Round Britain & Ireland Challenge 2004
Paul Burns is raising money for Dementia Carers Count
Story
On 30th May 2004 I joined one of eight identical 72ft ocean racing yachts and set sail from Southampton to race head to head around Britain and Ireland. Each yacht was crewed by fourteen ordinary men and women & Led by a professional skipper and mate. Many of us had little or no previous sailing experience.
At 04:08:57 on 12th June our boat, Besso, crossed the line to complete her Round Britain and Ireland Challenge. And what a challenge it's been. We've have no wind; too much wind; torn head sails; destroyed spinnakers; dolphins; whales; oil rigs; birthdays; freezing nights and breath taking sun rises. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever attempted, both physically and more significantly, mentally. It really was an endurance event, a seemingly never ending cycle of furious activity and dreamless sleep interrupted only by hastily devoured meals.
For the statisticians amongst you, the Besso crew sailed 2,330 nmiles in a time of 12 days, 16 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds, at an average speed of 7.66kts. During that time we've eaten 360 boil-in-the-bag meals (some better than others!), 24kg of porridge oats, 80 king size Mars Bars and drunk approximately 730 mugs of tea (various strengths). Combined weight loss has been about 4.2 stones. We have also lost 2 woolly hats, 1 fleece, 1 spinnaker, 1 journal and several stomach contents over the side!
Since returning all the crew have been enjoying the numerous delights of the 'real world'. I for one have indulged in Champagne, a soft bed that is twice as wide as me and a loo that doesn't move! The rigours of life at sea have also taken their toll on hands & feet in particular, and it will be a long time before all the bruises have healed. But, despite all that it was a most fulfilling adventure. We all came for different reasons and with different expectations, and left with an enormous sense of achievement and 14 new friends.
I took on this challenge to help raise badly needed funds for AgeCare. AgeCare is a charity dedicated to an area of society that is often ignored, but is growing and as such is in great need of your help: specifically the elderly and dementia sufferers. With life expectancies increasing the frequency of dementia related illnesses is growing, and at a time of life when medical expenses may be high and savings may be dwindling the help AgeCare can offer is often very welcome.
AgeCare are building close care units at their High Broom home in East Sussex. A close care unit is effectively a self contained cottage where a resident can live as through in there own home. The cottage is their's to do with as they will, thereby providing a resident with the privacy, the quality of life, the respect and the dignity that we would all hope for in later life. The great advantage of the close care cottages is that they have all the staff & facilities at AgeCare's disposal on hand if required. More than £375,000 has already been raised to build these cottages and all that is required now is to furnish them. I am aiming to raise £4,500 to go directly to the residents at High Broom to provide special nursing beds and pressure relieving mattresses to ameliorate discomfort and pain and to assist them to lead as full and independent lives as possible. It was cold, wet and hard work out in the North Atlantic in the middle of the night. Donations already made helped me to battle through it, and any additional donations made now will make it even more worth while. Make a difference to someone's life. Thank you in advance. Paul
At 04:08:57 on 12th June our boat, Besso, crossed the line to complete her Round Britain and Ireland Challenge. And what a challenge it's been. We've have no wind; too much wind; torn head sails; destroyed spinnakers; dolphins; whales; oil rigs; birthdays; freezing nights and breath taking sun rises. This has been one of the hardest things I have ever attempted, both physically and more significantly, mentally. It really was an endurance event, a seemingly never ending cycle of furious activity and dreamless sleep interrupted only by hastily devoured meals.
For the statisticians amongst you, the Besso crew sailed 2,330 nmiles in a time of 12 days, 16 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds, at an average speed of 7.66kts. During that time we've eaten 360 boil-in-the-bag meals (some better than others!), 24kg of porridge oats, 80 king size Mars Bars and drunk approximately 730 mugs of tea (various strengths). Combined weight loss has been about 4.2 stones. We have also lost 2 woolly hats, 1 fleece, 1 spinnaker, 1 journal and several stomach contents over the side!
Since returning all the crew have been enjoying the numerous delights of the 'real world'. I for one have indulged in Champagne, a soft bed that is twice as wide as me and a loo that doesn't move! The rigours of life at sea have also taken their toll on hands & feet in particular, and it will be a long time before all the bruises have healed. But, despite all that it was a most fulfilling adventure. We all came for different reasons and with different expectations, and left with an enormous sense of achievement and 14 new friends.
I took on this challenge to help raise badly needed funds for AgeCare. AgeCare is a charity dedicated to an area of society that is often ignored, but is growing and as such is in great need of your help: specifically the elderly and dementia sufferers. With life expectancies increasing the frequency of dementia related illnesses is growing, and at a time of life when medical expenses may be high and savings may be dwindling the help AgeCare can offer is often very welcome.
AgeCare are building close care units at their High Broom home in East Sussex. A close care unit is effectively a self contained cottage where a resident can live as through in there own home. The cottage is their's to do with as they will, thereby providing a resident with the privacy, the quality of life, the respect and the dignity that we would all hope for in later life. The great advantage of the close care cottages is that they have all the staff & facilities at AgeCare's disposal on hand if required. More than £375,000 has already been raised to build these cottages and all that is required now is to furnish them. I am aiming to raise £4,500 to go directly to the residents at High Broom to provide special nursing beds and pressure relieving mattresses to ameliorate discomfort and pain and to assist them to lead as full and independent lives as possible. It was cold, wet and hard work out in the North Atlantic in the middle of the night. Donations already made helped me to battle through it, and any additional donations made now will make it even more worth while. Make a difference to someone's life. Thank you in advance. Paul