SHIRLEY’S RETIREMENT | disabledsailingassociation.org.uk

Disabled Sailing Association chair passes the helm

After 21 years, the last 4 years at the helm as Chair of the Disabled Sailing Association (DSA), Shirley Musgrove has decided to step down. This was formalised at their recent 20^th Annual General Meeting. Shirley now plans to spend more time with her husband, David (Dave) Musgrove and wider family and doing more sailing.

Shirley had a career in administration in the RAF and when they both retired, she and Dave, both visually impaired, moved to Torquay in 2002. They both loved sailing and founded the DSA in 2005 along with a few like-minded disabled friends. Dave was Chair until 2018 and is now President.

Shirley and David both enjoyed outside pursuits. Dave was a champion water skier and rumour has it they met jumping out of an aeroplane together during a parachuting experience!

In 2005 when the outer Torquay Town Dock development was proposed they had the vision to put deposits on the two berths that the DSA’s two boats occupy today, so that they could advertise the DSA and have good disabled access.

Their first boat, “Moonshine”, was based in Galmpton and when they sold that and purchased their second boat, a 26ft Westerly Centaur, it was moored in Torquay Marina until the Town Dock was completed. During the early years Shirley was using a large desk diary and a phone to organise the sailing sessions.

In 2007 the DSA was entered into ITV’s Big Lottery Peoples Millions competition. Eight different groups entered and were filmed and the public voted for their choice. Thankfully the DSA won and with the proceeds had enough money to purchase their first new yacht “Freedom”, a 36ft Hanse, which was adapted for disabled sailing. Shirley and Dave were thrilled when Princess Anne accepted their invitation to name the new boat in October 2008.

Shirley continued with membership and sail bookings and was also the assistant treasurer. In 2009 she acquired a computer which made her life much easier and then had more time to organise street collections and to attend local exhibitions to promote the DSA.

As a result, the DSA started to attract more people with a wider range of disabilities including a Parkinsons group, children with hearing impairment and care home residents. More volunteers with sailing experience joined and enabled the boat to be taken out more regularly. Shirley then learned how to use spreadsheets which made record keeping a lot easier and other volunteers also came in to help with the administration, policy writing and boat maintenance.

‘Freedom’ under full sail

In 2015 the DSA purchased Free Spirit (a Hanse 34ft) and three years later in 2018, after another period of intensive fundraising, they acquired DSA Freedom 2 (a Beneteau Oceanis 38ft) with increased cockpit space to accommodate wheelchair users. Shirley was delighted that Victoria Graham (Spotlight South West presenter) came to name her.

In 2022 Shirley was elected to the chair of DSA and inherited a team of around 70 volunteers to help with every aspect of operations including the Training and Standards Group of more experienced sailors, the Bosun’s team, administration, fundraising, safeguarding, marketing, IT and Website management. At that time, the DSA also established a Recognised RYA Training Centre (RTC), with a Principal and qualified training instructors. Members were then able to obtain formal certifications covering all areas of sailing.

Over the last 4 years Shirley has chaired the Management Committee. Over this time much was achieved, culminating in the fundraising, purchase and arrival of DSA Free Spirit 2, a Bavaria C38, largely funded by the National Lottery and other local sponsors, and which comes into operation this season.