Mo Han in all her glory
Sailability Hong Kong Limited (‘Sailability HK’) has announced the arrival in Hong Kong of sailing yacht Mo Han (無限) which will be used as a therapeutic platform for the disabled. It will be the new flagship of the Sailability HK fleet.
Formed in 2009 by Mike and Kay Rawbone, Sailability HK is the only sailing organisation in HK offering sailing as a therapeutic platform to people with a disability and other life challenges.
Sailability HK Chairman, Mr Barry Hill, said, “The arrival of Mo Han is a significant milestone in the history of Sailability HK and has been made possible by the generous donation of the vessel from the Li Ka Shing Foundation and the support of the Solarista Club Members who have pledged funding to cover the operation of Mo Han.”
Sailability HK also thanked Enrico Zanella from Solaris Yachts Asia for his vision and promotion of this project, including advice and technical solutions in respect of the on-board sailing provisions for people with a disability.
Sailability HK also recognised the support of Hebe Haven Yacht Club, its Commodores, members and staff, who have facilitated the operation of Sailability at their premises since 2009 and who have kindly offered a home berth for Mo Han.
Sailability staff and supporters take Mo Han out for a spin
The vessel is a Solaris 40 performance cruiser with three cabins, six berths and a passenger capacity of twelve. It has been built at the Solaris production factory in Aquileia, Italy and includes several layout and sail handling modifications to allow efficient operation by sailors of all abilities. The vessel was shipped from the Italian port of Trieste aboard the vehicle carrier Beluga Ace and arrived in Hong Kong on 1 July 2022. Mo Han has received final preparatory work at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club before making her maiden voyage to Hebe Haven Yacht Club on 23 July 2022.
Mo Han will be utilised extensively for on-board sailing sessions as a therapeutic platform for the disabled. These sailors’ lives will be very much enriched by the sailing experiences and the interactions with the different elements of nature including, sun, wind, rain and sea. It is also the intention for Mo Han to be used for competitions in many of the established sailing events organised by Aberdeen Boat Club, Cruiser Owners Association, Hebe Haven Yacht Club and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.
Mr Hill concluded, “Mo Han is the beginning of a new chapter for Sailability HK and will provide an additional sailing dimension as a therapeutic platform to the lives of the Sailability sailors who achieve so much by overcoming their personal challenges and getting out on the water.”
Starting initially with two small yachts donated by the founders, Sailability HK now has 37 boats in 4 classes including Safety boats.
Mo Han berths at Hebe Haven Yacht Club
Sailability HK aims to use sailing as a therapeutic platform for people with a disability. It recognises that sailing, as a sport and recreational activity, is not always accessible to all, owing to lack of finance, a physical or learning disability, mental health or more of the many social barriers which now exist.
The organisation’s key objective, therefore, is to help break down these barriers by working within the community to offer both financial and practical support, through inspiration and encouragement. They ‘make sailing accessible to EVERYONE’ irrespective of; ability, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or status/lack of representation within our community whilst increasing self-confidence, independence, responsibility and self-esteem, learning a new skill and having fun.
To date, over 6,000 new sailors with a disability or other life challenges from within the Hong Kong community have sailed with them, many coming back time and time again.
The charity is now conducting in excess of 3,000 individual sailing lessons, weather permitting, each year. From 2009 to the end of 2021 individual sailing numbers reached 14,316, of which 12,135 were sailors with disability.
Sailability HK does not receive any government grant and depends on corporate and individual donations for its funding.
Registered Charity No: 91/15775
Website: www.sailability.org.hk
For further information, please contact Kay Rawbone, Co Founder and CEO of Sailability HK (kay@sailablity.org.hk)
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