Rutland welcomes world's-best blind sailors for first international competition

Visually-impaired athletes from across the globe are in Rutland to take part in the county's first-ever international blind sailing competition.

A team from Australia will race against a team from France and four other teams from the UK, over the three-day event, before a winner's crowned at Rutland Sailing Club on Sunday.

The racing's estimated to get underway at 10am on Friday (17th November), and will consist of about thirty twelve-minute races taking place over the weekend.

Each team is made up of four people, two who are classed as visually-impaired and two who are sighted.

Blind Sailing competitions have been held before at Rutland Sailing Club, in the form of RYA 'Sail-ability' and in the multi-class regatta, but this is the first time an international blind event's being held in the county.

Lucy Hodges MBE, who was born visually-impaired and will be competing, said it's a brilliant occasion to be apart of:

'This is really about bringing all the countries back together, creating the communication out to the world to, post-covid, get everyone back together. Sport for blind people has been slow to recover, but we're really excited about this.'

'With sailing, it's using the feel of the boat. How the boat feels underneath you. It's teamwork, and using all of the senses to your advantage.'

'The wind on your face, feeling the waves, how the boat's moving and all the communication skills and teamwork as well.'

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