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Kelly and Company sets sail at the 2019 Blind Fleet Racing World Championship

Four people sit in a sailboat, wearing life vests.

Kelly MacDonald and Ramya Amuthan spend a lot of time on the road, hosting special episodes of Kelly and Company from locations across Canada. But, in a show first, the pair are hitting the water.   

Kelly and Company will be live from the Kingston Yacht Club in Kingston, Ontario, where they'll take in the 2019 Blind Fleet Racing World Championship. AMI-audio listeners can catch Kelly and Ramya on Thursday, September 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern, where they'll learn more about blind sailing, the event, and will host a round table chat with organizers and participants from around the world. Make sure you tune in to Live from Studio 5 for on-location updates and standings as the races progress.

"This is a big deal," Kelly MacDonald says. "I really want to feel the excitement and paint the picture for our audience of what's going on, how big this event is and the skill involved."

This year's event will be sailed in Shark 24 sailing yachts on Lake Ontario, with a racing format of three classes and boat crews of four sailors. The helmsman, who is responsible for the steering, is always blind or partially sighted. The tactician, who is sighted, is not allowed to take part in the physical sailing of the boat. A blind or partially sighted crew member and a sighted crew member are responsible for the care of the sails and trim of the boat. Sailing takes place in three fleets, and the mixed sailors aboard each boat provides the necessary communication between crew members to ensure that competition is as close and tactical as with any other racing fleet. 

"I want listeners to know what the sport is like," Ramya Amuthan says. "And I want them to know how they can get involved in blind sailing in their own community." 

 

2019 Blind Fleet Racing World Championship on AMI-audio (all times Eastern)

Schedule: Thursday, September 5, 2019

10:30 a.m.  Live from Studio 5
2 p.m.  Kelly and Company

 

Schedule: Friday, September 6, 2019

10:30 a.m. Live from Studio 5

 

Schedule: Monday, September 9, 2019

10:30 a.m. Live from Studio 5