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UpSail's Eddie Linthout (centre, back row) at a sailing day at Torbole on Lake Garda

Access Sailing Distributor appointed in Italy

UpSail has recently been established in Verona with the aim of facilitating access to sailing to everyone, regardless of their ability or disability.

To further this aim, UpSail have obtained exclusive distribution rights for the boats and equipment designed and built in Australia by Access Sailing Systems.  With a range of boats from 2.3M to 5.8M, Access Sailing has sold more than 1,800 boats in about 20 countries.   The flagship of the Access Sailing range is the SKUD 18 (Skiff of Universal Design), an exciting compact sportsboat with asymmetric spinnaker  that has been selected as the two-person equipment for the 2008 and 2012 Paralympics.

Developed using the principles of Universal Design, all of the boats can be enjoyed by people with and without a disability.  Four of the boats are ISAF recognised and there is a strong competition base worldwide supported by a growing international class association.

Access Sailing has also developed a range of complementary equipment and accessories to make sailing more accessible to all.  These products will also be available in Italy through UpSail.

The promoter and manager of UpSail is Erwin (Eddie) Linthout.  Eddie is a founding and active member of the Associazione Onlus EOS - Michele Dusi, whose activities over the past eight years have been directed toward sailing activities for people with a disability.

UpSail, as well as distributing Access sailboats, is responsible for sales of the 4.2M Emozioni trimaran designed for single and two-person crews.  This project was developed within the association EOS and the boats are built by Proteus Yachts in Italy.

Through its commercial operations, UpSail aims to help support to the non-profit Access Dinghy Foundation and promote the non-profit international organization Sailability - an international organisation facilitating sailing for everyone, regardless of age or ability.

The exclusive distribution by UpSail also covers the neighbouring country of Slovenia.  

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First SKUD 18 MKII on the water in L'Escala, Spain in October 2009 Photograph:David Staley

SKUD MKII now in production

Chris Mitchell (SKUD 18 designer) and Julian Bethwaite (co-designer), in cooperation with the IFDS, signed an agreement in September 2006 by which Bethwaite Design became the builder of note and completed the rollout of the SKUD 18 through the 2008 Paralympic Games, Qingdao, China.

Over that two year period, Access Sailing (licensor of the SKUD 18) and Bethwaite Design worked with the SKUD Class Management Committee, the International Access Class Association and the sailors to supply the best equipment possible for teams preparing for the Games.

Since October 2008, the responsibility for building the SKUD 18 has reverted to Access Sailing.  The company has taken this opportunity to implement some significant modifications to the boat and the first MKII SKUD 18s are now being shipped to customers in Europe.

The key changes are:

• Gunwale Join – The dinghy style rollover gunwale has been replaced with a keelboat style join, reducing overall beam, drag and the potential for damage while the boat is alongside.
• Chainplates – New chainplates are fixed to a bulkhead inside the hull and have incorporated lifting points
• Cowling – A new cowling that extends to the stem head fitting and matches the new gunwale shape has been adopted.
• Keel Lock-Down – An 8mm stainless steel pin now passes laterally through two substantial fittings on the centreboard case and the top of the centreboard.
• Keel Bulb Fixing – Two 12mm pins are now fitted laterally to enable fixing and removal of the bulb while on a trailer or cradle.
• Rudders – Stainless steel cassette style rudder stocks, drop-in GRP rudders, adjustable tie-rod and tiller steering are now provided standard with new boats.
• Rig – Selden in the UK have been engaged to produce composite rigs for the MKII boats.  This includes a single piece Carbon Fibre lower section, Carbon Fibre / GRP top section, compression boom vang (which frees up cockpit space) and provision for trapeze.

All existing SKUD18s and Bethwaite Design components remain able to meet class rules requirements.

Access Sailing is now working in conjunction with the IACA's recently elected SKUD 18 Committee to support the development of the class.  It is expected that a number of new nations will be preparing for the 2012 Two-Person Paralympic Sailing Competition in Weymouth, and also that the SKUD 18 will achieve growing acceptance as lightweight two and three person sportsboat for club racing and training.