Bex’s Autism and other disabilities means they approach sailing in a particular way and has limited them to supported activity, but with the Foundation’s help they are developing into an increasingly competent keelboat sailor capable of sailing in open regattas with and against a mixture of able bodied and disabled sailors.

With support of the Foundation, they participated in Cowes Week for the first time in 2023, saying: “Coming towards the end of Cowes Week – if you asked me 4 years ago would you do Cowes week I would have been like ‘no, its massive, overwhelming’… So its a huge achievement to have finished it and to be in a boat that was competing towards the top”.

Bex’s passion for the sport of sailing when they were a young teenager on a residential sailing activity with the Island Trust in Plymouth who specifically work with people with special needs and disabilities as well as those experience deprivation. This passing encounter turned Bex into a sailor, and convinced them, their parents and educators that the sport could be a route to independence and a wider experience of the world. With the help of Oxford Sailability, and a supporter in the boat over the course of the next year, they learnt to sail the Hansa 2.3 and to be able to make this training boat achieve its maximum. They reflect that by the end of that time they had more independence and skills on the water than they had in many other parts of their life.

Convinced that sailing was a route to transformation, they joined Dorchester Sailing Club and worked through a series of dinghies including the RS Tera, Argo and the Topper, progressing through the RYA’s youth syllabus of stages 1-3, being ready for stage 4 when Covid hit. The transformation Bex had achieved over 18 months led to them winning the Sailability Sailor of the Year Award in 2020, at which they met Jazz Turner, another of the Foundation’s current sailors, and she became a friend and mentor.

Two years later in 2022 Bex started University where they found the university club, to their credit, welcoming and adaptable to their needs as a disabled sailor. Bex and Jazz shared a difficult experience with another disability sailing charity, leading to her suggesting Bex calls the Andrew Cassell Foundation to explore options with them. This led to Bex training with and competing with the Foundation at Cowes Week in 2023.

Bex said: “I noticed I was really comfortable around everyone. It was nice I was being included right from the start and it wasn’t just ‘that’s it you can go back to your accommodation’. It was really nice that people were talking me to as an adult … I already felt completely part of ACF.”

Bex’s Autism meant they had justifiable anxiety about Cowes Week, which was an entirely different scale and type of racing to that which they’d previously encountered. They turned this to good by researching the course chart and watching old video streams of the starts off the Castle at Cowes. They say that getting an idea of the structure and likely areas of racing helped them. During the week Bex pays credit to one of the Foundations volunteers, Louise who sailed with them and ‘who was really supportive and… was amazing.’

Bex said “If you asked me 4 years ago ‘would you do Cowes week? I would have been like ‘no, it’s massive, overwhelming’; I’d never really sailed on yachts (or keelboats). So it’s a huge achievement to have finished it and to be in a boat that was competing towards the top. Towards the end we were working so much better.”

Bex finished by talking about their objectives and ambitions saying ‘for me the Andrew Cassell Foundation is a really good stepping stone where I’m able to move toward the competitive areas of racing that I didn’t think I’d be moving towards. That’s really what ACF enable’s me to do.’ Bex says they want to continue to compete at higher and higher levels, and with ACF they hope to develop sailing and social skills to enable them to ‘compete at world championships and competing better and achieving higher results at them.’

Jazz is a 25 year old wheelchair user who, as a little girl, set her sights on becoming a ballet dancer until a cruel turn of fate rendered her almost unable to walk. Were it not for a simple gesture by a friend, this determined young woman may never have had the chance to shine as a sailor. 

Having recognised that her painful ankles had brought the curtain down on any dancing career, she happily accepted a voucher from a friend offering her the chance to try her hand at dinghy sailing – she was just 13. Today, describing that first sail Jazz says: “It was super windy, freezing cold and pouring with rain and I absolutely loved it.  So much so that I now have a shelf full of trophies to prove my success and passion for a sport that has handed me a life away from the constraints of a wheelchair.”

Unable to afford her own dinghy or sailing lessons, Jazz joined her local club and crewed on other peoples’ boats. She soon progressed onto Lasers and, with the help of the Andrew Simpson Foundation, started competing both nationally and internationally. Next came a Fireball – fun, fast but somewhat wobbly but, with a permanent crew, she sailed at Hayling Island and trained with Tom Gillard and others at the top of the fleet and was regularly finishing in the first 10. 

Meeting Jazz today along with her stepfather, it’s hard to believe that she grew up in an abusive household. At 18 she left home and by a stroke of luck, was taken into foster care by a general practitioner. Up to that point, Jazz had never been to a doctor and just believed the pain she’d always suffered from a child was the norm. With the concern and care shown by her new foster mum, Jazz was finally diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a genetic condition called hypermobile, but because it had gone untreated for so long, her body had begun to collapse. From being little, she had been walking on broken ankles wedged with fragments of bone which was why her legs couldn’t  bear her body weight. After three bouts of surgery to have the fragments of bone removed, she was left with unstable ankles and that, combined with both ATFL (anterior talo-fibular ligament) snapping, meant she was confined to a wheelchair. But was this going to stop her sailing? No way!

Before long, the Fireball was becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous to sail and at the 2018 Shoreham Open she passed out causing a capsize which spelled the end of her Fireball days. “I transitioned into smaller boats, a 420, but was still struggling due to increasing dislocations and being unable to bear weight through my ankles for long periods of time. It was at the 420 nationals in 2019 where I met Joff McGill (head of RYA Sailability) who introduced me to the charity and their adapted boats which I hadn’t known existed.” Says Jazz. “I immediately fell in love with the 2.4mR and have been racing it ever since.” 

Jazz goes on to explain where she is today. “My condition is progressive which means that although I was born with the disorder, I essentially grew up able bodied but with some odd quirks which I assumed were normal. EDS comes with a lot of associated conditions of which I have most, including MCAS, POTS and Gastroperesis. These affect me in different ways. MCAS, which is mast cell activation syndrome means I have random allergic reactions to things and my body is essentially always reacting so I have super high histamine levels. POTS. which is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, means I pass out regularly, usually triggered by change in position. Gastroperesis means I am unable to eat or drink. Despite several feeding tubes, as my condition progressed, I was diagnosed with complete gastrointestinal failure which has led to me now being fed through a central line directly into my heart. I also have underlying heart failure. All of this means that I have a potentially short but unknown life expectancy depending on the rate that my condition progresses. I have been given an estimate of between two and 10 years.” 

This means is that it’s impossible for Jazz to make long term plans but she certainly has her sights set on the Paralympics. Disappointingly, because sailing has been taken out the Paralympics, it’s meant the RYA has been unable to financially support any para sailors competing at a high level. But still Jazz fights on and takes every opportunity she can to do the things she loves and is currently at university studying mechanical engineering, going into her final year in September 2022

Were proof needed of Jazz’s determination to sail, one should listen to her speak. Her drive to be self-funding is evident, currently through a student loan. “I have been reliant on both large charity and smaller local charity funding. My 2.4mR I own was donated to me through a charity and they have helped fund events. I also had local funding through Simpson Marine and the OS&B society. I’m always trying to get more experience competing at high pressure events so that I’ll be in a strong position if sailing does get re-introduced to the Paralympics.” 

In May 2022, Jazz was put in contact with the Andrew Cassell Foundation which meant the chance to try out a Sonar Keelboat and build on her sailing experience. She arrived in Cowes at the end of June and met up with ACF director, Matt Grier and some of our ACF Volunteers.

Taking up the story, Matt explains. “Knowing Jazz had a lot of experience and was interested in taking part in Cowes Week, we needed to get some practise in ASAP to check she would be capable of helming a Sonar – a 23ft open keelboat. This would give us time to prep so we linked her up to a Thursday Evening Race.

“We knew initially that she needed to be in a seat for side support but could handle a bench and bar. On the water, the bench worked fine unless she slipped slightly and didn’t have the ankle support to be able to brace and bring herself back to the windward side. Saying that, we still had a cracking race. 

“Pressure was now on to fast track the development of a purpose designed seat that would enable Jazz (and future disabled sailors) to safely race. With August and Cowes Week looming, there was less than a month to build a frame that would fit the Sonar and, find a willing person with the skills to fit it. Help arrived in the form of Fergie, a brilliant local welder who had been supporting another disabled sailor within the Foundation.”  

Almost every day of the working week, Matt and Fergie could be found on the boat as the frame, tiller and steering came together. And it didn’t just stop there, as tweaks and reworkings continued throughout Cowes Week.

Matt continues: “Teaming our ACF Sonar, Spare Part Skipper Mark Matthews, with Jazz on the Helm, made things competitive but Mark has always brought a calm nature to sailing and as a sail maker, can certainly get a boat going. The new seat had been tested prior to Cowes Week but in the stronger winds Jazz had a problem and on the first day, a nut on a bolt worked itself loose which meant she had to retire. Fergie however, the welder come down each day after sailing to make the slight adjustments. And the results spoke for themselves coming at first in 7th place and progressing as the week went on to a 4th – beating the winning team, Jenny, on the Thursday. ACF Spare Part ended up finishing in a very respectable 8th overall.

“Post Cowes Week” says Matt, “We now have a whole new group of friends and supporters on  which we will thrive and Jazz will be back, not just to race but also mentored as part of the ACF Team, knowing she can always count on us for support as she progresses her Paralympic dream.”

As a young naval cadet with a passion for sailing, Ian Wyllie’s life was heading for a career at sea. Like many of us with a clear vision of where we want to end up, the thought of a spanner being thrown into the works never occurs. In Ian’s case his spanner came in the form of a spinal injury sustained during a training exercise. What happened next, although heart-rending, is an inspiring story of how one determined sailor overcame adversity with help from the Andrew Cassell Foundation.

Ian was just 18 when he joined the Royal Navy but one year and one day later his career was over and he was invalided out of the service. He’s not bitter and speaking to him, it’s easy to realise he gained a lot of strength from his faith. A committed Christian, Ian says that at one point, a career in the Church crossed his mind but he then realised that as most sailing happens on a Sunday, there could be a ‘clash of the Titans’ and in this case, Church services lost and sailing won!

Next stop was university where he gained a degree in mechanical engineering and is the first to admit that it was a struggle. His injuries had led to complications and it seemed his body was letting him down at every turn – both physically and mentally. There was however an upside in that he had time to engage his engineering brain and began to think about the effects of vibration on the human body. By vibration, we’re not talking electric toothbrushes but tractors, heavy machinery and big sound systems – think Isle of Wight Festival.

For all you boat owners reading this, think of the problems the RNLI faces when steering a lifeboat in strong seas while trying to read instruments. A suspension seat could be one answer but although it would move with the motion of the boat, the instruments on the control panel remained static. Answer: incorporate the instruments in the arms of the seat. Success! Ian worked on related problems to do with comfort and by putting his thoughts and knowledge down on paper, he gained a Ph.D.

After spending seven years in a Southampton nursing home and seeing a gradual improvement in his health, Ian began to dream of sailing again. Being the determined, slightly crazy ‘nobody is going to hold me down’ kind of guy, he was now starting to look beyond the confines of the nursing home garden and out to sea. His love of sailing soon took hold and he Googled sailing organisations that could support people with disabilities. A handful popped up but they weren’t quite what he had in mind. His idea of freedom on the water wasn’t being wheeled onto the deck of a 40 footer while those around him worked the winches. Ian wanted to be treated as one of the crew and get wet and cold with everyone else, not sit in his wheelchair, wrapped in a blanket. He kept up his research into possible sailing outfits until one day, ‘PING’! the ACF Sailing website filled his screen. On reading Andy Cassell’s biography, Ian’s immediate response was “Finally, here’s a sailor who’s overcome his disability and launched a set-up that’s made for me! They’re going to stuff me in an open keel boat, let me trim the sails and feel spray on my face. Thank You God!”

Ian’s refreshed mental state overtook his physical struggles and gave him the push he needed to get himself to Cowes. It was a massive challenge, he could still barely walk more than the length of a 23ft Sonar, he still used an electric wheelchair as well as crutches and leg supports. People at the sailing club would look on in amazement as he threw himself almost head first into a boat but gradually, with improved strength and a mountain of determination, he was able to take the helm. The Foundation started to see that this intrepid, self-styled sailor had a lot to offer and soon Ian began teaching newbies to sail and imparting his advanced knowledge on yachties who wanted to improve their skills. Ian, however, is the first to admit that he didn’t always make life easy for his crew mates. “I used to get so excited, I just couldn’t control my enthusiasm and sometime fell flat on my face. I’m well over 6ft so it’s a long way down and was always being told to stop acting like a seven year old and slow down.”

Today, he confidently helms a Sonar and with a crew of able boded as well as those with mental, sensory and physical problems, he races on the Solent, sometimes three times a week, against able bodied sailors. Within the ACF there’s no distinction and no allowances made for incapacity and Ian is the first to admit that yacht racing doesn’t take any prisoners. “If I miss a marker buoy, the boat is disqualified, if I mess up the start, it’s down to me – my cock-up! The ACF is the best organisation in the UK for getting disabled sailors onto the water for proper sailing and lots of racing thrown in. Its founder, Andy Cassell was born with no legs but nothing came between his disability and winning a gold at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta.”

If Ian’s achievements so far aren’t proving to be enough for him, in 2021 he bought a 27 ft cruising yacht which needed much TLC . . . the boat got the renovation and Ian got a floating home. He now plans to take a year out to sail around Britain sharing his story and telling people how the Foundation has given him his life back. Trilleen, renamed in deference to a boat owned by his grandparents, will probably cast off towards the end of the summer but Ian, one of life’s perfectionists, will not entertain the venture until he’s confident his boat is spot-on and completely seaworthy – he’s never cut corners.

And the reason for his venture? Foolhardy perhaps, but he’s doing it to raise money for the ACF which is his way of saying “Thank You”.

Bon voyage Ian