Mobility Cup participants in Lunenburg during one of the warm-up sails. Photo: ACOA.
Sailors from as far away as Hawaii have arrived in Lunenburg to take part in this year’s Mobility Cup which features high-performance sailors with various disabilities.
Opening ceremonies for the Mobility Cup are underway in Lunenburg. @ckbwradio pic.twitter.com/6xT6njqvY4
— Evan Taylor (@evanrtaylor) August 26, 2024
“It’s called the regatta of possibilities, where people with all sorts of unique challenges take on the ocean with competitive sailing,” said Paul Tingley Chair of the Able Sail program who organizes the mobility cup annually.
Races began Tuesday morning and will be taking place around the Lunenburg Yacht Club until Friday. On Thursday both the Bluenose II and the HMCS Oriole will be visiting the race course adding to the spectacle.
On Monday, opening ceremonies were held on the waterfront in Lunenburg including a parade with all participants and a ceremonial smudging.
Bluenose II Captain Phil Watson also spoke during the opening ceremonies about how inspiring the Mobility Cup is. “Normally I’m asked to speak at these things and inspire participants, but that doesn’t seem right here as the sailors are the ones who inspire us, overcoming challenges to push themselves through barriers and I’m so happy they are here in our community,” Watson said.
In the lead-up to the Mobility Cup the Lunenburg Yacht Club has to undergo some serious renovations to accommodate the sailors many of whom face mobility challenges.
Upgrades made to the club include adding a fully accessible wheelchair ramp to the wharf, an accessible shower.
To help pay for the upgrades the Lunenburg Yacht Club did some fundraising of their own but also received support from all levels of government including from the Province of Nova Scotia, the Muncipality of the District of Lunenburg and the federal government (through ACOA).
Last week ACOA Minister Gudie Hutchings visited the Lunenburg Yacht Club. Following her visit in an interview with Acadia Broadcasting Hutchings told us initiatives like the Mobility Cup are exactly the types of projects they are looking to support, as it not only is helping make things more accessible but also promotes unique experiences that draw people to Nova Scotia.
