IBSA’s commitment to inclusion: a brief summary of 2023, a year full of initiatives

Going beyond; overcoming limits and barriers and promoting inclusion. For IBSA, the project Sailing into the Future. Together is not only a story of regattas, competitions and ocean challenges, but also – and above all – a path that brings the company ever closer to the topic of social responsibility, by promoting inclusion and integration, while dedicating greater attention to those who experience situations of difficulty, social hardship or disability.

Sailing into the Future. Together is a project that gives substance to IBSA’s Pillars (Person, Innovation, Quality, Responsibility), showing a company that reaches out to the community and aims to do its part to address social issues that concern – and must involve – us all.

With these purposes, IBSA started a partnership with the Associazione Velabili of Lugano (Switzerland), as well as some collaborations with the Punta Ala Yacht Club (Grosseto, Italy) and the Société des Régates d’Antibes (France), donating boats specifically designed to involve children with disabilities in experiences in contact with the sea and the world of sailing.

Activating inclusive sailing projects means being promoters of cultural and social change, and giving life to a path of enrichment that benefits everyone. On the one hand people with disabilities are offered an opportunity for growth, while living intense and exciting experiences at sea that are often denied to them; but on the other hand also the crew of people without disabilities experience moments of interaction and greater awareness, which increase their disposition to welcome diversity.

IBSA’s commitment to inclusive sailing has also been enriched by a new chapter, supported by the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV, Federazione Italiana Vela): the project Para Sailing Academy (a disabled sailing school), carried out in collaboration with CONI, the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP, Comitato Italiano Paralimpico) and the World Sailing federation. The objective is to make sailing a tool for growth, development and participation for enthusiasts and athletes alike, offering them equal opportunities, regardless of their abilities. “Sailing is a wonderful sport, where the values ​​of respect, mutual aid and integration come before victory. We are proud to support the Para Sailing Academy and contribute to giving even more prominence to this sport, which knows how to be inclusive, educational and formative in every aspect”, affirmed Giorgio Pisani, Vice President IBSA Group.

IBSA Italy – the Italian subsidiary of the IBSA Group – and the Para Sailing Academy will carry out several initiatives aimed at creating a solid network of technicians and managers qualified in the promotion and introduction to sailing and at bringing the public closer to issues such as diversity and inclusiveness, promoting society, as a whole, to be more open and welcoming.