The Even Keel project, supported by Artemis Investment Management Ltd, is designed to introduce sailing to disabled sailors and a wider audience of young, disadvantaged people at various sites around the world. Their first activities for 2009 has seen the Even Keel team making sailing accessible to people with disabilities from across Ireland as they host daily sailing excursions from the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Galway.
Five of the Artemis 20 yachts used by the Even Keel project, specially designed for able bodied and disabled sailors alike, were ready to host a small selection of the Volvo Ocean Race crews, including Ian Walker, the British skipper of the home favourite, Green Dragon. However, with extremely light winds, sailing in Galway Bay never looked possible. But Walker insisted on taking to the water with Gary Allen, a Galway local with a spinal disability, sailing around within Galway Harbour.
Speaking as he stepped off the Artemis 20, Walker concluded, “That was great fun. The Artemis 20 is really responsive, even in such light winds. After sailing in big boats, it’s great to get onboard a small boat, it reminds you what sailing is all about. That must be a first for Galway Harbour, it’s usually against the rules to sail within here! The Even Keel project has a fantastic ambition – sailing is one of the few sports that truly has the ability to cross barriers of disability and I wish them all the luck for the future.”
Five disabled sailors joined the Volvo Ocean Race crews hoping for a sail, including two Irish Paralympics sailors from China, Amy Kelehan and Paul MacArthy. Paul, a paraplegic and full time wheel chair user, added, “This project is fantastic. These boats mean that you are as good as anyone else on the water, disability or not. It’s all about skill at the end of the day and creating a level playing field. It’s so important that we can compete against able bodied sailors – it should be all about racing and winning and that’s why match racing the Artemis 20s is so much fun.”
Dave Rutter, the founder and the driving force behind the Even Keel project, concluded, “It is awesome to have the support of the Volvo Ocean Race sailors for the Even Keel project. We couldn’t have asked for more support since being here in Galway and I am really proud of what we have achieved in such a short period of time. Let’s hope the project can take off elsewhere and we can take sailing to new audiences around the world with the Artemis 20.”
The Even Keel project supported by Artemis, one of the UK’s leading investment management companies, will organise sailing days for disabled people in the UK onboard the Artemis 20 yachts in order to promote disabled sailing and inspire individuals through the sport. For more information on the project and to get involved, please contact the team via www.theevenkeel.com
The Artemis 20s will be match racing all week ahead of the leg re-start of the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway on Saturday June 6th.
