by Emma Grove

egrove@thekmgroup.co.uk

A week long celebration of sailing has taken place after a successful bid to get a specialised boat for the Island.

The Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club (IOSSC) managed to raise enough money to get an Artemis 20 through the charity Even Keel.

It is worth £15,000 and is specially designed to enable disabled people to sail more easily.

The charity’s project also aims to encourage people of all ages and abilities to take up the sport.

Money to support the bid was kick started with a £10,000 donation from Southern Water and grants also came from councillors, the Queenborough Fisheries Trust and Swale Heating.

The club hopes to have the boat for at least three years and is still raising cash for the running costs of £12,000 a year.

On Thursday, Even Keel founder David Rutter officially handed over the boat to club commodore Tim Harris.

Supporters of the project including Mayor of Swale Cllr Pat Sandle, Mayor of Queenborough Cllr Carol Stewart, staff from Swale Heating, Swale council’s sports development team, MP Gordon Henderson and Cllr Ken Pugh went along to help celebrate and many had a go on the boat themselves.

World champion and double European sailing champion Sam Brearey was also there on behalf of Sport England.

He said: “It’s fantastic the amount of people [Even Keel] is bringing into sailing who haven’t done it before – even those who thought they couldn’t be involved because of a disability.”

The Artemis 20 will be based at Queenborough because the disabled access is better and there is a hoist on the all-tide landing to help people in.

Throughout last week, dozens of groups of young people were invited along to try out the boat and an open day for everyone took place on Saturday.

IOSSC has also been lent another Artemis by Even Keel for the rest of the summer.

Ken Brown, from the club, said: “It has been fantastic to see the smiles on the faces of those kids.

“Going out on the boat builds confidence and that’s very important.

“It’s the best opportunity the club has had in about 40 years.”

• The boats will be available on a Monday and Tuesday for free taster sessions, donations towards the running costs are welcome.

To book, phone James Thatcher at Swale council on 01795 417109 or email jamesthatcher@swale.gov.uk

Dean Abra is a member of the IOSSC and has been sailing his whole life.

For the past 10 years, he has been wheelchair-bound because of MS so for him, the club securing the Artemis 20 is life changing.

The 47-year-old had tried out one of the boats when Even Keel visited Sheppey last year and has won trophies racing in them since then.

He said: “I have had to buy slower and safer boats and had to stop racing.

“Then when Even Keel visited I had a go at helming instead of being taken out and it went really well so they invited me to race one for them.

“It’s something I never thought I would get to do again – I thought I had lost it for good so it’s just fantastic. A brilliant feeling.

“It’s given me back what I had to give up.”