Northern Campaign

View the SWD Training Manual

Preparations and planning for the 15th SWD Northern Program are well underway and the schedule will beadded to this website's calendar soon(August to September 2012). As part of our program we will visit various ports which last year allowed 800 people from disadvantaged and disabled children of all ages the opportunity to sail on our ocean racing yacht.

Sailors with disAbilities (SWD) is an organisation committed to changing society's perception of people with disabilities. SWD's members believe that disabled people are capable of participating in active and responsible roles in our society and should not be treated differently because of their disabilities. Harbour sailing, ocean racing, inshore and coastal training programs and youth and schools programs are just some of the ways SWD works to achieve this.

As part of our annual program we offer people of all ages, from special schools and community organisations on the east coast, the opportunity to sail with SWD. We are able to offer this opportunity free of charge thanks to the generosity of our supporters and volunteers.

Our schedule of venues for this year's 2012 Northern Program is as follows: Southport, Rosslyn Bay, Mackay, Gladstone, Coffs Harbour and Newcastle.

At each of the ports we usually run two sessions per day at 9.30 and 12.30.

We are inviting special schools and community organisations from the areas around the ports listed above to join us and we can assist with transport if that is needed.

If you would like to join us, SWD will be taking online bookings from March.  We will need to collect some information about your school or organisation.  Simply register your details at the sign up  page to gain access to our interactive booking calender.

The success of our program over the years has meant that our sail days are at a premium so we ask you to be as flexible as possible. To assist with our planning would you advise the earliest time you could be at the marina and the latest you could return to the marina.

We take a maximum of 15 people (MAXIMUM 4 WHEELCHAIRS), including carers. If there are electric wheelchairs the total number may have to be reduced. The minimum numbers are 10 people, including at least 5 people with a disability or special need.

Please note that all trips are subject to weather conditions. If the weather on any particular day is not suitable then we will not be able to go sailing. Also, if there is bad weather along the coast during yacht delivery times from one port to the next we may be late in arriving at a port or need to leave early for the next port and in those circumstances we would have to cancel some or all of the trips. While it is unlikely we will have to cancel trips due to weather it is something of which you should be aware.