Fresh from another courageous expedition, Natasha Lambert and her team last week gave 2 disabled 10-year-olds their first sailing experience and instantly got them hooked.
As part of her expeditions Natasha raises money for her charity Miss Isle School of Sip Puff Sailing, as well as the RNLI. It aims to give young disabled people the chance to experience sailing, just as Natasha does.
The boat in question was in fact the very boat that Natasha learnt to sail in, a specially adapted Artemis 20. With its unique sip puff steering system (where a sailor can control the steering by simply sipping or puffing into a straw) and gimbaled chair it’s a perfect boat to learn to sail on for people with physical disabilities.
Last week the conditions were perfect for trial sessions so the charity invited fellow Islanders Max and Sophie along to give them a taste of sailing. While both have enjoyed trips on Geoff Holts Wet Wheels this was their first time experiencing sailing.
Mandy Lambert, Charity trustee said:
“Sailing has made Natasha so happy and we wanted to share the sense of freedom you can only feel at sea with other disabled would be adventurers. Seeing both Max and Sophie smiling and laughing so much really made all those hard days on the expedition worth while! We look forward to giving more people the opportunity to get on the water very soon.”
The charity offers taster sailing trips to anybody who would benefit from its unique sailing system and welcomes enquires from everybody.
More information can be found on the charity website https://www.missisle.org.uk/.
