Instructor Giovanni Profeta recounts taking students with complex disabilities to their first sailboat race, showing how confidence and teamwork can matter more than position.
A first regatta feels daunting
Sailing instructor Giovanni Profeta has described helping two students with complex intellectual and physical disabilities take part in their first regatta. For the crew, even understanding what a sailing race would involve required careful explanation and reassurance.
The students were used to relaxed outings and had little experience of boats competing close together. Profeta wanted them to participate meaningfully rather than remain observers on the shore.
A simple briefing helps the crew
Before leaving the dock, the instructor explained starting procedures and encouraged the students to trust clear instructions. He used the familiar idea of cars racing around a course to introduce the unusual concept of competitive sailboats.
Good teaching begins with what students already understand and adapts when that explanation is not enough. Sailors with sensory-processing difficulties may need additional time to become comfortable with noise, movement and nearby boats.
An unfamiliar start line
The crew boarded a Catalina Freedom sailboat while other teams were preparing nearby. The crowded setting and wake from passing craft made the opening moments more demanding than their usual sailing sessions.
Those details are useful reminders for event organisers to allow extra time and provide calm assistance. Accessible competition depends on the whole experience, not just the design of the boat.
Learning by doing in changing conditions
During racing, the students had to respond to other boats, the course and the instructor's decisions. Profeta's account emphasises the way confidence grew as the crew began to understand the rhythm of a regatta.
The outcome demonstrates why instructors should leave room for participants to make real decisions while retaining responsibility for safety. A racing environment can offer fresh motivation when the challenge is appropriately managed.
What counts as a win
The story presents participation, confidence and trust as achievements alongside any position on the results sheet. For students who had initially been reluctant to enter, reaching the start and learning on the course carried genuine significance.
Clubs hoping to welcome new participants can take practical lessons from the experience. Clear communication, supportive volunteers and appropriate equipment help make sailing accessible to more people.
An accessible race begins with the invitation
Clubs that want to welcome disabled sailors need to consider the experience long before the start signal. An invitation must be supported by an honest explanation of the boats, facilities and assistance available. Prospective participants and their families should have a way to ask questions privately so that important needs can be addressed without feeling they are being judged.
For an inexperienced crew, seeing a busy racing pontoon can be overwhelming. Allowing time to visit the site, meet an instructor and look at the boat before the event may help. Organisers can also explain noise, movement and the schedule in simple stages rather than presenting unfamiliar procedures all at once.
The boat should create real opportunities to contribute
Adapted sailing is most meaningful when participants can steer, trim a sail or make decisions suited to their ability and the conditions. Being carried around a course may still be enjoyable, but it does not offer the same chance to develop confidence. The instructor's role is to discover which tasks can be performed safely and then provide appropriate support.
A crew may need modified controls, additional verbal descriptions or more time to practise a manoeuvre. These adjustments should be treated as normal elements of teaching, not as concessions that diminish the activity. The boat and the safety plan must still be appropriate for the race setting.
Race starts involve unfamiliar pressure
At a start line, several boats may converge with limited space and a rapidly changing order. Experienced racers take these movements for granted, but newcomers can find the proximity and shouted instructions difficult to interpret. The skipper should explain what to expect and use a simple agreed way of communicating when quick action is needed.
Practice outside the racing environment can help a new crew understand turning, sail handling and the location of nearby boats. A shorter, calmer exercise provides the opportunity to ask questions that would be difficult in the final seconds before a start. The objective is participation with understanding, not just crossing the line.
A result is only part of a successful day
Competitive sailing offers measurable results, but individuals may judge their first event in very different ways. A participant who learns to hold a course, stays engaged throughout the race or returns wanting to sail again has achieved something valuable. The instructor can recognise those developments without suggesting that the final position is unimportant to somebody who wants to compete.
After the event, a short discussion helps participants describe what they enjoyed and what they would change. Adults should listen rather than decide on the students' behalf that simply attending was enough. Respect includes recognising an interest in improvement, competition and more demanding future activities.
Building the next step at a local club
A first regatta is most useful when the experience can lead to another opportunity. Clubs can identify suitable training sessions, regular crews or friendly competitions that match the sailor's growing abilities. A follow-up plan prevents the event becoming an isolated demonstration rather than part of an ongoing sporting experience.
Volunteers and family members also need clear information about scheduling, cost and transport arrangements. Maintaining an accessible programme may take time and resources, but the result can be a stronger club with more varied participation. Giovanni Profeta's account is an example of how thoughtful instruction can make that opportunity real.
Event organisers may also consider quiet briefing areas and a predictable timetable for participants who find crowded environments stressful. A calmer place to prepare does not alter the sporting challenge once afloat, but it can make it easier for competitors to focus on what they have learned. Small organisational changes can benefit the entire fleet.
Safety volunteers should understand the planned adaptations and the instructor's intended method of assistance. That preparation matters if a boat needs help returning to shore or a crew member becomes distressed. Effective support is coordinated before the event and does not depend on improvising unfamiliar procedures during a problem.
A welcoming club can celebrate individual achievements without separating disabled participants from its wider community. Shared social activities, regular training and opportunities to crew with different people help build friendships and confidence. Inclusion is strongest when sailors are recognised for their interests and skills as well as for overcoming barriers.
Source
American Sailing