NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
December 10, 2009
Quadriplegic to sail across Atlantic
Photo 'Geoff Holt'
(Courtesy of http://geoffholt.com/)
Quadriplegic sailor Geoff Holt, 43 from Hampshire, sets sail from Lanzarote December 10 en route to become the first disbaled man to sail the Atlantic solo. Geoff hopes to be in the British Virgin Islands, in three week's time. Geoff will travel 2,700 miles (4345km) from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to the Caribbean.
He will be returning to Garden Bay in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, where he suffered a diving accident that paralyzed him.
Mr Holt, from Southampton, said he hopes the journey will help him "lay some ghosts to rest".
He is already the first quadriplegic sailor to sail around Britain and will be accompanied by a caregiver and a cameraman on board his boat, called Impossible Dream. However, he will do all his own sailing on board the specially-equipped boat.
Mr Holt, who only has limited use of his arms and hands, will use hydraulic push button technology to sail the 60ft (18m) catamaran for the 17 days it is expected to complete the voyage.
Record-breaking yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur, from the Isle of Wight, gave her support to the challenge.
She said: "Geoff is one of the most remarkable people I have ever met.
"Not only has he already achieved the unachievable, but he is humble with it.
"I think few will understand just how important this challenge is to Geoff - perhaps in a way it is unfinished business."
From: BBC.com
Video Courtesy of http://geoffholt.com/
