J80 Toe in the Water take a bullet at Cowes

Ten injured service personnel are once again taking part in the world famous Cowes Week regatta racing under the banner of Toe in the Water.

Just twelve months on from their first outing at Cowes Week 2008, the charity that re-inspires injured servicemen through competitive sailing, the crew of Toe in the Water’s J80 Toe in the Water Too, led by Adrian Stell and Lt Commander Giles Bradford took the fleet by storm in spite of slow start and crossed the finish line in an impressive first place, more than a minute ahead of their closest rivals. For Lt Kirsty Archibald, Royal Navy, who broke her back in 2007, today’s result is extra special as it’s only her second outing on a yacht.

“The experience has been absolutely fantastic, though completely exhausting! Coming fourth on my first day’s racing was great but to finish first today is just awesome.” Commented Kirsty.

Toe in the Water Racing Manager, Lloyd Hamilton said: “The J80s are great boats for the injured guys to sail on and ensure they can get fully involved. They are fast, responsive and dynamic and because they are that bit smaller, they’re closer to the water and really feel the speed and exhilaration of racing in a competitive class of twenty yachts.”

Toe in the Water have also been loaned the Army’s A40RC race boat, racing as Toe – British Soldier in IRC Class 2, with world record breaking Vendée Globe skipper Brian Thompson at the helm. “The Toe in the Water programme is dynamic, energetic and making its mark on sailing regattas all over the UK. It has brought fun and competition to both the injured servicemen/women, and the volunteers drawn from both the military and civilian sailing communities.” Said Brian.

“I continue to be humbled by the guys and am really proud to be sailing with them this Cowes Week. I think our results are already surprising quite a few of the professional crews in our 45 boat fleet and it’s shaping up to be a very competitive event with us snapping at the heels of the top boats in the class.”

Toe in the Water specifically sets out to re-inspire injured servicemen and women to see beyond their injuries and is a direct extension of their rehabilitation programmes at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, (DMRC) Headley Court. The ten who will sail with the charity during the regatta have a wide range of injuries ranging from broken backs to gunshot wounds and yet will line up with and against able-bodied teams, even though many of them have never sailed before. The competitive environment in the matched class provides a disciplined team setting with a shared focus which directly aids their rehabilitation.

Toe in the Water relies on voluntary contributions and the generosity of many organisations that offer their support. Toe in the Water Director Tanya Brookfield said: “As we prepare for our third regatta of the season, I’d like to extend our thanks for all the support we have received from the sailing community, the armed forces and the general public. We’d like to thank the Army Sailing Association and the RYA for providing the boats. Without such generosity, we would not be able to offer this unique opportunity to those who have sustained traumatic injuries. We will be taking more than 60 injured servicemen out sailing this year and for many of them the experience will mark a major turning point when they start focusing on what they can still achieve.”

The charity, founded in 2008, will be entering teams in seven events throughout 2009. The programme commenced with the Red Funnel Easter Challenge and the Warsash Spring Championships and includes the J80 National Championships, the JP Morgan Round the Island Race, Cowes Week, Dartmouth Week and the J80 Autumn Cup.

Toe in the Water receives no statutory funding and relies entirely on voluntary contributions from individuals, trusts and companies.

For more information go to: www.toeinthewater.org