The Mobility Cup has become a truly international event. Every summer competitors come from across Canada and the United States as well as Europe and as far away as New Zealand. Billed as a "regatta of possibilities" Mobility Cup
s inspiring format brings sailors that may have never sailed before to the start line with Mobility Cup champions that have gone on to represent Canada in the Paralympic Games!

The Mobility Cup 2008 will be held in Montreal, Quebec. Racing takes place on Lac St. Louis, sailing out of the Pointe Claire Yacht Club (PCYC).

It is a "regatta of possibility" in which personal and social barriers are challenged in an atmosphere of friendly competition. The event is open to anyone, regardless of the severity of their disability or extent of sailing experience.

The Mobility Cup regatta is North America's flagship for sailors with physical disabilities. The event was first hosted in 1991 and has been growing ever since as it travelled across Canada. 

Sailing provides a unique sporting opportunity for people with
disabilities, as participants are not segregated by the nature of their disability - the only divisions are according to sailing experience.

This is possible because of a new breed of sailboat, designed
specifically for the needs of people with disabilities. The Canadian-designed Martin 16 sloop allows joystick control, and high-level quadriplegics sail using mouth-operated Sip 'n' Puff interfaces connected to power assisted steering.

Mobility Cup was launched by Sam Sullivan, a high-level quadriplegic, who is currently mayor of Vancouver, BC, in order to promote his then fledgling adaptive sailing program on the West Coast. He founded the Disabled Sailing Association of British Columbia in 1989.

"We had the idea for the Mobility Cup right at the beginning, around 1989 or 1990," explained Sullivan. "It was important to have people come together and celebrate their achievements, and to do that in the form of a race."

The first Mobility Cup was held in Vancouver in August 1991, and it was immediately clear this could be a vehicle for spreading the word about adaptive sailing - raising the level of competition while promoting the sport to the wider community.

The event has grown a little each of the subsequent years. The 2006 event was back in Vancouver in September after a seven-year absence, when it took on a truly international significance with six countries represented: Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary and England.

Over the years, the event has been the catalyst for advances in the sport - from the world's first sailboat Sip 'n' Puff system, which debuted at Mobility Cup 1993, to the 1995 commissioning of the Martin 16.

Each year's event leaves a legacy for its host community - 2006's was the creation of the AbleSailNetwork (ASN), a Canada-wide association of operators of accessible sailing programs committed to promoting and developing the sport/recreation of accessible sailing, and exchanging best practices.

ASN chairman Rene Dallaire of Montreal said the whole organization was excited at the opportunities that would arise from hosting such a prestigious event in Nova Scotia, as it perfectly fits the Mobility Cup mandate of reaching out to new locations and leaving a legacy.

For more information:
AbleSailNetwork: http://www.ablesailnetwork.ca/
Mobility Cup : http://www.mobilitycup.org/