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My 2004 Mobility Cup
by Dale Stevenson

My father is a very experienced sailor, he had the foresight to recognize sailing as an accessible activity and I have been at the tiller for as long as I can remember.  I’ve experienced all types of weather situations in our Catalina 27 from light breezes to gales from sheets of rain and snow to the intense dry heat of mid summer.  It was the winter of 2003 when I contacted DSM and that spring I climbed into a Martin 16 for the first time.  I was looking for a sense of freedom and a taste of competition but soon found that there is much more to DSM.

This was the summer when Disabled Sail Manitoba hosted the international Mobility Cup Regatta at Pelican Lake, near Ninette, Manitoba.  I was determined to make my mark and place well in the silver fleet.  I had entered enter three preparatory regattas including a seven day race on lake of the woods. I ended up placing well and even received the Peter Lammens “Against all odds” trophy from the LOWISA. 

The day of Mobility Cup arrived and I jumped at the opportunity move up to the stiffer competition of the gold fleet.  Disabled Sailing is not yet recognised as a sport in the Paralympics, but it is moving in that direction and will be soon. Little did I know that the athletes in the gold fleet are sitting there in limbo waiting and training all year round until their sport is recognized. These were some the best sailors from Canada, the US, Japan and England and they gave me a real lesson in sailing and humility. 

I have found that sense of freedom, and re-discovered that feeling of sporting competition, but the real discovery has been a sense of community. I have met some inspirational people and made many life-long friends and am looking forward to doing it again in the summer of 2005.

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