapeutic pleasures of sun, wind and water. I look forward to my twice-monthly Sailability sessions immensely.
