Sailors with ability are determined to succeed

by Ian Grant on 22 Aug 2002 David Pescud continued to change the meaning about dedication and determination when his Sailors With disabilities ocean yacht racing crew claimed the outright lead in their Hahn Premium Race Week class championship off Hamilton Island yesterday.

The crew racing under the guidance of the fiercely determined skipper David Pescud and the equally competitive team coach and arm amputee Phil Thompson piloted Aspect Computing to their best ever short course result with two race wins in tricky winds.

As expected David Pescud and his crew were personally proud and deserved to be as they accepted congratulations from their rivals.

'Our programme is about opportunity and achieving goals as we build on the motto to never give up no matter how tough it gets'. Pescud said.

Pescud personally launched the programme and broke the 'red tape' on safety issues when he and his crew were first accepted to compete in ocean racing nine years ago.

Since then the programme sponsored by Aspect Computing has purposely grown from strength to strength allowing many disabled sailors including amputees, visually impaired and paraplegics to enjoy the freedom of sailing free with the wind as they conquer new challenges.

Skipper Pescud a sufferer from dyslexia is naturally proud of his crew who work in harmony to achieve their deserved goals.

Their collective dedication to achieve the highest possible results is already recorded in the Australian ocean racing history books with their remarkable Performance Handicap class win in the tragic 1998 Sydney-Hobart race.

Now they are on the verge of winning another major Australian sailing trophy in the warm water environment of the Whitsunday Islands.

The Aspect Computing crew have upstaged a high standard fleet representing clubs from New Zealand and Australia to establish a four-point lead in the series with their improving score of 11-14-3-5-1-1.

Another high scoring finish in the 15n/ml race to Whitehaven Beach today will place the Aspect Computing crew in a stronger position to win the championship in the final 22n/ml Lindeman Island race on Saturday.

Progressive Points: 2002 International Hahn Premium Race Week Performance Handicap Class C'ship:-

Aspect (David Pescud, NSW) 11-14-3-5-1-1 481pts 1,

Second Time Around (John McConaghy, NSW) 8-7-5-1-6-5 477 pts 2,

Edwin K (Robert Gardner, NSW) 2-3-13-6-16-2 174pts 3,

Cosmic Cruz (Evan Innes-Jones, NZ) 6-8-8-4-4-8 470pts 4,

Espresso Forte (Laurence Freedman, NSW) 12-12-2-2-4-19 468pts 5,

Kick (Ian Harvey, NZ) 7-9-7-12-7-3 467pts 6.