Aug 31, 2007 - 10:53 AM

By Lesley Bovie

WHITBY -- There's something in the air this week around the Whitby Yacht Club.

Sixteen-year-old Michael Hogbin calls it "regatmosphere," the excitement that starts to build before a big regatta.

He and his family are just some of the 100 volunteers at the yacht club helping host the Access Class World Championships over the next six days.

Sailors from all over the world, of all ages and abilities, will compete in single and two-person divisions in the first-ever world championship for access sailing.

David Staley, of the International Access Class Association, says Whitby was a good fit for the Australian-based event because some crews will be using it to prepare for the International Association for Disabled Sailing Combined World Sailing Championships in Rochester, New York.

The Sept. 7 regatta in Rochester is a qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

However, access sailing is open to everyone, not just those with a physical disability.

"The design of the boats is such that they are stable and easier to sail," explains Mr. Staley. "Sailors have to remain seated, so it creates a level playing field. People who are very athletic have no advantage over someone with a disability."

Some of the boats are modified with sip and puff controls, essentially two straws that can help someone without the use of their arms operate the sheet and helm winches.

Ame Barnbrook, who was born without arms and only one leg, uses servo assist controls, a joystick she manipulates with her three toes to operate a two-person SKUD 18. She and crew member Dennis Critchley, both of Sydney, Australia, are one of three Aussie teams hoping to qualify for Beijing in Rochester next week.

"I sailed as an able-bodied person and I didn't think I'd ever sail again," says Mr. Critchley, who was left a paraplegic after an accident 20 years ago.

The 64-year-old sailed in the 1996 Paralympics when disabled sailing was only a demonstration sport. Ms. Barnbrook competed in the internationals in Japan in 2001, where her boat sailed to second place.

"Most people with a disability are just part of a family," adds Mr. Staley. "If they had to go and participate in the sport separately that would be tragic, I think. This way everyone can participate together."

For the Whitby Yacht Club, hosting the event posed a lot of challenges but members are hoping to use it as a "launch pad" to apply for grants to establish their own concurrent able sailing program.

"We feel sailing is the greatest sport on the face of the earth," says Chris Mace, director of boating education. "But we also recognize at some point some of our members may have different needs in terms of access."

Docks had to be outfitted with ramps and new footings for the event. Members have driven all over the United States and North America picking up the special boats. About 100 of them exist in Canada.

"Just the logistics of getting people here has proved difficult," says Mr. Mace.

Only three GO-Transit stations are accessible -- one of them Whitby -- and many local motels are not wheelchair-accessible, he points out. Many hours of preparation have gone into planning how to safely transport sailors both on land and water, Mr. Mace said.

Fast Facts

- The Whitby Yacht Club was formed in 1966 at the bottom of Gordon Street.

- Today it has more than 300 members, with more than 200 children graduating every year from its sailing school. It offers everything from basic to world class competitive sailing.

- More than 40 adults have taken part in the school, with some going on to become members with their own boats.

- The Access World Class Championships runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5. Opening ceremonies take place Friday, Aug. 31, at 4 p.m.

- The event is open to the public. The first gun goes off at 10 a.m. each day, with races running until about 4 p.m.