In many countries, more and more sailors with disabilities are participating in racing. This may be in special events involving only people with disabilities or at open club, national or international championships. Organising a regatta for disabled sailors is much the same as any other. Some additional points however require extra planning.

Notice of Race. The Notice of Race (NOR) should include all the usual information about date, venue, programme and rules. It should also answer the following questions:

• Will it be a closed or open regatta?
• Is it just for people with disabilities?
• What classes are to be included?
• Who will provide the boats - the sailors or the organising committee?

• Send out local tourist organisation information with the NOR including reference to a range of accommodation suitable for people with disabilities.
• Negotiate special financial deals for the event. Participants should make their own bookings directly with the hotel so that they take responsibility for ensuring that it suits their particular needs. They should also pay their own bills.

Race Management Personnel.
It is helpful if there is:

• At least one member of the race committee (RC) with previous experience of events involving people with disabilities
• A dockmaster to control the rate at which boats come alongside the jetty and to allocate help as needed.

On-water Support. If problems occur between leaving the jetty and the preparatory signal, disabled sailors may need on-water assistance. It is generally accepted that normal sailing rules apply, and that a crew in difficulty should retire from the race. Where possible:

• Use inflatable boats for support and rescue. Ensure that they are manned by two people at all times.
• Provide a signalling system (e.g. a flag) to enable a disabled crew to attract attention. Remember, some crews may have difficulty with the usual method of signalling - lowering the mainsail.

Timing If many competitors are disabled, allow extra time for activities such as embarkation, disembarkation and moving around the venue.
Consider running two shorter races back-to-back to reduce the number of transfers into and out of boats.
It is recommended that sailors be on the water for no more than four hours during any one sailing period. It may be possible to consider additional, shorter sailing periods on the same day.
If necessary, shorten or abandon races early to allow plenty of time to get ashore.

Sailing Instructions If the regatta involves disabled sailors, the sailing instructions should include notes on:
Sailing Conditions. Sailing should take place only in winds up to Beaufort 6 (11 m/sec; 22-27 knots). This rule may be varied according to the type of boat sailed, the venue and weather conditions. If reefing is not possible either due to the level of disability of the crew etc., a further lowering of the wind limit may be necessary.
Reefing. It must be made clear who will decide about reefing, how the sailors will be informed and whether this will be mandatory for all boats.
Positions in the Boat. The guiding principle is that no crew should gain a racing advantage (e.g. through hiking) over others crews who do not have the physical ability to do the same.
Length of Races. When most participants are physically disabled, allow a maximum of 1.5 hours for the first boat to cross the line, and then allow a maximum time for remaining boats to finish.

Club Facilities The host club may consider temporary arrangements to:

• Waive normal club rules about car parking to allow disabled sailors to park close to facilities
• Allow trailers to be parked close to the launching facilities
• Provide extra overnight moorings to avoid unnecessary launching and retrieving
• Provide an official notice board at a suitable height, accessible to wheelchair users.

Race Management Manual The isaf/ifds Race Management Manual (RMM) is a comprehensive document covering the rules and guide-lines which apply at international events run with the approval of ISAF. If you are planning to host a major national/international regatta (or qualifiers for such events), we strongly recommend that you obtain a copy of the RMM from the IFDS Secretariat (see Chapter 12 - Useful Contacts, and Chapter 11 - Getting Organised).