One sailor, one boat, one ocean

The Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR) is the world’s oldest solo ocean challenge, dating back to 1960. Founded by ‘cockleshell hero’ Blondie Hasler and first won by the circumnavigation Sir Francis Chichester, the race has upheld its Corinthian roots, providing aspiring professional and amateur sailors with the ultimate challenge

Commencing at 12:00 on the 25th May 2009 from Plymouth and finishing for me some 30-35 (plus) days later at Newport Rhodre Island USA.
This is a personal challenge and this years OSTAR coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of my first Atlantic crossing in a crewed yacht.

Flamingo Lady and I completed the OSTAR2009 in 27 days 4 hours 31 minutes. A welcome to be remembered as it was on Sunday Lunch time with cheers from the tourist schooners, the anchored yachts and cannons from the New York Yacht Club and Newport Yacht Club, plus lots of hooters and sirens from everywhere. A faster trip than expected and a result of third in class, first in class was Will Sayer who was overall winner on handicap.

To be involved in yachting you do not have to be wealthy, and with care sailing can be done on a budget. However with a boat you are homed and roofed.

When you are no longer homed and roofed, life becomes difficult to say the least. No fixed abode means not only a lonely existence but you have no address to use to get benefits, no address to use for job applications, nowhere to keep possessions, and so the downward spiral continues.  Homelessness comes for many reasons and is a very difficult situation to escape from.

Crisis has a variety of ways to help the homeless, for instance:-

The Skylight Café is the latest in a series of projects which has been developed by Crisis to help homeless people rebuild their social and practical skills, join the world of work and boost their confidence and self -esteem. The new Crisis Employment Services help get more single homeless people back into meaningful, sustainable employment which will lead to a home, stability and better quality of life. Not just by working with homeless people, but also prospective employers. Crisis Skylights offer a variety of activities for homeless people and the general public. the first Skylight is based at Crisis head office in east , the second Skylight is in , with and to follow.

So we should think of some of those less fortunate than ourselves and help to meet or exceed my target of £4 for every nautical mile sailed.

Please help me to reach my £11,240 target. I pay all the costs of maintaining  equipping and  racing Flamingo Lady, myself so 100% of donations  go direct to CRISIS

Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Crisis gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!