SAILABILITY HONG KONG LIMITED
Registered Charity No: 91/15775
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Looking forward
24hr Charity Dinghy Race Cheque Presentation
Cruiser Owner's Charity Seafood Lunch in aid of Sailability Hong Kong
Bart's Bash 2026 - will be our 8th Year this year with HHYC!!!!
as together
'We Make Sailing Accessible to EVERYONE' whilst changing lives.
Come and see what we do 'seeing really is believing'
Newsletter Edition 10
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2026 NEWS
May 2026
24hr Charity Dinghy Race 2026 at HHYC
The race started at 2pm on Saturday, 23rd May, and included Sailability teams using Hansa 303s, RS Fusion (Junior Sailors) and additionally an Enterprise sailed by Sailability Volunteers. Sailors competing for Sailability Hong Kong were from our Saturday Sailors, Volunteers, Para Sailors, Junior Sailors, Sai Kung District Council Community Centre, Pok Oi Hospital and the PSW Scouts.
The race continue through the night with most crew doing 2 hour sailing shifts finishing at 2pm Sunday with prize giving scheduled for 4pm on 24th May.
Sunday, 24th May was a very hot sunny day and the 24-Hour Charity Race wrapped up with the prize giving ceremony.
The race itself finished at 2pm and soon afterwards, the crowd gathered near the stage. HHYC Commodore Sonny Payne thanked all those who had contributed to the success of the event including sponsors, volunteers, sailors, and HHYC staff. He paid particular thanks to Carol Biddell and Sirena Petit who both received a bouquet of flowers as well as a loud cheer from the assembled crowd.
The race overall was won by Hebe Dragons who completed 105 laps of the course in 24 hours. Great sailing by them!
For Sailability, the Para Warriors took first place in the Hansa 303 class, followed by Elite Volunteers, and Saturday Sailing 2 in second and third place respectively. Sailability also won the Charity Cup.
In the R/S Fusion class the Sailability Junior Sailors took first place in their first ever 24 Hour Charity race! An amazing performance by all the team and coaches!
After the race, Kay Rawbone addressed a group of Sailability volunteers and sailors to thank them for their effort and for being part of the “Sailability family”.
With many of those who had sailed during the night visibly falling asleep- people slowly made their way home to cool down and catch up on some rest.
Fortunately, the following day is a public holiday in Hong Kong – and very welcome too!
World Sailing's Steering the Course Women’s Sailing Festival
From the 27th to 31st May Sailability joined HHYC for the 6th year of the above event. This global initiative, aims to attract more women and girls into sailing, and is supported by World Sailing.
Over the 5 day event there were a range of activities both on the water and on land. Sailability has had groups of women sailing on MoHan and in our Hansa 303’s.
The weather was really hot - really very hot - so one group, our regular volunteers, sailed to Little Palm Beach, jumped out of the boats and had a swim!
And the group from Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Chuk Yuen District Elderly Centre included 8 people and 2 staff. The oldest person taking part was a woman aged 88!
We were also joined by the Asia Women's League, Sai Kung District Community Centre and HSBC staff. On 30th May MoHan participated in the event regatta and came in 2nd place in the Ladies' Helm. Well done to the team - great result.
The last day saw groups from within our EM communities sailing bringing our total ladies this year joining to 107 + 45 male volunteers. Total ladies joining Sailability in the 6 years has now reached 707!!!!!!! Go Sailability HK and Steering the Course!!!!!
2nd Paralympic Sports Classification Conference
Hosted by the China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee, this milestone event successfully took place on May 23rd at the Regal HongKong Hotel.
Under the theme "From Principle to Grounded Practice: The Next Chapter in Para Sport Classification," this year's event brought together over 1,200 global participants both online and offline. Classifiers, coaches, Para athletes, medical professionals, and sports administrators from 22 countries and regions gathered to strengthen the core foundations of Para sports development.
The Sailability HK team at the conference comprised Kay Rawbone, coaches Ed Tang, Ken Leung, and Paul Ng, plus Myrian Fan nurse/ PhD candidate /Sailability volunteer.
Fair classification is the bedrock of para sporting competition. The conference workshops focused on visual , intellectual, and physical impairment classification.
Speaking after the conference Kay Rawbone said “Attending this classification conference was vital for Sailability Hong Kong and all other Paralympic Sports to learn more about classification procedures whilst also ensuring fair, accurate, and standardised assessments for athletes with disabilities is maintained. It allows organisations to align with international para-sport standards and opens up pathways for athletes to compete in local and international events.
Sailability Hong Kong was very honoured to be a supporting organisation at this year’s event. It also highlighted the successful partnership we have had with the Physio Dept of HK Metropolitan University for the past 6+ years.”
Master of Science in Adaptive Sports at HKMU
Kay Rawbone, Co Founder and CEO of Sailability HK, has been invited to be a guest speaker at Hong Kong Metropolitan University!
In a statement on social media HKMU Physio described Kay as “a passionate, people focussed leader who has dedicated her life to making sailing accessible to people of all abilities…. (who will) share her invaluable experiences and leadership philosophy during the lectures.”
For some years now, staff and students from the HKMU Physiotherapy department have regularly supported our sailing programmes, in particular sailing and training with the para sailors, and providing physio assistance. In 2024 they also arranged a “Sail and Serve” day at Hebe Haven providing physio services and cementing the partnership between HKMU and Sailability.
If you are interested in the Master of Science in Adaptive Sports at HKMU, applications are currently open.
April 2026
Mo Han Super Skipper Chef - Ransom!
During the month Sailability took part in the Solaris Pasta Cooking Cup! This popular event is organised by the Cruiser Owners Association, and blends together sailing, good food, and great company!
All the boats set sail in the morning, and after arriving at Stanley Bay they cook pasta using the galley facilities on board. For MoHan this year, our pasta chef was our super skipper, Ransom!
Here’s to many more happy days on the water, creating memories that last beyond the finish line!
Sailing research is making waves!
During the last 12 months we have reported on our social media etc, Myrian Fan, who is conducting a PhD study with Nethersole school of Nursing at CUHK into the impact of sailing on resilience in autistic children. We thought you would enjoy an extract from Facebook:
During 2025 over 100 children took part in a sailing programme designed specifically for the PhD study. Understanding the impact our progammes make is REALLY important for everyone working with Sailability.
So, we caught up with Myrian recently to ask her what’s happening with her PhD study now?
Question: Now that you have completed the sailing trials what are you focusing on now?
Myrian: I have been fortunate to present at two international nursing conferences, one in Singapore and another one here in Hong Kong. This gave me the privilege of meeting esteemed scholars in nursing and behavioural psychology. Their recognition and encouragement means a lot and motivates me to continue building empirical evidence around what the Sailability Hong Kong family has already been doing so beautifully for our community. These conferences are not only a professional opportunity for disseminating findings, they are opportunities for me to express my gratitude to the interdisciplinary team – the Sailability instructors, drivers, volunteers, Kay, my private donors, and the Sun Hung Kai Scallywag Foundation. Without everyone’s support, this community-based initiative would never have become reality.
Junior Sailors join another competition!!
Over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd May, four Sailability Junior Sailors took part in the Tai Mei Tuk Optimist Ranking Regatta, sailed out of the HK School Sailing Association Plover Cove Sailing Club. For Vhela, Luke, Ayesha and Luca it was their first competition in the "Intermediate" fleet.
Day 1 saw a delayed start with repeated wind shifts, but the Race Committee eventually got 3 good windward-leeward races in as the breeze settled. Sailability Sailor Vhela started the regatta with an amazing 2nd place, and followed up with a 3rd and a 6th. Ayesha finished all the races mid-fleet.
Day 2 saw all our sailors tested with increasing wind, but all battled hard and didn't give up. Vhela scored another 2nd place in the final race, but slipped to an overall finish of 4th following a capsize in race 5.
Great Credit to all our sailors and congratulations to Vhela finishing 4th in her first ever Intermediate fleet regatta. Thanks to Hebe Haven Yacht Club who helped us move our boats down to Tai Mei Tuk before the event, RHKYC who continue to support us at Shelter Cove, and to parents who assisted with logistics (including loading and unloading boats!). And of course to our sponsors and supporters who make this project possible.
Hong Kong Society for the Blind ...... return for their annual sail
On Sunday 19th April, a group of visually impaired people used our Hansa boats for sailing . They were accompanied by a team of Sailability volunteers and safety boat drivers.
The Hong Kong Society for the Blind has operated for 70 years. They make our city more inclusive by improving the opportunities and quality of life for people who are visually impaired.
We are so pleased to partner with HKSB again!
Our schools programmes are growing!
A new Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, school has taken part in a sailing programme run by Sailability HK and funded by the Sun Hung Kai, Scallywag Foundation!
Six children from TWGH Kwan Fong Kai Chi School, Kowloon, took part sailing our Hansa 303’s, along with 3 of their teachers. All were assisted throughout the day by a team of 8 Sailability volunteers.
And even more good news… two more TWGH schools will be sailing in the next two months!
March 2026
Additional programmes undertaken during the month included:
Saturday Sailing, Para Sailor Training, Caritas Lok Kan and Lok Yi Schools' Programmes, TREATS Scholarship Programme, Hong Chi Tung Chung and Pine Hill Schools' Taster Days, MoHan Spring Saturday Sailing Series
Some of the month's highlights....
29th March - Teachers from the Caritas Pellitier School Graduate from their Sailability Training Course undertaken during the month!
Congratulations to these teachers from Caritas Pelletier School HK who completed their sail training last weekend !
Since September last year, three groups of Caritas teachers have sailed with us and all have graduated with a certificate.
We hope more schools will follow their lead and ask their teachers to train with Sailability HK.
22nd March - Open Day at HHYC
........ and Sailability HK was out in full force! The Open Day is as always a wonderful opportunity for the Club and Sailability to showcase what we offer the Hong Kong community as we provide access to the beautiful waters of Sai Kung.
This year the day was blessed with a pleasant temperature and a healthy breeze to accompany the water-based activity.
By the end of the day, over 40 Sailability volunteers had been involved, and 78 people from the community had sailed in our dinghies. Another 20 people sailed on Mohan, which is our 40-foot Solaris yacht. And 9 people had a ride on one of our safety boats. Making a grand total of 107 people out in n the water during the day!
On land we had a stall and used one of our Hansa 2.3 as a simulator for those who wanted to try that before venturing onto the water.
The Club provided sailing opportunities using their fleet, plus F&B in the form of tasty burgers and chips with a range of drinks to suit everyone!
It was great to see the club so busy with many new happy faces. Our thanks to all those volunteers who helped out, and whose support is essential for making the Open Day a day to remember!
Our Enterprises are being resurrected!! Why? - read on....
This year’s 24 hour Charity Dinghy Race takes place on 23 and 24 May, and a group of Sailability volunteers are working to get their boat ready for the challenge!
The boat is a reclaimed Enterprise dinghy called Bits n Pieces. The boat was named in memory of a dear friend Toby Jenkin-Jones. It has been made ready for sailing by literally gathering together the bits and pieces needed and fitting them to the boat, so the name is very apt!! Also huge thanks to Andy Service who sourced and donated many of the parts for us and sailors from the Outward Bound Alumni. Pictured here are Mrs Fung, Jessica, Michael and Leon along with HHYC member Sammi Fu. A huge thank you to you for your help and enthusiasm to get these boats back from under the covers and ready to sail.
Over the years, people have sailed Enterprises, all over the world, including many in Hong Kong. We are now looking forward to seeing this 'Enterprise Dream' becoming a reality again, following it's beginning during COVID, when we found our first boat, abandoned by a rubbish bin with the other two following quite quickly. We are also now working on the second one which will be named RAW DEAL, in memory of Mike, our founder, who sailed and owned 3 wooden Enterprises with his wife Kay, also a founder and now our CEO More details about the beginning of this story can be found in our 2020 News.
8th March - International Women's Day
To mark International Women’s Day, which is Sunday 8 March, we interviewed one of our leading para sailors, CHUNG Oi Po (Ah Po) about her experiences on the water with Sailability HK.
How did you first hear about Sailability HK?
Po: I first heard about Sailability through 2016 HONG KONG PARALYMPIC DAY. I had always looked at the water and wondered if it was possible for me, so when I saw a program specifically for people with different abilities, I knew I had to try. Before this I had never imagined sailing was an option for someone with my body build. I thought boats were built for a very specific type of person—until I found Sailability.
What do you remember about your first time sailing?
I remember the initial nerves turning into pure excitement! Because of my short limbs, I wasn't sure if I could manage the equipment, but the volunteers showed me how the boat could be adapted. The best part was the freedom. On land, movement can be a challenge, but on the water, the boat became an extension of me. I felt fast, light, and completely equal to everyone else on the sea.
What do you like most about sailing? Which kind of boat do you like to sail?
What I love most is the autonomy. On land, I might need help navigating certain environments, but in a boat, I am the captain. It’s incredibly liberating to have that power in my hands. As for the boat, I love the Hansa 303. It’s stable, responsive, and the controls are perfect for my build, allowing me to focus on the tactics and the wind rather than my physical limitations.
You were part of the team that went to the World Ability Sports Beach Games in Turkey last year. How was that experience? What did you learn?
Turkey was a whirlwind! Competing on an international stage was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating. Seeing athletes from all over the world with different disabilities reminded me that the water is the great equalizer. I learned that I’m much more resilient than I thought—traveling across the world and racing in unfamiliar waters takes a lot of mental 'grit.' I came back with more confidence not just in sailing, but in everyday life.
What would you say to anyone who has no sailing experience and is thinking about joining Sailability?
Just get your feet wet! Don’t worry about how you’ll manage or if you’re 'strong enough.' Sailability are experts at adapting the experience to you. You aren't just joining a sports club; you're joining a family that sees your potential before they see your disability. The only thing you’ll regret is not starting sooner.
Making Sailing Accessible on International Women’s Day!
Sunday, 8th March, was a busy day as over 40 women gathered at Hebe Haven
Yacht Club to discover sailing with Sailability HK!
Arranged by the Institute of Leadership and Management, the group included
many Muslim women and also domestic helpers including some whose lives
have been impacted by the Tai Po fire which destroyed many homes last
November. There was an opportunity to sail out on Hebe One, the club’s
43-foot powered catamaran, as well as Sailability’s Hansa 303’s which are
ideal for first time sailing.
Conditions were just right - dry and sunny with a fair breeze so the women
made the most of their opportunity and we hope some will come back again
in future. The women were delighted to sail and thanked Kay, the Sailability
team and ILM for the day’s arrangements.
6th March - Catch the Wind
Catch the wind had another great day, although it was more like Catch the
rain! Despite the grey and damp, there was lots of energy and everyone had
a great time!
The morning the session started with a class on environmental awareness
when the topic was Ocean Acidification followed by a poster making activity
(see photos). In the afternoon, the group sailed near Trio beach to practice
their gib skills!
February 2026
Other programmes during the month included Saturday Sailing, reduced Para Sailor Training Sessions due to it being CNY and on 28th MoHan took part in the first day of the HHYC Spring Saturday Series.
Catch the Wind HK!
Catch the Wind HK is a student-based initiative to protect the ocean through hands-on conservation and make sailing accessible to all!
They have joined up with Sailability HK as part of their school CAS programmes
and on their first day they took a group of 8 young sailors from our Junior
Optimist Programme, youth Volunteers and Instructor Rex, over to Nam Wai
Beach on paddle boards for an “epic clean up”!
During the day the participants built their teamwork, communication skills, and contributed to a cleaner ocean environment, whilst having lots of fun and a great experience. We are looking forward to the rest of your Sustainability and Sailing programme with your sailors unfolding!!
Lunar New Year
It was a wonderful start to the Lunar New Year for Hebe Haven Yacht Club and Sailability HK with a Lunar New Year Lion Dance and blessing ceremony.
The ceremony was attended by a group from our Junior Sailing Programme
and their coach Kevin Lewis, plus several volunteers and Co founder
Kay Rawbone. Wishing all our sailors and supporters good health, prosperity, and smooth sailing throughout the year of the Fire Horse!
1st February - ELCHK with Po Leung Kuk, Law's Foundation School
Sailors from the Po Leung Kuk Law's Foundation School who learned to sail with us last year came along again to support sailors with disability from the ELCHK. It was the first day of sailing for the ELCHK sailors and as always the Law's Foundation School did us proud with the caring support they gave to the group. Well done again and thank you for your help once again. The link to a video made of the day can be accesed on our FB.
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January 2026
Hong Kong Race Week - Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Middle Island
With Hong Kong Race week less than weeks away, the Sailability HK para sailors devoted part of the weekend to prepare their boats for the competition. The 2026 Sun Hung Kai & Co. Hong Kong Race Week & the 2026 29er Asian Championship took place from 27 January to 1 February this year.
Co-organised by the Sailing Federation of HK, China in conjunction with Royal HK Yacht Club. The event utilises four race courses in the areas of Middle Island, Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, Stanley, Tai Tam, and Beaufort. Sailability HK will compete in the 2.4mR and Optimist Green Fleet classes, and we will report on progress here on Facebook! Go Sailability Go! and we did!!!!
Gold x2 for Sailability HK at the Sun Hung Kai & Co Hong Kong Race Week 2026 !!
In the Optimist Green Fleet, a stunning performance by Arvelha Cabusay saw her win gold!
Making her debut appearance at HKRW, 12 year old Arvhela won 5 of the 8 races completed, and led the fleet from the first race to the last. Sailability had 4 sailors (Arvhela plus Luke Prestoza, Ayesha Delizo, and Luca Chan) in the top half of the Green Fleet, a wonderful achievement for everyone associated with the Junior Sailing programme.
This programme was established in late 2024 with the support of Raghav Maliah and Jane Lah, to offer sailing training to minorities and underrepresented groups. The programme is run by Senior Coach Kevin Lewis with the help of the experienced local instructor Rex Cheng.
In the 2.4mR class, Foo Yuen Wai also took gold as he did in 2023 and 2024. There was a strong performance by Eric Cheung who came second overall, after winning races number 5 and 10. For the first time, the 2.4mR division featured an overseas competitor. Murray MacDonald of Great Britain, a recent gold medallist at the 2025 World Sailing Inclusion Championships, makes his Hong Kong debut. He raced against local Sailability sailors, including Foo Yuen Wai, champion of the 2.4mR division at Hong Kong Race Week 2023 and 2024, who returned to defend his title. Foo also claimed gold at the 2025 Hansa Class World Championship, becoming Hong Kong’s first Para Sailing World Champion in the Liberty class.
During the week, all the sailors and race officials had to contend with a wide and fast changing range of weather conditions. From rain, no wind, to strong breeze and sunshine , the conditions tested the competitors and their resilience.
On Saturday no racing was possible and on the final day, which started off damp and grey, the first race was delayed but the afternoon concluded with breeze with sunshine.
At the presentation ceremony, HKRW Chairperson, Lucy Sutro told the crowd as that events like Race Week, don’t just happen, they need a lot of support from sponsors and volunteers from all around Hong Kong and she paid tribute to all the hard work which resulted in such a marvellous event.
Hong Kong Race Week iincluded sailors from 12 countries and territories: Australia, China, Great Britian, Greece, Hong Kong China, Italy, Japan, Macau China, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Very proud of our Teams!!!!
Hong Kong Red Cross, Princess Alexandra School
Earlier in the month we ran a sailing day for the Hong Kong Red Cross, Princess Alexandra school in Lam Tin. The school specialises in education for people with physical and multiple disabilities. Five students , three girls and two boys joined
a one day sailing discovery class under the winter sunshine and an easterly
breeze. They shared the joy of sailing with the help of eight Sailability volunteers, Paul, Hester, Mrs Fung, Lotus, Lawrence, Joshua , Leo , and Jessica. As always a
great day for our new sailors. Looking forward to them coming back for more
sailing.
