RYA Sailability, the charity which helps disabled people to sail, hit London on Thursday with a fundraiser hosted by Coutts Bank and with HRH Princess Anne and the 2008 Paralympians as guests of honour.

The evening raised over £35,000 which will be split between grants for the purchase of specially adapted boats and the disability racing development programme.

Special guests were Skandia team GBR's SKUD world champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell who recently returned from the IFDS Disabled Sailing World Championships in Athens with Gold.

Says Alexandra Rickham ' RYA Sailability provides fantastic support at the grass roots club level in getting disabled people to try sailing and experience the sort of exhilaration and freedom that they don't always get on their own. And now Sailability are starting to help train up the potentials for the 2012 Paralympics here in the UK and for Rio in 2016 after that. Perhaps Niki and I had better look out!'

An auction of donated high value items such as a Bremont watch, a Boodles Diamond necklace, Sunsail holidays and the sail registration number 2012 raised the money from an invited audience of 250 in the beautiful surroundings of the Coutts Garden Court on the Strand. The evening was supported by Coutts Bank and Akvinta Vodka.

For more information on RYA Sailability see www.rya.org.uk/sailability or call 023 8060 4247