The Sailing & Handicap White Paper of the Southern Sailing League was presented this Tuesday at the French Olympic Week Village in Hyères in the presence of Claude Le Bacquer, President of the Southern Sailing League, Jean-Luc Denéchau, President of the French Sailing Federation and Jean Charles Borghini, First Vice-President of the South Region. The objective of this initiative supported and financed by the Banque Populaire Méditerranée: to promote, encourage and facilitate the practice of sailing for all types of handicap.
Strongly committed to disability and inclusion, the Southern Sailing League has decided to go even further by creating its Sailing & Handicap White Book, a project supported by the Banque Populaire Méditerranée. His credo: sailing for everyone, in all clubs, all the time, on all media, for fun or in competition. And this regardless of the type of disability. “Our sport, which conveys positive human values, has always gone hand in hand with the rehabilitation and integration of people with disabilities. It is practiced on equal terms between able-bodied and disabled people. On the water, the handicap disappears in favor of the pleasure of sailing with friends”, recalls Claude Le Bacquer, President of the Southern Sailing League.
However, if the disability affects 45,000 adults and 18,000 children and young people in the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, including a thousand schooled in reception structures or in ULIS class, the South League currently only has around 300 licensees. among them, including about thirty who race. However, according to figures, between 3,000 and 5,000 people with disabilities could practice physical activity, including sailing. “With our coastline, our lakes and our infrastructure, we have the ability to attract more people to our clubs. Our ambition is to develop the practice of sailing for the disabled by multiplying, among other things, sailing for the disabled with a crew,” says Claude Le Bacquer.
The Southern League has therefore decided to produce a White Book in order to better inform this public about the practice of sailing. “We wanted to make a strong action towards the disabled sports public which we do not yet address enough”, underlines Claude Le Bacquer. But not only. Thus, the White Paper is aimed at both disabled-friendly structures and sailing clubs likely to accommodate them. Its purpose is to bring them together and encourage them to work together. “Many clubs are afraid of not having the skills or the regulatory situation required to accommodate this type of public, while some disabilities do not require suitable infrastructure or equipment, he continues. Sometimes, it is enough for the instructor to be supported by the center supervisor”.
A wealth of information to facilitate and develop the practice
The Ligue Sud, whose clubs are already fully invested in the development of disabled sailing, has surrounded itself with sports associations and representatives of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee in order to offer the most relevant, exhaustive and informative work possible. . Thus, the White Paper lists by department the 64 disabled clubs in the Region with boarding assistance, PRM equipment and adapted boats, as well as those which develop a disabled activity without special equipment. There are also testimonials from athletes and all the information and associative and institutional contacts necessary for clubs wishing to become disabled-friendly. “We want all the structures that want to do something to be able to meet and know that we are there to help and support them. Charlotte Lobry, an employee of the League and Mr Baldassari of the ARS can direct the instructors, trainers and clubs welcoming people with reduced mobility or mentally retarded for example. We also have agreements with the Union of the Blind of France or even URAPEDA Sud or the Association for adults and young people with disabilities for training that can be partially or even totally covered”.
Published in 500 copies for disabled sports clubs and players in the Mediterranean, the White Paper, a long-term system aimed at building a more inclusive world, is available in digital version on the Ligue Sud website or directly via the link www.livreblancvoileethandicap.fr.
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