Mobility Cup returns to the city where it began in 1991, bringing around 40 adaptive sailors to Vancouver waters
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Thirty-five years after it was launched on Vancouver’s waters, Canada’s largest adaptive sailing regatta is coming home. Around 40 sailors from across Canada and abroad will compete September 8–12 in Vancouver, racing specially adapted boats that can respond to a puff of breath or the movement of a joystick.
The Martin 16 sailboats used in the regatta can be adapted with specialized equipment, including sip-and-puff and joystick controls, enabling sailors with a range of physical disabilities to control the boat and compete.
Among this year’s competitors is Vancouver sailor Gerry Burns, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a hockey accident in 2003. Burns later took up adaptive sailing, progressing from his first sail to solo sailing and competitive racing.
“It blew my mind right from the very first sail — that you could advance to going solo and then compete in racing,” said Burns. “It gave me the attitude that anything’s possible. We’re racing able-bodied sailors, and we’re with them or beating them. It’s a totally even playing field when you’re out there.”
Mobility Cup was launched in Vancouver in 1991 by accessibility advocate and Disability Foundation founder Sam Sullivan. What began as a local event has grown into an international regatta, drawing sailors from across Canada and abroad and earning the nickname “the Regatta of Possibility.”
“The Mobility Cup began as a simple idea more than thirty years ago: to give people with disabilities the chance to experience the freedom and joy of sailing,” said Sullivan. “It is especially meaningful to see the Regatta return to Vancouver, home of the Martin 16, a boat that allows even those with high-level disabilities to race using technologies like sip-and-puff. Watching how far the Mobility Cup has come is one of the great joys of my life.”
“I’m very excited to host the Mobility Cup for the first time since 2010,” said Eric Molendyk, Program Manager with the Adaptive Sailing Association of B.C. “Thirty-five years of this amazing event truly is an example of community, friendship and competition. We look forward to welcoming everyone from across the country and our neighbours from the States.”
For Graeme Wyman, Executive Director of the Disability Foundation, the anniversary is also an opportunity to recognize the community that has sustained the event over the past 35 years.
“This 35th anniversary belongs to everyone who’s helped build this legacy — our sailors, our volunteers, partners and donors,” said Wyman. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring this event home to where it all began.”
The five-day event features racing on English Bay, beginning with an Opening Ceremony on September 8 and concluding with the Awards and Closing Ceremony on September 12. More than 100 volunteers will support the event on land and on the water.
Media Opportunities
- Opening Ceremony — Tuesday, September 8: Sailors and organizers available for interviews.
- Racing on English Bay — September 9–12: Strong visual opportunities featuring adaptive sailors and Martin 16 boats competing on the water.
- Adaptive sailing technology: Film sip-and-puff and joystick controls in action and speak with sailors about how adaptive technology enables them to independently control their boats.
- Awards & Closing Ceremony — Saturday, September 12: The conclusion of Mobility Cup’s 35th-anniversary regatta.
Media wishing to attend, arrange interviews or request accreditation should contact:
Aki Barabadi
Senior Communications Officer
The Disability Foundation / Adaptive Sailing Association of British Columbia
abarabadi@disabilityfoundation.org
Event Details
What: Mobility Cup 2026
When: September 8–12, 2026
Where: Vancouver, B.C.
Hosted by: Adaptive Sailing Association of British Columbia (ASABC), Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC), and AbleSail Network
More information: mobilitycup.com
About the Adaptive Sailing Association of BC (ASABC)
For more than 30 years, the Adaptive Sailing Association of BC (formerly DSABC) has provided people with physical and intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience both recreational and competitive sailing in fully accessible sailboats. Operating from the Jericho Sailing Centre, ASABC uses the Martin 16 sailboat and a dedicated team of volunteers and staff to ensure anyone can sail. ASABC is a proud society of the Disability Foundation.
Website: asabc.ca
About the Mobility Cup
Founded in 1991 in Vancouver, the Mobility Cup is Canada’s annual international regatta for sailors with disabilities. Hosted each year by a different city and governed by the AbleSail Network of Canada, the event champions the belief that anyone can sail.
Website: mobilitycup.com