Australia has some very talented disabled sailors, and there is no question that Colin Harrison, Graeme Martin and Russell Boaden have experience.

 

With a passion for speed, Harrison, the skipper, sailed Fireballs and 505’s until cancer in his shoulder led to a forequarter amputation of his right arm.

 

Since 2002, Harrison has sailed with Sailability, WA. His affiliation with Sailability WA and disabled sailing has taken him to the Paralympics in 2004, where he was a member of the team that placed 5^th.

 

Martin was the mainsheet trimmer of the Gold medal Sonar crew at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

 

Boaden is making his Paralympic debut. He started sailing in 2006.

 

Harrison qualified Australia in 2006 against some stiff competition. One of his crew members at the tem was Jeff Milligan. Milligan is helping the team in Qingdao.

 

Everyone is keeping an eye on Jamie Dunross who is also part of the God medal squad from the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. 

Dunross set the world record for a quadriplegic sailing alone unassisted when he sailed 129 nautical miles in October 2007. As if that wasn’t enough proof that you can do anything that you put your mind to, Dunross, retired form Paralympic sailing to do a solo circumnavigation.

 

He is doing sea trials on his boat and testing new equipment. It is likely that Dunross will start his circumnavigation in April 2009. Go Jamie!