Adapted boats bring accessible sailing to Norfolk

The floating pontoon has a hoist at the end, meaning people with mobility issues can safely get into the boat

A Norfolk sailing club has invested thousands of pounds in accessible boats and equipment to allow people with a wide range of abilities to take to the water.

People with mobility issues will be able to get into the two vessels using a new pontoon which has a hoist built into it.

Snettisham Beach Sailing Club has invested £27,000 in the facilities, which are the first of their kind in the county.

Accessible sailing sessions will start in April 2025, but volunteers are needed to start training now.

Alex Hawtin enjoys sailing so much he has become an instructor at the club

Adrian Tebbutt is the commodore at the club and is managing its accessible sailing programme.

"There are no facilities like this within a 50-mile radius," he said.

"There are a lot of people who will now be able to access the water – be that those with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, or just as you get older you can't necessarily launch and recover your own boat.

"We're trying to make this as inclusive as possible."

Alex Hawtin learned to sail at Snettisham and is now teaching others to do the same.

"I've made loads of friends here. It's a really good vibe," he said.

With sessions planned for next year, the club is looking for new volunteers to train to use the boats and supervise accessible sailing activities.

Instructor Amelia Eaton said the focus was always on what people could do rather than what they could not.

"We've got lots of things we can do to make them more comfortable and to meet their needs," she said.

Instructor Amelia Eaton hopes the new facilities will mean more people will try sailing

Sailing was part of the Paralympics from the games in Sydney in 2000 until Rio in 2016.

Along with seven-a-side football, it was dropped from the schedule for Tokyo 2020 in favour of badminton and taekwondo.

There is a campaign to see it reinstated for the next Paralympic Games, in Los Angeles in 2028.