Sailing Vision Week

Sailing Vision Week is an annual accessible sailing event for blind and visually impaired people, offering the opportunity to crew aboard cruising yachts and develop practical sailing skills in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.



Led by experienced volunteer skippers and supported by generous yacht owners, the week combines hands-on sailing, teamwork and adventure to create an experience that builds confidence, independence and lifelong memories.

Bringing the joy of sailing to all for 50 years

For more than 45 years, Sailing Vision Week has been bringing blind and visually impaired people together with volunteer skippers, yacht owners and crews for an unforgettable week of coastal sailing.



Believed to be the largest event of its kind in the UK—and possibly Europe—Sailing Vision Week alternates each year between Falmouth and the Solent, with local yacht clubs providing a warm welcome and an excellent base for the week's activities.

A close up of a V.I. crew member helming an underway yacht.

Each event is made possible by the generosity of around 20 to 25 privately owned and chartered yachts, allowing 50 to 60 blind and visually impaired sailors to experience life as active members of a sailing crew. Whether it's taking the helm, trimming sails or helping to navigate, participants are encouraged to get fully involved and enjoy the challenge and camaraderie of sailing.

Could You Help Make Sailing Vision Week Possible?

Every Sailing Vision Week is made possible by the generosity of volunteer skippers, crew, yacht owners and charter partners who share their time, skills and boats.

If you own a yacht, enjoy coastal cruising or have experience skippering, we'd love to hear from you. By joining our volunteer community, you'll help create life-changing experiences while sharing your own passion for sailing.


mail@sailingvision.org

A picture of a sighted male skipper standing next to a male VI sailor who has the wheel. The sea is calm.
A picture of a smiling female VI sailor at the wheel, and a smiling female sighted crew member next to her. Calm conditions.

"Sailing and learning to sail was amazing"

What is Sailing Vision Week all about? Find out from those who've taken part exactly what being part of this event and community entails.

Find out more

A selfie picture of a smiling crew on an underway yacht. The crew is a mixture of sighted and VI sailors. The horizon in the background is at an angle, showing the yacht is under sail.

Skipper Experiences

Sailing Vision Week is a very special event for our fabulous skippers and crew. Find out from those who've been there just what makes it such a great experience.

Find out more

Everyone welcome

We welcome blind and visually impaired adults aged 18 and over, and no previous sailing experience is needed. Whether you're stepping aboard for the first time or returning for another adventure, you'll find a friendly, supportive community waiting to welcome you.

Sailing Vision Week picture gallery

A picture taken from the deck of an underway yacht looking back to the helm. The sighted and V.I. crew are smiling at the camera, dressed in wet weather gear.
A picture below decks of a crew having dinner. The table is laid with various dishes andd drinks, and everyone is smiling towards the camera.
A selfie shot of a mixture of sighted and V.I. crew, taken on board a yacht underway. Everyone is smiling.
A close up of a V.I. sailor at the helm of an underway yacht. In the background, a yacht of the Land Rover BAR team, skippered by Ben Ainslie, is passing at high speed raised on hydrofoils.
A picture of a number of sighted and V.I. sailors relaxing on a shingle beach in the evening. The sea and some moored yachts are in the background.
A selfie image of a mixed crew, taken at night from a low angle looking up. Everyone is smiling and the brightly lit Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth is in the background
An image of a V.I. sailor at the helm of an underway yacht, being guided by a sighted skipper. They are in wet weather gear, and the wind is strong.
A picture taken from the pontoon in a marina. On the deck of a moored yacht a group of crew and musicians are sitting. One has an accordion, another has a fiddle and others have song sheets. They are dressed in colourful rain ponchos and some are weraing pink cowboy hats.
An end-of-day picture of several crews getting together at the marina. Around twenty V.I. and sighted sailors are standing on a pontoon or the deck of the moored yacht, smiling and raising glasses towards the camera.
A close up picture of a smiling group sitting around a dining table in a marquee. Other tables and groups are in the background. Glasses of wine and used napkins on the table indicate that this is the end of dinner.
A group shot of six sighted and V.I. crew at the end of the day enjoying a drink together on the pontoon.
A pciture taken from the deck of an underway yacht, looking over the side at the sea. A small school of dolphins is swimming and breaching alongside.
A close up taken from the deck of an underway yacht, looking back to the wheel. The weather is clear. The yacht is being helmed by a V.I. sailor, with a sighted crew member sitting next to them.
A selfie picture of a group of sighted and V.I. crew taken on the quayside after a day's sailing. They are all smiling at the camera, and a couple are raising glasses.
A group picture of nineteen V.I. and sighted crew, sitting and standing on the deck of a yacht moored at a marina pontoon. It is evening and the sun is shining.
A picture of four V.I. and sighted crew on an underway yacht, which is tilted over under full sail. A V.I.sailor is at the helm, and the other crew are standing and sitting nearby.
A landscape and seascape picture taken in the evening. The foreground is a small bay in which several boats and yachts are moored. In the background is a coastal town - possibly Falmouth? It is dusk and the sea is very calm.
A picture taken looking back at the wheel of a yacht under sail. It is a clear, bright and calm day. A V.I. sialor is at the helm, with a sighted crew member assisting.
A close up of a V.I. sailor at the wheel of an underway yacht on a calm sea. A sighted crew member is sitting alongside providing guidance.
A close up picture of a very focused V.I. sailor at the helm of an underway yacht, with a sighted skipper standing nearby. both are looking towards the bow. The sky is clear and blue, though both are wearing wet weather appropriate gear.
A close up of a V.I. sailor making his way along the deck of a yacht. One arm is over the boom, the other raised in the air in a cheering motion. He is smiling broadly at the camera.
A picture taken from the deck of a yacht, looking back to the wheel. The horizon is at an angle indicating that the yacht is under sail. A V.I. sailor is at the helm, and a smiling sighted crew is sitting next to him.
A picture taken at the end of a day's sailing of around twenty sighted and V.I. crew on the deck and adjacent pontoon. The group are smiling and raising glasses to the camera.
A close up picture taken on board a yacht, of a sighted crew member assisting a V.I. sailor with some wet weather gear and gloves.
A picture taken from a pontoon of a large group of V.I. and sighted sailors sitting on the deck of the yacht 'Zazu', which is moored. The crew are raising glasses. It's a sunny evening, with the shadow of the photographer visible in the foreground.
A picture of two sailors kneeling down on a marina pontoon with. yacht alongside. They are working on a small outboard engine, surrounded by tools and equipment. They are looking towards the camera and laughing.
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