Sailing is a sport of extremes. The opposite end of spectrum from the high tech adventure seekers are the low tec adventure seekers.
My favorite example of this is the recreation of Shackletons Antarctic voyage to get help for the men from his expedition. The goal of the expedition had been to cross the Antarctic continent over land but turned into an epic voyage to save the men of his expedition. Shackleton sailed 800 miles across the southern ocean in an open boat and then climbed over a mountain to reach the help he needed.
The recreation voyage team used a replica boat and period correct gear and equipment. Check out more at the expidition website at:
www.shackletonepic
There is also a film on discovery channel and other places:
The age of sail was a full of spectacular adventures. There are many other groups sailing tall ships around the world. Some are designed as tourist experiences, others as leadership training programs.
One such group close to my interest in sailing for disabled person is the jubilee trust. They have three ships rigged for disabled people to sail. Info here:
http://jst.org.uk/
and here:
