16 crews go Around the Isle of Wight race for Parkinsons
by Jacqui White 11 May 2006 08:34 BST
7 May 2006
On Sunday 7th May ninety-two sailors set off from Cowes in a race to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight, to raise funds for the Parkinson’s Disease Society. The charity’s second annual ‘Sail the Island Adventure’ was the biggest yet with 16 crews taking part.
The Boehringer Ingleheim Trophy was awarded to the victorious crew of the Aqua Vitae, who sailed back into Cowes trumpeted by the Shanklin Town Brass Band. Skippered by Finlay Munro of Spirit Sailing, the Aqua Vitae was crewed by four employees of Teva Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company that develops drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s.
The 16 crews, which included five people with Parkinson’s and 30 people who had never set foot on a boat before, had only the day before the race to learn how to sail a 40-foot yacht. Embarking upon their challenge from Haslar Marina in Gosport, the participants spent Saturday 6th May sailing over to Cowes to hone their seafaring skills.
The Sail the Island Adventure is a fundraising challenge in support of the Parkinson’s Disease Society and aims to raise £45,000 for people with Parkinson’s across the UK. Partners for the event were Spirit Sailing – a Royal Yachting Association accredited sailing school based in the Solent.
Hugo Middlemas, Director of Fundraising at the Parkinson’s Disease Society said: “Sail the Island is an exhilarating event for absolute beginners and sea-legged sailors alike. Last year, 36 people took part in the inaugural Sail the Island Adventure. This year’s event was so much bigger, bringing together people wanting to make a difference for people with Parkinson’s by raising money to fund specialist nurses, information resources such as the Helpline and essential research.”