"Whatever your disability, whether you know how to sail
or not, you will end up smiling!"

info@chesilsailability.org.uk       07543 656390

              

Project Zoe

Project Zoe has been an outstanding success so the original aim of £6,000 in six-months was revised. We have to pinch ourselves to believe the final total (subject to Gift Aid yet to be received) which is ..... £25,468.76 

Please read on for an overview of the inspiration, the events of 2014 and the plans for 2015.

Project Zöe remembers a special person and supports financially a remarkable organisation (Chesil Sailability). Zöe, a dinghy sailor and Lloyds Register Ship Surveyor, succumbed to her third bout of cancer at the end of 2013. In thanks for her life, in February 2014, the Castle Cove SC Ladies Sailing group decided, through a series of fund-raising events, to purchase a much-needed Hansa 303 for Chesil Sailability.

The Project has been successful in so many ways: An Auction of Promises with supper at Frampton held in May raised, in one evening, sufficient money to purchase the dinghy! By that time the team had already run events such as Castle Cove’s Mothering Sunday lunch, a coffee-morning with book swap and a summer fete on the Rodwell Trail (in stormy conditions). Not only was the group hugely successful in fund-raising but we were having FUN and feeling a great sense of achievement, so we revised the goal and continued with all the planned events. These included:

• A frugal lunch and (separately) a tennis tournament at Bridehead
• Teas and plant sale at Belfield House (thank-you Jan) and All Saints Church, Wyke Regis
• Name the Rabbit and a raffle of sailing watches (thanks to Optimum Time)
• Weymouth Regatta sponsorship
• Dean & Reddyhoff’s summer barbecues
• A bric-a-brac stall on Weymouth Esplanade
• Zöe's ‘Rules for life’ T shirts
• Christmas stall of arts, crafts and cakes at Wyke Square Fayre

The money raised, together with the many very generous donations given in love and appreciation of Zöe and Chesil Sailability enabled PZ to purchase the safety RIB needed to join those owned by supporters of the charity. Thanks to Ribcraft, a virtually new, perfect sized RIB was delivered in November.

The Hansa Spirit of Zöe is a particularly cherished member of the fleet, giving sailors the opportunity to sail for fun, learn to sail and to race if they want. She is also used by the Race Team, so travels to events to compete.  We know Spirit of Zöe continues to make a real difference to many people, week in week out, year in year out, and will do for many years to come.

The RIB Zöe is the backbone of our safety fleet.  She is a very flexible boat, superb for her main safety role, but also excellent for coaching, race management and training. She also gives us a core reliability which is essential in running the type of sessions we do.

And there remain some funds to support the ongoing maintenance funds for the two boats as well, which really helps underpin our longer term viability.

Chesil Sailability gives people with disabilities the opportunity to go sailing, for fun, to learn or to sail competitively, and all within a safe environment.  And Project Zöe,  helping Chesil Sailability to deliver this through the Hansa Spirit of Zöe and RIB Zöe, has created a lasting legacy in memory of Zöe.