Nine men from Yarraville’s Annecto David House want help from the public to name a canoe they have built for display at this week’s Para World Sailing Championships in Williamstown.
The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria is hosting the championships, which end on December 3. It’s the second and final qualifier for next year’s Rio Paralympics and it has attracted competitors from 31 countries.
Annecto is a not-for-profit organisation working to improve opportunities in the community for people with disabilities.
The two-person, 16-foot canoe will be on display at Seaworks during the championships.
The crew, who took a year to make the canoe, want ideas for a name and there will be a suggestion box at the Seaworks display.
The crew’s other vessel, a restored and modified catamaran, was named Nikki Woop –Australian slang for “go away”.
Project instructor Ivan Wadsworth said the crew was keen to highlight how people could participate in their community.
“This international event is a wonderful way to show how sport can be inclusive,” he said.
Crew member David Leckie said the canoe would also be put to good use after the championships.
“We decided to build a canoe because it’s flexible and we can use it for lots of different activities, like fishing,” he said.
