21 February 2015President of the Little Ship Club Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, a great supporter of NCI,  has started a petition to object to the withdrawal of sailing from the Paralympic Games.                        

 Sir Robin commented: “The decision to withdraw sailing from the Paralympics comes at a time when the opportunities for disabled sailing are expanding. 

“The reason given for the withdrawal is that not enough nations provide sailing for disabled people. Any sport takes time to develop, especially something that was considered impossible until very recently. But as the awareness of disabled sailing has increased so have the numbers participating and so have the number of nations taking it up. 

“Clearly the International Paralympic Committee has decided it will not wait for the necessary increase, and in doing so, will deprive disabled people in less developed countries of the opportunity to take up a sport where they can use their minds to race as well as any able bodied person. 

“It is a disgraceful decision and although the IPC says it is final, nothing is ever final.  

“If enough people get behind the campaign the IPC will either have to face the opprobrium of many or change their decision: 

“The words of Shel Silverstein’s poem The Mustn’ts come to mind – 

Listen to the mustn’ts child,

Listen to the Don’ts.

Listen to the Shouldn’ts,

The Impossibles, the Won’ts.

Listen to the don’t haves,

Then listen close to me.

Anything is possible

Everything can be."

To support Sir Robin's petition please click here.