Shirley Musgrove leaves the helm of Torbay’s Disabled Sailing Association – to do more sailing

Tributes have been paid to Shirley who after 21 years – the last four at the helm as chair of the Torbay Disabled Sailing Association – has decided to step down. Shirley is one half a DSA legendary double act with husband David. They founded the DSA in 2005. Dave was Chair until 2018 and is now President.

Shirley’s decision was formalised at the DSA’s recent 20th annual meeting. Shirley now plans to spend more time with Dave and wider family and do more sailing and has now passed the helm to the new chair, Steve Norman.

Steve praised both Shirley and David for their vision, commitment and leadership over the last 21 years and said it will be an honour and privilege to take the DSA forward into the next phase of its evolution.

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

Screenshot

DSA with the help of some friends 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. 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 the 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.

The DSA started to attract more people with a wider range of disabilities including a Parkinson’s 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.

In 2015 the DSA purchased their second cruiser, ‘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.

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 four 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.

Today the DSA has over 250 members with a wide range of disabilities and all ages and backgrounds. Shirley said: “We never thought when we set up the DSA that 21 years later we would still be sailing, or that we would have progressed from a 20 ft Hurley which we purchased for £1 back in 2005 to two 38 foot luxury sailing cruisers”.

Shirley has many other interests and enjoys Scottish country dancing and singing with Wren Music. She is also the treasurer of the local Soroptimist group, a lady’s group, part of an international organisation, providing education, empowerment and enablement to women and girls worldwide.

Shirley is keen to point out that she is not leaving the organisation and hopes to do more sailing now she has more free time. She said: “I have every confidence that the new chair, together with the Management Committee and wider volunteer team will take the DSA forward and continue to serve our disabled communities and membership.

New chair Steve Norman has been with the charity for eight years and has been Vice Chair for the last couple of years.

He is a volunteer skipper as well as being responsible for promoting the DSA in the local community. He regularly meets with disability groups and well-being organisations to highlight the health and well-being benefits of becoming a member.

In addition, he was one of a team who successfully nominated the DSA for the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, which they were subsequently awarded in 2024.

He confirmed the DSA will continue its mission – to offer “safe and affordable sailing for the disabled” – into the next decade.