Sailing Opportunities for the Visually Impaired (SOVI) is dedicated to promoting sailing activities involving members of the visually impaired community. Its task is to increase accessibility to the sport of sailing by connecting VIs to private boat owners/skippers throughout the UK willing to volunteer their time and vessel for ‘blind sailing.’

SOVI is a voluntary organisation founded by Nick Pomfret who has been sailing with registered blind crews for nine years on his yacht, Toucan, a 10-metre Westerly Falcon. After cruising throughout the Solent and the West Country with blind crew members it soon became apparent that there was more demand for ‘blind sailing’ than availability. In order to address this imbalance, SOVI was formed.

SOVI requires visually impaired people, boat owners/skippers and sighted crew to register their interest in participating in VI sailing in order to create a workable national database. SOVI then has the task of connecting VIs with suitably available boats, skippers and crews.