Sail Cape Cod Unveils New Adaptive Sailboat in Hyannis

The new adaptive sailboat “Lila” which will be operated by Sail Cape Cod at the Town Landing at the Gary Brown Boat Ramp Dock in Hyannis.

HYANNIS – A new adaptive sailboat called “Lila” was unveiled during a dedication ceremony Tuesday at the Gary Brown Boat Ramp in Hyannis.

The new boat will be used by Sail Cape Cod, and has been retrofitted with custom-made sails, modular harnessed seating in both skipper and a stable platform for sailors with disabilities.

Funding for the boat was provided by the Lyndon Paul Lorusso Charitable Foundation and was named “Lila” in honor of Lorusso’s mother.

Mike Trovato with Sail Cape Cod speaks during the dedication ceremony of the new adaptive sailboat in Hyannis.

Cindy Walker with U.S. Sailing traveled from Newport, R.I. to attend the dedication ceremony and was proud to see it on Cape Cod.

“Getting every pocket together, I’m in Newport and there’s an adaptive program there, I learned in Piers Park in East Boston, and now here on the Cape, and to connect all those dots so that people don’t have to travel two hours to go for a sail, this boat is set up so that they can just hop in the boat and sail themselves,” said Walker.

The boat is part of the non-profit organization’s ‘SeaLegs’ program, which allows individuals with physical disabilities even greater access to sailing, since they would not be able to enjoy the sport due to various physical barriers.

“There are great community boating programs in the upper Cape, lower Cape, mid-Cape does not have one prior to when we came on board here, so we saw a gap here in the mid-Cape and said that we needed something like this,” said Sail Cape Cod Board of Directors President Mike Trovato.

The organization also installed a portable hoyer-style lift at the dock, to accomate sailors in need of special boarding assistance from wheelchair to boat, which was funded by a grant from Rockland Trust.