Access Dinghies projects manager David Staley with the SKUD18 dinghy to be used as the official competition boat of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.
By Shaun Inguanzo
A DANDENONG manufacturer that has helped boost numbers in disabled sailing will build boats for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
Games organisers have asked Access Dinghies Sailing Systems to supply 90 of its 5.8-metre SKUD18 boats to its sailing competitions.
Access Dinghies projects manager David Staley said this was because the SKUD18 was easy to use for people suffering from a range of disabilities, including quadriplegics who would otherwise be excluded when using traditional boats.
Director Chris Mitchell founded Access Dinghies in 1993 to pursue his passion for boat design and construction.
He has since transformed the company from a tiny boat designer to a large-scale and globally recognised boat manufacturer.
The Olympic success was followed by last week’s nomination into the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce’s Premier Regional Business Awards.
Mr Staley said the company’s philosophy was to make boats that could be sailed by everyone, not just by disabled people.
However, he said the boats had opened doors for people with severe disabilities by allowing them to participate with minimal control.
“The whole drive behind the design of the boats was that sailing could be made easy and fun,” he said.
“These boats have helped turn around the decline in participation in sailing for the fact that they are easy to sail.
“That means people with disabilities find sailing easy to get into.
“It is easier and they can enjoy it from the first try rather than getting tipped out of the boat.”
Mr Staley said users operated the boats by joystick, and in cases in which severely disabled people were steering the boat, further electronics were used to turn minimal movements into full control of the boat.
The success in disabled sailing has prompted the company to expand its horizons and aim to make the SKUD18 a global boat of choice.
“It is very important for us to focus on the new SKUD18 and further its establishment within the sport, not only Paralympic classes, but also making it fun and exciting for able-bodied people to sail,” Mr Staley said.
Access Dinghies gives a portion of its profit to its sailing advocacy branch, the Access Foundation.
The foundation helps new sailors establish community sailing clubs, and provides financial support for disabled sailors wanting to compete in authorised dinghy competitions around the world.
