Dear Sailor,

As the year draws to a close (and before the end-of- year email congestion) may I wish you all for a happy and prosperous new one.

This last year was exciting and challenging for Sailability India. With an updated website which goaded us to greater levels of activity, we ensured that Access got a fair amount of exposure where it mattered- Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai.The sailors from Chennai sailed the Access at the Laser Nationals in Monsoon conditions with ease. Allan and Helen's visit was of great help to all of us and it was very kind of them to come.

Preparations for Fespic started as far back as February this year and selection was done early enough to allow the prospectives time to get used to the boat. That was not to be as the winds died out at H'sagar for the Summer, and the father of Rishab Suri,Yadu Suri was posted out to Calcutta.

The entry forms were filed on time as requested by the Paralympic Committee of India, in Bangalore. Thanks for coordinating, Jackie and David ! Then silence! No responses from the organisers in spite of reminders! Emails were dispatched to the Organisers and the Paralympic Committee to explain the substitution at the last minute.

Fathima kept at it, looking for volunteer teachers and a suitable club to launch where she would be accepted. She instinctively drew out positive responses from other sailors, but the Rules apply The venerable Secunderabad Club extended its cooperation and admitted her to a sailing camp run by them.

Major AK Singh, being a well experienced senior sailor( could also double up as Manager to the team), flew in from Lucknow to Hyderabad for getting acquainted and converted onto the Access. He was all set to go when his Father went into critical coma in hospital, so AK dropped out at the very last minute.

The sponsors had been cultivated and promised support . All expenses for the two handicapped sailors! The two cheques were dispatched directly to their addresses. AK's cheque took a few days to return from Lucknow, giving us time to have a passport issued and the substitute male school boy groomed for his first international event. All this time we were planning for racing on 28,29,,30 Nov with registration, classification, measurement the two days preceeding as per the NOR on the FESPIC website.

The NOR also prescribed a statutory requirement of one male and one female entry in each division to qualify as a national team. It was important that Ramesh join Fatheema in KL. We heaved a sigh of relief as we saw Ramesh off on the 26th flight arriving KL on 27am, well on time !!

Our activity will continue vigorously on the water with these two handicapped sailors setting the pace and having been given a good amount of publicity we expect many others.

Thanks once again for welcoming us to your fold on the website.

Yours sincerely,
Pradipak

Fathima suffers from polio. So does Ramesh. Rishab has Downs syndrome. AK Singh an amputated leg and is now bereaved.