Vinny Lauwers

Vincent Marc Thierry Lauwers (born 12 September 1967) is an Australian round-the-world yachtsman. In 2000 he became the first paraplegic sailor to sail solo, non-stop around the world. In 2001, he won the Laureus Award for "Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability".

Early life

Vinny Lauwers was born in Belgium[1] on 12 September 1967[2] and emigrated to Australia at the age of four.[3] He first experienced ocean sailing aged 14, crewing on a yacht from Melbourne to Sydney.[4] He became a paraplegic in 1990,[5] when he was 22; Lauwers' back was broken in three places after he was hit by a car.[4]

Before his circumnavigation Lauwers gained extra experience in the Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race, a non-stop south to north, double-handed race, covering a 5500 nautical mile course between the two sister cities[6] and also sailing in two Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races with the Sailors with disability (SWD) crew, including SWD's first entry in 1994.[7][8][9]

Circumnavigation

Lauwers spent seven years planning his voyage and building his yacht,[5] a Van de Stadt-designed 47 named Vision Quest.[8]

He was instructed for two years on the synoptics of the Southern Hemisphere by meteorologist Bob Leighton who, together with colleagues from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's National Meteorological Operations Centre, also provided regular forecasts during Lauwers' journey.[10][8]

His circumnavigation attempt commenced on 20 December 1999[11] from Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne, Australia. During his voyage he encountered many hardships. Equipment problems included autopilot malfunctions, failed radar, and a self-destructing wind generator.[4]

The voyage took seven and a half months, finishing on 9 August 2000.[5] Welcome celebrations were planned for Lauwers to finish his voyage on Saturday 12 August, but with a gale developing in Bass Strait, he decided to enter the Bay and cross the official finish line on the 9th. He anchored and stayed on board until continuing on to the Williamstown Pier and planned celebrations.[3][11] His official welcome home at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria was attended by over a thousand people including Premier Steve Bracks.[12] Vision Quest's World Sailing Speed Record Council's Performance Certificate lists its route time as 233 days 13 hours 43 minutes and 8 seconds and the distance covered as 21760 nautical miles.[13]

Honours

On 15 August 2000, Lauwers and his feat were recognised in the Australian Parliament.[14] He was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in July 2000[15] and in January 2001, the Australian Centenary Medal "for outstanding service as the first paraplegic sailor to sail around the world unassisted".[16]

In 2000 Lauwers was nominated for the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) World Sailor of the Year Awards.[5][17] Lauwers was Australian Sailing's Sailor of the Year with a Disability for 2000–01[18] and shared the Yachting Victoria's Sailor of the Year Trophy in 2001.[19]

In 2001 Lauwers was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability. At the awards ceremony, where he was presented with his statuette by New Zealand sailor Sir Peter Blake and French footballer David Ginola, Lauwers joked that his wife allowed him a mistress "and she’s 48 foot long, 15 foot wide and has all the right curves."[2]

On 25 May 2001, he was awarded the P&O Nedlloyd Disabled Sailor of the Year accolade.[20]

In 2002 a DVD video, "The spirit of vision quest : the Vinny Lauwers story", was released.[21]

Speaking of his crew members such as Lauwers and Liesl Tesch, founder of Sailors with Disabilities, David Pescud said, "People are people first and your disability is either part of your life; it owns you or you own it. The guys I sail with, they own their disability and I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve sailed with some of the most amazing people."[22]

References
  1. Bester, Damian (27 May 2013). "Our Heroes" (PDF). The Mercury. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  2. "Vinny Lauwers – Biography". Laureus. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. Marsh, Peter (15 December 2014). "2000 – Paraplegic's Non-Stop Circumnavigation". Marsh's Maritime Media. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. Jeffery, Timothy (27 October 2016). Sail: A tribute to the world's greatest races, sailors and their boats. Aurum Press. p. 198–199. ISBN 9781781316580. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018.
  5. "Vincent Lauwers (AUS) wins 2001 Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award". World Sailing. 25 May 2001. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. "2003 Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race". World Sailing. 7 November 2001. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. Taylor, Polly (31 October 2013). "Paraplegic yachtsman finds freedom through Sailors with disabilities". Sail-World Australia. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  8. "Australian Register of Historic Vessels – Vision Quest". Australia National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. Pearson, Di (1 May 2003). "Sailors with disABILITIES Launch '03 Project'". Australian Sailing. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  10. "Biographical Entry – Leighton, Robert Murray (Bob)". Encyclopedia of Australian Science. 25 May 2006. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  11. "WSSR Records subsequent to the May 2000 issue of Ocean Passages". World Sailing. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  12. Waldon, Steve (13 August 2000). "Disabled sailor back on dry land – but only just". The Age. Melbourne. p. 5. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  13. "Performance Certificates Published". World Sailing. 23 January 2003. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  14. "Lauwers, Mr Vinny". Parliament of Australia – Senate Hansard. 15 August 2000. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  15. "Lauwers Vincent". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  16. "Lauwers, Vinny". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  17. "ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards 2000". World Sailing. 7 November 2000. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  18. "Sailor of the Year with a Disability". Australian Sailing. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  19. Liptrot, Diana (11 August 2001). "Three share Victorian award honours". Australian Sailing. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  20. "2001 BEA Australian Yachting Awards". World Sailing. 29 May 2001. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  21. The spirit of vision quest : the Vinny Lauwers story. WorldCat. 27 October 2016. ISBN 9781781316580. OCLC 277169059.
  22. Lorimer, Crosbie (1 January 2013). "Rolex Sydney Hobart 2012; Last Hobarts? Never Say Never". Sail-World Australia. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
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