The boat’s performance
The boat’s large fractional rigging greatly affects its performance. While the French designer focused on creating a large, roomy space he did not ignore the importance of the boat’s capability under sail. For this reason, and also because he wanted the boat to look like a catamaran, the boat is outfitted with a fully-battened mainsail, with a single line reefing system, and a roller-furling 110% genoa, making it very easy to handle during tacks. We noticed that the sails have adopted the characteristics of the most modern racing boats, while also incorporating aspects gleaned from the charter experience, as in the case of the roller furling mainsail that is no longer in demand. Still, the height of the center off effort in conjunction with the limited draught result in a very “tender” boat. Almost all of the sail-related activities can be executed from the safety of the cockpit, since almost all of the halyards and sheets are located right in front of the steering wheels. With regard to the steering wheels, one gets the sense that they are small and offer limited visibility towards the bow, especially at night, when even the dimmest interior light reflects on the large Plexiglass surfaces of the deck saloon! Nevertheless, generally speaking, the behavior of the boat when under sail is satisfactory. It is when the boat is under power that we sense a deficiency in relation to similar boats. The superstructure creates an aerodynamic resistance that is significant and noticeable. A bow thruster would be appreciated.

The boat’s modifications Anthony Mangos, the current owner, had a great idea and considered the non-conventional design peculiarities of this particular boat-which had made it unpopular in the general market-as perfectly suitable for his purposes. He realized that with just a few minor modifications the Atoll 43 could be transformed into a boat that could safely and comfortably take people with special needs on a sailing excursion. Let’s examine the modifications in detail. Starting from the stern, the gangway is wide and wheelchair-accessible providing for easy passage to the cockpit. In the cockpit, a person is safe even when the boat heels: there are four seating places each equipped with two seat belts as well as a foot hold for the support of the passengers. Two newly-built custom wheelchairs are also on board. They are the same size as standard wheelchairs. The main differences are that the sailing wheelchairs are a bit more durable and built to access any part of the boat. There are also special storage areas to store the standard wheelchairs that are necessary when going ashore. To get to the cabins, located on the second, lower level as mentioned above, there is a specially-built electro-hydraulic platform with means to secure the wheelchair when in use. In general, the removable doorhandles in the heads, the handrails along the companionway, and the non-skid deck allow one to move about in the boat unimpeded. In addition, the doors to the cabins are easily removed and replaced to facilitate entry into and exit from the cabins for those in wheelchairs. Furthermore, there is a special apparatus for people who need assistance getting into and out of the berths as well as using the head. The handholds all along the perimeter of the deck, which were part of the original design, are also helpful when going toward the bow, where there is sunbeb.

At sea
On the day we tested the boat, a strong north wind was blowing, reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. On board, in addition to the crew, were two individuals with special needs; one was a quadriplegic and the other was a paraplegic. When they first got on board, they tried out the different modifications mentioned above to see how well their needs were accommodated by them. After exploring the boat, they sat in the cockpit and fastened themselves with the special seat belts. Due to such strong winds, we were sailing with two reefs in the main sail and with the genoa furled halfway (as it is a roller reefing one).
The boat moved along quickly without heeling too dramatically. The hard plastic top over the cockpit was excellent at protecting everybody sitting in the cockpit from the air, the sun, and the spray from the waves. The crew’s movements while sailing, tacking, and tying up at the harbor did not get into the way of the other passengers.

Conclusion
As we stated in the beginning, since we are not experts on the special needs of individuals who are wheelchair-bound, we asked two individuals with special needs to assist us in testing the Atoll 43 Modified to determine how well it accommodates the needs of people in wheelchairs. The first day was their day to get settled in and to familiarize themselves with the boat. We asked them for their opinions on the second day, after giving them time to harness their enthusiasm and objectively assess the usefulness of the modifications with respect to their needs (and after a vigorous day at sea with challenging weather conditions). One passenger was 23-year-old George Iliakis, who had never been on a sailboat before. If most adults can recall the first time they ever boarded a sailboat, they can sympathize with this passenger’s initial response to the boat’s heeling, especially in such weather conditions. He soon became accustomed to the boat’s movements. He was impressed with the “studied consideration of the modifications” and he had a fantastic first experience with sailing which he hopes to repeat again soon. His only criticism had to do with the sailing wheelchair. More specifically, because of its small wheels one cannot wheel oneself around. But, he points out, this is “…only a minor detail since up until now the possibility of going sailing seemed completely unlikely.” George congratulates those responsible for “their wonderful initiative” and hopes to find similar attempts in other areas. In contrast to George, the other passenger, 37-year-old Panagiotis Tsiganos used to be a competitive sailor. He used to compete with 420s and 470s as well in off-shore races whenever he could. That all changed, however, after he sustained a major accident when he was 20 years old which rendered him an A5 quadriplegic. It had been 17 years since George had done any off-shore sailing. What he noticed about this sailboat was how the space was organized. “I despise special doorways and special areas for those with special needs. On the boat I got to sit where everybody else was sitting.” Given his prior experience, he found the boat’s heeling less dramatic than he had expected. He added, “…the seatbelts offer complete security.” But what really impressed Panagiotis was how easy it was to access all areas of the boat. He remarked, «…it was due to the best of intentions that the outcomes of this effort succeeded» and he thanked the owners of the boat for their initiative.
Without a doubt, that the owner made modifications on his sailboat in order to accommodate passengers with special needs is a highly-commendable endeavor. His plans for the future are to make modifications in the deck layout on his boat, so that passengers with special needs can sail the boat to the extent that they are willing and able.

Contact: DR Yachting Telephone: 210-9850.168-9 Fax: 210-9850.016
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