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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 481
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Death Wish? -Plucky Brit cripple succeeds!
http://www.personaleverest.com/
On 15 May 2007 06:59:54 -0700, Joe wrote:
Disabled sailor to try again after being thrown from boat
By Will Carson
HELPING HANDS: Geoff is pulled from the Solent after hitting the wave.
Picture by onEdition
A HAMPSHIRE yachtsman has spoken of his "personal heartbreak" at
having to call off his bid to become the first disabled person to sail
singlehanded round Great Britain when he was thrown from his boat.
Quadriplegic sailor Geoff Holt set sail from Hamble on the first leg
of the record-breaking 1,600-mile voyage yesterday.
But disaster struck when waves generated by the dozens of spectator
and press boats caused his 15ft trimaran to become overpowered and he
was thrown into the Solent.
To make matters worse, the 40-year-old's lifejacket didn't inflate
properly, and he lay face down in the water unable to turn himself
over.
One of his rescue team jumped the support boat and flipped Geoff onto
his back, before dragging him to safety.
Today Geoff said that he was fine and well - but his pride had been
hurt.
He said: "What started as one of the most amazing days for me ended
in personal heartbreak.
"I became a victim of our own PR interest by the world's media when
the many spectator boats caused a confused sea and with a following
stiff breeze, my boat broached across the top of one of the washes
from a nearby RIB.
"It flung the boat around, I overbalanced and found myself face down
in the Solent in front of the worlds press.
"Was anyone to blame?
"Of course not, it was just one of those things.
"This is a momentous Challenge and one we hope to restart in the next
few days.
If the challenge goes ahead, Geoff, from Shedfield, will aim to sail
about 50 miles a day on a voyage that will take around 50 days to
complete.
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