Five injured service personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and the RAF took to the water at last weekend’s Warsash Spring Championships (25-26 April)
racing under the banner of Toe in the Water. In the second event of the season for the charity that re-inspires injured servicemen through competitive sailing, Toe in the Water entered three J80 keel boats as Tip Toe, Big Toe and Little Toe in the two-day series. After a day of training on Friday, the injured servicemen had the opportunity to race in the highly competitive class in ideal conditions with around 15-18 knots of wind and bright spring sunshine. All three boats produced credible results, with Tip Toe and Big Toe leading the rankings posting top 10 finishes in every race, in what is a very competitive fleet. Toe in the Water Co-founder Holly King said: “We had injured guys from all three services sailing at the weekend. We had the Royal Navy, the Army and the RAF sailing on one boat for the first time. Despite their different backgrounds, they worked really well as a team and by the end of the weekend they were all on a real high.” The majority of the injured servicemen who sail with Toe in the Water have no previous sailing experience. Army physiotherapist Holly King, from the New Forest, said: “The matched sports boats are ideal for Toe in the Water’s needs. The J80s are more forgiving than some of other sports boats and are quite nippy with lots to do. So with the smaller five-man teams the injured guys can get quickly involved in trimming and racing the boats.” One of injured servicemen taking to the water for the first time at the weekend was Able Seaman with HMS RALEIGH Gary Young, 23, from Glasgow. He broke both hips last year during his Royal Navy training and has been receiving treatment at Headley Court, the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC). It was there that his physio suggested he took part in a Toe in the Water sailing event. “It’s been absolutely brilliant,” Gary said. “Five months ago I was in a wheelchair and now I’m out sailing &ndash I can hardly believe it. It’s the most physically demanding thing I’ve done since my operation but it’s been great. It was extremely difficult to start off with &ndash both physically and getting used to all the jargon but I genuinely felt part of the team.” On Sunday accomplished round the world skipper Hannah Jenner joined the crew of Tip Toe. Shrewsbury-born Hannah, 28, who skippered Glasgow: Scotland with style into third place in the 36,000-mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race last year shared her expertise with the Toe in the Water crew on the final day of racing. “On these smaller boats everyone can get involved much faster. On a bigger boat, there a lot more planning and organising involved and things are less immediate. It was a change of pace for me. When I’m racing across an ocean I’m used to being on one tack for a week!
“There were some intense moments rounding the marks but everyone enjoyed it. The injured guys seemed to get a real buzz out of it &ndash we had perfect conditions and the adrenalin was flowing. It was infectious and everyone was on a high at the end of the day’s racing.”