Helena Lewis

Helena Lucas Added to GB Paralympic Sailing Team

Helena Lucas has been handed the chance to compete for her Olympic gold medal dream after the sailor was picked as one of the six members of the British Paralympic sailing team for the London Games.  Charles Russell LLP sponsored Lucas will be racing the 2.4mR single-handed keelboat on the home waters of Weymouth and Portland this summer.

Lucas’s inclusion at the expense of Megan Pascoe comes after a run of solid performances where she gained silver at both the Hyeres World Cup and the Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia MAPFRE 2012.  Selection for a Paralympic Games is the pinnacle of an athlete’s career and the decision to delay the announcement for the 2.4mR boat was due to the intensive competition between Lucas and teammate Pascoe for the final place in the sailing team.

Lucas though, admitted that she was delighted to finally take the coveted spot: “I feel really proud to be part of team GB and with it being a home Games it feels extra special.  I think these Games, both in terms of Paralympic sailing and the Paralympics in general, will be one of the best Paralympic Games ever just because the British support and interest in the Paralympic sport has been fantastic, and the country seems to be really enthused and motivated by the athletes.”

Helena will be racing against female and male competitors in the class, considered by many as ‘the most competitive Paralympic fleet’, the yachting world have tipped Helena as a favourite to bring home a medal. 

The funds provided by the Charles Russell sponsorship have meant that Helena has been able to purchase a new boat that she will be racing in Weymouth and Portland, the 2012 sailing venue.  Patrick Russell, Senior Partner at Charles Russell LLP commented; “Helena is an extremely talented yachtswoman and Charles Russell is delighted to continue her support.  As someone who has previously competed successfully against able-bodied sailors at the highest level, she really is an example to us all, the Charles Russell team wish her the very best of luck this summer.”

Charles Russell is proud to work with, and support, some of the biggest names in British Sport.  The firm are also sponsors of the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, the outstanding 2012 sailing venue, where their support has been invaluable in the running of reduced rate community sailing programmes and the development of an Olympic legacy.

Maritime Mix

Maritime Mix – London 2012 Cultural Olympiad by the Sea, the largest creative celebration planned for Dorset and the Jurassic Coast to date, is weeks away. Animating Weymouth, Portland and the Jurassic Coast this unique creative celebration will celebrate the area’s status as the 2nd largest Olympic venue after the capital and host to the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic sailing events. It is the most ambitious creative programme to date with over 80 events across six months (9th March – 9th September 2012). With over 95% of the events free to access there will be something for everyone: visual arts, music, choral performances, outdoor theatre & circus, earth sciences, sound installations, video projection, dance and participative street celebrations. The funding is provided by: Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK, WPBC, Dorset County Council, local tourism partners and trusts & foundations .The programme will help promote the area as a cultural destination and encourage future investment. It will also bring the arts to new audiences and inspire more people to get involved putting local artists on an international stage and generating new partnerships and collaborations, leaving a valuable legacy for the whole cultural sector. Many local residents will be participating in events such as Coastal Voices, b-side, Inside Out, Battle for the Winds, Chalk Legends, The Giant Wall, Dinosaurs Not Allowed and Moving Tides.

Maritime Mix – London Cultural Olympiad by the Sea programme kicks off with Coastal Voices performance (rearrangements of Nick Cave songs by Sonia Slaney) in Poole at the opening of the Twin Sails Bridge, 9th March and continues with events taking place each month until the end of the Paralympic Games.

The opening of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic sailing will be celebrated with a three day mass celebration on Weymouth Beach. This will include; Battle for the Winds (26th July – 28th July) an epic outdoor, theatrical performance from Cirque Bijou and Desperate Men; Coastal Voices (27th July), community choirs present new musical compositions from John Surman, Sonia Slaney, John.K.Miles, Billy Bragg and Marc Yeats, Welcome Songs (27th July) choirs sing Eliza Carthy’s new musical composition and Breathe (28th July), international and national disabled and non-disabled artists presentation of the concluding part of Battle for the Winds.

For the full programme visit www.maritimemix2012.co.uk