Children from Hillside School in Cumnock are taking to the water today (Wednesday July 2).

They will take part in Race 2 the games, when up to twenty colourful two man Access 303 sailing dinghies will be racing a challenging 17 nautical mile passage race up the River Clyde. This event is part of the Year of Homecoming Scotland 2014 celebrations.

All the competitors are sailors with additional support needs from special schools and organisations in Scotland, England and overseas. This race is their opportunity to be part of the Glasgow Games.

Join us on Race Day to cheer everyone along. The race starts at 10.00 hrs in Greenock – on the promenade beside the Holiday Inn Express with a lunchtime stop at inTu Braehead. Finish line entertainment includes the Body Works team from the Science Centre, Hayley Douglas of STV Glasgow fame and the Windows on Wildlife Project Officer at Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, as well as face painting, music and catering. The entertainment begins at 15.30 hrs outside the Glasgow Science Centre, the race is expected to finish about 16.30 hrs, prize giving is at 17.00 hrs.

At the reception organisers are thrilled to welcome Gerry Hughes, the first deaf man to sail around the world single handed, as keynote speaker and Angie Malone, Winter Paralympic bronze medallist in curling at the Sochi 2014, to present the race day medals.

As the training has progressed in the last few months, Mick Kelly Depute Head at Kersland Special School in Paisley has been one of the teachers enabling as many as possible at his school to experience the independence that sailing can provide. The Race 2 the games organising team with Mick have watched one of the pupils in particular gain a vast amount of confidence from sailing. Mick said “Rory has made huge developmental gains since he began sailing, he has made great progress with his teamwork skills and loves sharing what he has learned with everyone else, pupils and staff, he and myself will be Team Kersland on race day, do come and cheer him along!” On training days Rory can be seen helping all of his peers into their boats and showing them the basics of sailing. For Rory and Mick the legacy of Race 2 the games will be Rory’s knowledge of sailing and his enjoyment of sharing this with everyone else. Mick went on to say “Hopefully, Rory’s love of sailing will inspire those around him, in the same way it has us, for many years to come and we will see some Paralympic sailors in the future”