SAILING HANNAH

“Inclusion” is one of those words that gets used everywhere in sport. It’s used with good intentions, and it’s often said with real heart behind it. You’ll see it in strategy decks, on banners, and in speeches, and I do believe most people want it to mean something.

But if we’re honest, it can also become vague. Soft. A little too easy to say, and a little too easy to walk away from when it gets inconvenient. So I want to be really clear about what inclusion means to me, and what it means at the World Sailing Inclusion Championships (WSIC).

Because WSIC isn’t “inclusive” in the sense of being open to everyone, no matter what. WSIC is inclusive in the way that matters to my work: it is built for sailors who face real barriers to participating in mainstream sailing and racing, and who require an adapted environment to compete safely and meaningfully.

That distinction matters. Inclusion is access, not advantage. And I will defend that principle every single time, because without it, we risk turning inclusion into a free-for-all that unintentionally disadvantages the very sailors these events are designed to serve.

WSIC matters to me because it protects something that deserves protecting: disability inclusion in sailing. Not as a side project. Not as a “good story”. Not as a token gesture. As sport. As high-quality competition. As a pathway. As a global platform that says, clearly, sailors with disabilities belong here and they belong at the highest level.

Para Inclusive Sailing sits on two foundations. The first is Para sailing, where competition is protected through classification. That structure matters because it ensures fairness and credibility in the racing environment. It gives athletes confidence that the playing field is meaningful, it gives the sport legitimacy, and it aligns us with international Para sport standards.

But the second foundation matters just as much, because not every sailor who needs an adapted environment fits neatly into a classification box. There are sailors who may not meet Para classification eligibility, but who still live with a disability, impairment, long-term condition, illness, and/or cognitive or neurological impairment. That reality can have a significant functional impact on daily life and on their ability to participate in mainstream sailing without adaptation.

And I want to say this clearly, because it matters: Inclusive eligibility is not about a label. It’s about functional impact, and it’s about what a sailor needs in order to participate safely, fairly, and meaningfully. Sometimes that adaptation is physical. Sometimes it’s communication. Sometimes it’s structure, routine, briefing format, safety oversight, or simply the ability to race in an environment that has been designed with their needs in mind.

That is not “special treatment”. That is what fairness looks like.

This is where WSIC becomes more than just another event. My vision is for WSIC to become the global reference point for what disability inclusion in sailing should look like when it’s done properly. Not watered down. Not performative. Not “best effort”.

Properly.

It’s a platform where we raise the standard of how events are hosted, how sailors are supported, and how competition is structured, without compromising integrity. Because we can be welcoming and still be purposeful. We can be open and still protect the point of the event. We can build something that invites the world in, without allowing the space to be unintentionally taken over by those who don’t actually need it.

That’s why we talk about safeguarding the event. Not to exclude people, but to protect the sailors it exists for, and to make sure Para and Inclusive opportunities remain meaningful, fair, and respected.

And yes, WSIC is ambitious. It’s ambitious because the community deserves ambition. It’s ambitious because sailors deserve more than being squeezed into systems that were never designed for them. It’s ambitious because I’ve seen what happens when the door is genuinely open – not just symbolically, but practically.

I’ve seen confidence grow. I’ve seen independence develop. I’ve seen athletes go from “I’m not sure I should be here” to “watch me”. That transformation is real, and it’s why I care so much.

WSIC is a championship, yes. But more than that, it’s a message to every sailor watching from the sidelines, wondering if there’s a place for them in this sport.

There is. And we’re building it.

Happy Sailing,
Hannah