Much admired co-founder of Sailability Mike Rawbone dies at 75

One of Sai Kung’s most admirable people has passed away suddenly. Mike Rawbone founded with his wife Kay the charity Sailability which has taught thousands of disabled people to sail or given them water-borne experiences.

Kay said Mike died quickly on 3 August. “I’m so proud and devastated as you can imagine, but Sailability was our baby and Mike flourished by having something that could help so many.”

“Mike became poorly”, Kay said on the Monday morning “and passed away in the evening. It is not yet clear what the illness was. It was so quick. I am in shock. I can’t believe it, so many wonderful tributes from all over the world.”

Mike was 75 when he died. He and Kay had been married for 50 years and had three children, Rachel, David and Joanne, who gave the couple seven grandchildren. A human resources consultant, Mike worked as HR Director for the construction firms, Leighton and Hsin Chong. Later he had his own company called HRA, doing recruitment and consultancy.

As a child Mike lived in Gosport, England. He began sailing at eight years of age winning a scholarship to the renowned sporting school, Millfield. “Mike was always passionate about looking after people,” Kay said. “He cared for the underdog. He loved people. He loved entertaining at home. At Christmas he had a houseful of people. He always had a twinkle in his eye.” BUZZ can vouch for this. On the few occasions we met Mike we were struck by this twinkle, the warmth of his smile and his instant likeability.

“Last night some of our ‘Sailability Family’ came to our home. We had a curry night in honour of Mike. Mike loved curry,” Kay said. He was an animal lover — “we have two beautiful dogs”– and a model aircraft builder. Kay said Mike was building a radio-controlled Mosquito with an 82 inch wing span that he planned to finish and sell to raise money for Sailability. “I need someone to finish it, who knows how to do it properly the way Mike would want.” Sailability T-shirts with Mike’s smiling photo will be produced, again to make money for Sailability.

Kay said, “Mike reckoned the best thing that had happened to us in our lives was lockdown because we spent more time together.” A wake will be held at the Hebe Haven Yacht Club, base of Sailability, as soon as possible given the current Covid-19 restrictions. “We will scatter his ashes in the waters of Sai Kung from an Enterprise with a few special friends.”

Here’s a brief look at the admirable accomplishments of Mike and Kay Rawbone with Sailability

The couple founded the charity in 2009. After meeting the Australian boat designer Chris Mitchell, Mike and Kay sold their keel boat and bought two Access 2.3 dinghies. Aided by the HHYC Commodore Mark Houghton and Sail Training Manager Rob Allen, they created Sailability. Since then more than 2,700 people with disabilities or life challenges have been taught to sail or been given water-borne experiences. One girl so paralysed she could only blink her eyes learned to control a dinghy at sea in the wind.

Sailability operates out of the HHYC with a fleet of sailing boats giving about 4,000 lessons to the disabled annually. Recently developed new programmes have been set up for the deaf, blind, sufferers of muscular dystrophy and mental health challenges plus new courses for the elderly.

To learn more go to the Sailability Hong Kong website where you can donate to the wonderful Rawbone charity if you wish. Do it in Mike’s honour.