David 'Kenny' Cawthorn makes welcome return to yacht racing at Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week

by Di Pearson on 3 Aug 2002 When David Pescud and his yacht Aspect (Sailors With Disabilities) compete at the Hahn Premium Hamilton Island Race Week, one of his new crew members will be making a return to racing after an absence of many years.

Tasmanian sailor and all-round sportsman, David Cawthorn, will join Pescud and his crew for the Series and he can hardly wait.

Cawthorn, a 35 year old who lives at Kingston in Hobart, always loved the water. He started racing seriously when he was 18 - first dinghies, then yachts and ocean racing. He is the only member of his family involved in sailing.

In December 1993, with the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race just two weeks away, 'Kenny', as his Tasmanian friends affectionately know him, took a fateful short cut home that was to change his life.

'I fell down a cliff at night taking a short cut and ended up a paraplegic stuck in hospitals for six months,' he recounted. He tells me this fact with no sadness or pity for himself, just a fact. 'I don't have time to be negative, I have a life to lead, a fun life, I really love being around people,' he told me.

'I was supposed to race in the Sydney-Hobart that year, a friend had chartered a boat to compete for Tasmania, it would have been my sixth race south, but I couldn't make it, the last race I did was on Don Calvert's Intrigue in the Maria Island Race,' he added.

Apart from Sydney-Hobart and Sydney-Mooloolaba races, Cawthorn competed in a number of local races including the Bruny and Maria Island races and completed many delivery trips with David 'Lawso' Lawson. He has sailed on such yachts as Bewinched, Helsal 3, Freight Train, Dry White, and Inch By Winch, to name a few.

Never the wilting violet type, the gregarious sailor has kept in touch with all his sailing mates and regularly visits his friends at the Cruising Yacht Club in Sydney. Due to his positive approach to life, many others have befriended Cawthorn at the club, and he was thrilled to be invited by Grant Wharington to sail on Australian Skandia Wild Thing, in the Canon Big Boat Series last year.

He was also invited to sail on Tasmania with Graeme 'Frizzle' Freeman and on Loki with Tony Kirby. 'Yeh, it was a lot of fun, they are good mates.' I have also kept my hand in doing logistics for yachts such as Bumblebee 5 and Amer Sports 2,'he said.


Although he has been out sailing a couple of times in recent years, Cawthorn has not raced in a regatta since his accident; Hamilton Island will be his first. Prior to the accident, he could do anything on a boat, and was put anywhere from the bow through to runners.

On Aspect, his position will be grinding for the mainsheet hand. 'Yes, I've got good upper body strength - I'll mostly be sitting in a shower chair to do my job, but I'm also comfortable dragging myself round on a cushion under my bum,' he said.

How did his debut on the Lyons 52 Aspect come about? 'The Bear (Phil Thompson) nagged me to have a go till I couldn't say no. At least on Aspect I won't get wet - I don't go sailing to get wet anymore and she's a nice, quick, comfortable boat,' he added.

Whilst the accident left him wheelchair-bound, Cawthorn said he always knew he would go sailing again. 'I didn't know how, or in which way I would do it, but I just knew I would go sailing again, I don't let my chair stop me from doing anything.

I've been out for some training on Aspect, they are a good bunch of guys, but you know, I do play other sports as well. I've competed in Wheelchair Basketball at National level, I play tennis and I ski - I've just had a great week away skiing, and I'm going back for more after Hamilton Island for a talented athlete program,' he said.

All who know Cawthorn are proud to do so - you couldn't meet a nicer bloke.

He is a gutsy, self-sufficient and cool bloke who has a wonderful sense of humour. He has that 'never say never' attitude and gets more out of life than most people I know.

Welcome back David.