Round the World Challenge

Aim

To be the first disabled person to sail around the world non stop.

Project aim

To be the first disabled person to sail around the world non stop.

About the project

The aim of this project is to be the first disabled person to sail non stop around the world. I lost the use of one arm in a motorway pile up in 1991 and found that sailing gives me an opportunity to pit myself against natures elements. In 2005 I was the first disabled person to sail around Great Britain. This included all the islands and into the Atlantic past the West coast of Ireland.I funded the project myself & raised money for 5 charities including the RNLI that ironically helped me and were awarded a medal!RNLI: http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Irish-Coast-Guard-award-for-Arranmore-RNLI-lifeboat-crew.aspxBBC News report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4615733.stm

In 2007, with a new boat, I was the first disabled person to sail across the Atlantic. I then continued up the East coast of America to Boston, sailed back down again & once again across the Atlantic back to Portsmouth. Charities I raised money for were the RNLI and Cutty Sark restoration fund which had been destroyed by fire in May of the 2007.

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/disabled-sailor-back-after-ocean-voyage-1-1295921

2005 - "Nephele", a Beneteau First 32.5

 2007 arriving in Melbourne Harbour, Florida in "Rosiley", a Hanse 400.

I have always had the idea to complete a "three stage" challenge, Great Britain, The Atlantic and the WORLD! What else of course?I now only have the last stage to complete which is the afore mentioned "Round the World Challenge".

I have a boat for the voyage which I bought last year which is a Feeling 1350 (44 foot). It was built to compete in the BOC single handed round the world race in 1992. So far the boat has completed 2 circumnavigations in it's life.

I have a sponsor for my sailing clothing but do not have sponsorship for new sails. I have funded a complete refurbishment of the boat myself over the winter this year (2014-15), including new rigging, engine refurb and new mounts. Osmosis treatment, coppercoat antifoul and associated equipment. I have also renewed a lot of the electronics to bring them up to date and added a new bank of batteries. This is only a small part of what I have done myself.

I am a very independent person but am running out of time to get this challenge underway this year. I will be raising money for "Save the Children" and a new foundation to build a sailing replica of the Cutty Sark for under prvileged children & promote traditional ship building skills.

Funding for this project is basically to get a new set of sails, running rigging and consumables including food.

More details on www.singlehandedyachting.com and previous trips on www.singlehandedyachting.co.uk Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/keith.white.disabled.sailor

Here's an article from the yacht broker: http://cruisingoutpost.com/2013/05/heres/

Thank you very much for reading this. Any help is massively apprectiated.

Keith White

This is a photo of "Marathon" competing in the 2015 Round the Island Race near the Needles on the Isle of Wight where I live.Your help to achieve this life goal to sail solo around the world means so very much to me and is seriously appreciated.Photo copyright of Paul Smith Photography.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 2nd November 2015