Homerus Project Hosts Blind Sailing Regatta on Lake Garda

Homerus Project, the association led by Alessandro Gaoso which specifically focuses on enabling visually impaired people to sail alone, will today have the opportunity to present an interesting event, which Gaoso (a former world champion) has always believed in.

Several sailboats, operated by athletes who must compensate for their lack of sight with all other senses, will lead special guests around Garda. Yes, because onboard there will be other visually impaired individuals.

It’s not just that: the event will take the form of a regatta, using the match-race format, similar to the America’s Cup, for clarity. On each boat, in addition to the athlete steering and the guest, there will be an umpire, following the model used in Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway), where the judge does not monitor the race from a rubber boat but from the boat itself.

Reactions and Theories

For Gaoso, this confirms theories he has been supporting for some time. But what sensations can a blind person experience on a boat operated by another blind person? “There are a thousand sensations a non-sighted person can feel: hearing the sounds from the shore, feeling the water or the wind blowing,” explains the president of “Homerus,” who adds, “I have never believed in paternalism towards disabled people, including the blind.

No, we have been seeking for years a way to make them autonomous so that a disabled person can be useful by serving another person, who in turn has some problem.” The opportunity to debut with such a unique regatta was offered by a trip organized by the Italian Union of the Blind in Milan, which took 120 people to Lake Garda.

Here, the group can choose between an excursion to Vittoriale, a boat trip on a motor vessel, or — as in this case — participating in a competition. The appointment is at 10:30 a.m. in Fasano, at the dock in front of Lidò 84, which will serve as the support base.

Already yesterday, the nautical vessels were taken to Gardone. “From Milan, they asked for Homerus’s availability and we immediately agreed,” continued Gaoso, “precisely because we believe that we need to go beyond paternalism.”

Our blind athletes are capable not only of guiding other blind people in sailing, but also of assisting individuals with different types of disabilities.” The event is supported by Cantine della Valtenesi, Lugana, Camozzi Spa, and Fonte Tavina.