Yorkshire man and crew raising funds for Blind Sailing in Round the Island
by Lucy Hodges 1 Jul 2016 16:29 BST
2 July 2016
A Leeds man will be among the 1,600 boats competing in one of Britain's largest participation sporting events of 2016, the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race on Saturday 2 July. Skipper Adam Beaumont, known as 'Captain Zig Zag' by some, and his crew on board their boat Ratatoskwill join some 16,000 sailors set to master one of the world's largest yacht races, also referred to as 'Britain's favourite yacht Race'.
Skipper Adam tells us more about himself and his crew: "I'm from Leeds, which is nowhere near any water whatsoever! Matt Lowe is the CEO of a racing car manufacturer, so he's used to going somewhat quicker and Lucy Hodges is our blind helm. Our crewmember Dave Ross is Vice Commodore of the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club (CCYC) and Lucy is also a member of the CCYC. We also have a crewmember named 'Crash'!"
Adam reveals that the crew are fundraising for Blind Sailing and tells us more: "Blind Sailing is a small but successful charity that helps the visually impaired sail from age 10 to 70. Many of their volunteers have given over 20 years experience. We are aiming for a goal of £2000 for this admirable charity that makes sailing accessible to the visually impaired and have set up a Just Giving page. Helm Lucy was awarded an MBE for her services to Blind Sailing, so it is a charity close to all our hearts."
The crew's Just Giving page can be found at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AQL-RTIR
The famous 50 nautical mile course around the Isle of Wight, now in its 85th year and organised by the Island Sailing Club,is an all-encompassing event. The unique 'Race for All' ethos caters for and embraces first timers, families, amateurs and professionals competing at the highest level. That same 'Race for All' ethos is supported through the Official Charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust where over £226,000 has been raised through its association with the Race to date.