Jazz Turner is now nearing Ireland during Project FEAR

Jazz Turner intends to 'Face Everything And Rise' © Magnus Smith

Jazz Turner is on a quest to become the first female wheelchair user to complete a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the British Isles, raising money for Sailability.

As at the 10th June she is 8 days out from Brighton, and starting to near Ireland. Jazz had hoped to be further along than this, but the winds have been forcing her to stay close-hauled ever since she started, and issues with repairs already demanded anchoring off Cornwall. Leaks soaked her cabin, waterlogged the battery, set off a lifejacket which needed repacking, and more.

This is already the furthest she's ever sailed alone, and she loves that part of it. She's been joined by dolphins: "Poseidon's Blessing" she says. Animal company is probably very welcome, as Jazz usually sails with an assist-dog, called Phoebe, who can tell if she's going to faint or have a seizure. The rules of solo, unassisted sailing forbids outside help of any kind, including medical or canine. Jazz reports she is missing Phoebe badly.

Surely her fellow racing sailors will agree that they detest anchoring, and Jazz (more of a racer than a cruiser) feels the emotional weight of this as it suggests her quest isn't progressing as fast as she wanted. She's also battling constant pain because of her condition, never mind the challenges of ingesting extra energy to manage a yacht in a rough sea when you have intestinal failure.

However, Project FEAR stands for "Face Everything And Rise", and dammit, Jazz is already doing that: her gofundme total is already over £28,000, so she might need to rethink the target! This is going to make a wonderful difference to Sailability facilities in Jazz's home area. She's the sort of sailor who cannot experience the wonderful freedom the sport gives her without wanting to share it with others.

Keep an eye on the two GPS tracking options with YellowBrick or MarineTraffic so see where Jazz is now. When internet connectivity allows, Jazz is recording video messages on Facebook and Instagram, where the flow of encouraging messages is really helping her, when she faces low mood or low energy.

"I've accepted the idea of dying and I know it is imminent", she says confidently. "I don't want to die in a hospice; instead I've chosen to sail and chase my dreams".

Please make a donation if you can. All money donated goes to buying new boats and servo kits for the Newhaven & Seaford Sailability centre; nothing to Jazz personally.