DATE: Sunday, April 6, 1997                 TAG: 9704070439

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL CLANCY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:  102 lines

SAILING GIVES DISABLED PEOPLE NEW FREEDOM

The Elizabeth River near Waterside had been smooth as satin, a few puffs of wind now and then ruffling its surface.

Then the wind gods rewrote the script. A stiff breeze pedaling around to the east fluttered the genoa, the large forward sail, and Kristen Dowdy, hair blowing across her face, grabbed the line that controls the sail.

``What's this flippity-floppity?'' instructor Arn Manella called from the bow as the sail flapped. ``You're in charge,'' he told her.

``I am. I am,'' Kristen said with glee. ``Don't tell me what to do!''

``Watch your head,'' she said as the boat swung through the wind and changed course.

``Perfect! Perfect!'' Manella sang out, ducking the sail as it came across.

``Rock and roll,'' David Collins exulted, bringing the tiller around on a second course change. ``It's going to be fun now.''

From shore, this might have seemed to be an ordinary sailing lesson on what was turning out to be a brisk day.

And it was, with only a slight variation. Collins, who owns the 20-foot O'Day sailboat, is legally blind, and Kristen, 15, in her first year at Princess Anne High School, has a learning disability. Both were doing quite well.

Furthermore, Collins was recently a certified sailing instructor and expects to requalify.

The two are front-runners in what Manella hopes to turn into one of the country's leading centers for sailing instruction for people with disabilities, based in Norfolk.

An ex-Marine who taught scuba diving and skydiving to Marines with drug problems and disabilities, Manella believes he has found his calling.

He tried to start a program here four years ago and realized that, although an experienced sailor, he lacked the credentials to teach the disabled.

``I was told to go out and get some experience,'' he said.

He went to Newport, R.I., then to Miami, as a sailing instructor and then head of sailing for Shake-A-Leg, one of the leading adaptive sailing programs. He coached winning teams in numerous races and became one of the only people in the nation qualified to train the disabled to become instructors.

Now he's back looking for sup- port for his Southern Chesapeake Adaptive Maritime Program. An immediate goal for SCAMP is to buy the first of several sailboats specially designed for the disabled.

The boats, called Freedoms, cost about $22,000 each.

``If we had one Freedom this year we could probably provide sailing instructions to about 400 people, six days a week, March to November,'' he said.

The program will also teach people who want to use their own boats to work with the disabled.

Sailing is one of the best ways, he feels, to give disabled people a chance to be in charge.

Even if they sail with parents or friends, they're often the ones with the skills.

Collins grew up in Portsmouth and works as a salesman for Dixie Equipment Co.

``I can see and do just about everything but drive a car,'' he said.

Kristen, 15, has been sailing for only a few months, but Manella says she's learning fast and will be a natural to compete in the Special Olympics sailing meets.

``All we have to do is run her through the basics and she's going to pick this up like a world-class sailing lady,'' Manella said.

``Oh, my gosh, she's so proud of herself,'' said Kathy Dowdy, her mother, watching the students climb aboard at Waterside Marina. ``What a great opportunity this will be for these kids.''

``I love you, Mom,'' Kristen called as the boat sailed out.

``Hey, David, we're moving!'' she said to Collins.

``David, do you see the ferry coming across?'' Manella said.

``Yes, I'll head up and let him pass on my port side,'' Collins responded, adjusting his course slightly to the right.

Manella likes to let his students decide.

``What you don't want to do is put them in a situation where you set yourself up to be their savior,'' he said.

But later, when several tugboats slipped under the Berkley Bridge and headed right for the spot where Collins was crossing, he advised him tersely to change course.

Collins got his boat six years ago, then went to Florida to study under Manella.

``The only thing that keeps people from sailing is a perception that they can't do it,'' he said.

``What we do is prove to people that they can. They might not think so at first, but then they find themselves doing it.''

Kristen got her chance at the helm and Collins slipped into his role as instructor.

``Push it away. OK, put it in the middle,'' he said, getting her to change course by moving the tiller. ``Great. It looks good.''

She liked being in charge better than she did taking orders. ``Don't tell me, I know,'' she said with a big grin. ``I'm the captain!''

ILLUSTRATION: Photo

BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot

Kristen Dowdy of Virginia Beach takes the tiller during a sailing

lesson Saturday morning with David Collins, who is legally blind

and has been sailing for six years. Also on board the 20-foot sloop

was Arn Manella, who runs the Southern Chesapeake Adaptive Maritime

Program.

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