By Isle of Wight Observer
Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club will now dedicate the final racing weekend of each season to much-loved Paralympic sailor, Andy Cassell, who died in March aged 82.
The ‘Andy Cassell Memorial Regatta’ will honour the life and legacy of the Cowes-based sailor, who overcame his disabilities to compete at the highest level of the sport. Andy was born without legs and with deformed hips, but went on to win gold at the Atlanta Paralympics in 1996, and was a survivor of the infamous 1979 Fastnet storm.
A long-standing honorary admiral of the club, Andy also founded the Andy Cassell Foundation, a charity aimed at opening up sailing to people with physical disabilities. His passion for the sport and dedication to inclusion earned him widespread admiration across the sailing world and beyond.
This year’s inaugural memorial regatta takes place over the weekend of September 27/28. Local sailors are warmly invited to take part, with the entry form available at iw.observer/ac-entry-form.
Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club welcomes new members, both sailors and non-sailors alike.
Mal Butler