“Sport has the power to bring people together like few other things in the world,” as Nelson Mandela oncesaid .

We want to promote inclusive sailing through the Hansa 303 dinghy, introducing people with disabilities to the world of Paralympic sport and creating new opportunities for inclusion and socialisation, and to do this we need your support.

We are the Centro Velico Balestrate ASD, founded in 2006 and based in Balestrate, in the province of Palermo.

Our project focuses on social inclusion and introducing people with disabilities to the sea and water sports, making sailing an educational, social and therapeutic activity that promotes inclusion, independence and confidence.

The main aim of the Centro Velico Balestrate ASD is to use sailing boats to enable people with disabilities to enjoy a stimulating experience, in contact with nature, alongside family members and peers, thereby fostering inclusion.

We believe that becoming part of a crew helps these people to gain self-confidence, with positive benefits for their family and social lives.

The Hansa 303 is a small sailing boat, designed to be easy to manoeuvre, safe and, above all, accessible to everyone, including people with physical or cognitive disabilities. Thanks to its stable design and easily controllable sails, the Hansa 303 is now one of the most widely used boats in inclusive sailing and parasailing programmes worldwide.

The design features of the Hansa also allow even complete beginners, with no prior sailing experience or skills, to sail with minimal training, relatively independently of sea and wind conditions.

Hansa boats have been designed and built to ‘make a difference’: they represent an important tool for improving the quality of life of all those people, often marginalised, who face physical, mental or sensory challenges.

The philosophy behind the project involves the “inclusive” use of these simple boats by people with disabilities, the elderly and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, alongside friends, sports enthusiasts and sailing enthusiasts of all conditions, genders, ages and backgrounds.

We need you, your help and support; our heartfelt thanks to all those who will join us in believing in the “Hans-abile a vela” project