Chairman’s Welcome
My name is Bill Foster, current Chair of Belfast Lough Sailability. I was born in Belfast and have lived all of my life in the greater Belfast area.
As a young boy I would go to places around Belfast Lough just to look at the boats and dream of what it would be like to have one. Just a small rowing boat would satisfy, but I am a dreamer and I would build small plastic model boats of sailing galleons and modern war ships and my mother would refer to them as dust gatherers.
I had very little money to spend and so could never imagine ever owning a boat and I was to shy to ask anyone. So as I grew up I evolved into sea fairing in small ways like learning to row a small boat. I always thought you needed lots of money and to be in the know to go sailing, but I was wrong.
I joined a sailing club and I discovered the people there where looking for crews all the time and were very friendly. How wrong can you be with preformed ideas? If only I had known, I could have been sailing for years.
I had been sailing about ten years when I discovered I was loosing my sight, what a blow; but I was determined to carry on as long as I could. Then I discovered that there were blind people out sailing, I was not alone. There were other daft people like myself out there. Then I discovered that there are lots of disabled people who have sailed as individuals. There are people with limbs missing, spinal problems, learning difficulties, blind people the list is endless. If you have the will to try you probably will succeed.
Belfast Lough Sailability has evolved through the efforts of such people who have shown that anything is possible. You have to have a dream if you want a dream to come true, where have I heard that?
So why not come and join us in the fun - nothing is impossible!
Bill Foster, March 2007