The Great Britain Blind Sailing Team has won silver in the 2009 IFDS World Blind Sailing Championships held on Lake Rotorua, New Zealand.

The team included two employees of leisure trust Link4Life – Gary Butler and Adam McGovern – who raised £20,000 to allow the team to compete. The team’s kit was sponsored by Link4Life.

Gary has worked at the Water Activities Centre at Hollingworth Lake (HOLWAC) since 1990 and is now Centre Manager. Adam first started at Hollingworth Lake on a work experience scheme in 1998 and is now the RYA Onboard Development Officer.

This is the first time Adam has been involved in the British Blind Sailing Team but he brought with him a wealth of experience from the world class dinghy fleet racing scene.

Gary first taught a visually impaired person to sail in 1995. This quickly became a passion and he was invited to the first Blind Sailing National Championships at Lymington and then selection for the British Team.

His past sailing achievements with the GB team are winning the Squadron Cup (the overall team prize) twice and a silver and three bronze medals at World Championship events.

They now give other young visually impaired sailors the chance to race through opportunities at Hollingworth Lake.