Porsche 911 challenge hits the road as couple head to 238 RNLI lifeboat stations
A married couple in a Porsche 911 are attempting to travel around the coast of the UK and Ireland in 911 hours, visiting all 238 lifeboat stations of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to raise money for the charity that saves lives at sea.
Belinda and James Richardson, from London, will start their mammoth 8,500-mile journey at Morecambe Lifeboat Station in Lancashire at 9.11am on Friday 23 August, leaving an hour later and hope to finish at Peel Lifeboat Station on the Isle of Man at 9.11am on Monday 30 September.
The couple are taking on the challenge for a second time in recognition of the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year. They have raised £83,000 for the lifesaving charity to date and are now hoping to raise enough money to fund a D class inshore lifeboat – the workhorse of the RNLI.
Their challenge will see them visit every lifeboat station, covering the coast of Ireland, Shetland, Orkney, Outer and Inner Hebrides, the Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey as well as the whole of mainland UK.
Belinda said: ‘We live on the Thames where we have four RNLI lifeboat stations. I’ve always wanted a Porsche since I was a child and when we saw an episode of Saving Lives At Sea we decided to drive round Britain and call into a few lifeboat stations.
‘We did this challenge in 2018 and made it round with seven minutes left on the clock, so now we’re aiming for a personal best of at least eight minutes.’
The D class inshore lifeboat they are funding will be called RNLI 911 Challenge and will be part of the relief fleet, meaning it could be used to save lives at sea anywhere around the coast of the UK and Ireland.
The similarities between the Porsche 911 and the D class were part of the couple’s inspiration behind the challenge. Both were launched in 1963, they are both 5m long and have their engines at the back, and Belinda and James’ Porsche is coloured in lifeboat orange.
‘It would be so great to raise enough money for a D class,’ she said. ‘It is not us who has raised the money, it is all our sponsors who have jumped on board and everyone who has donated, it will just be a fantastic thing.
‘It’s about leaving a legacy for the RNLI which our sponsors can build on.’
Jayne George, RNLI Director of Fundraising, said: ‘We are so grateful to Belinda and James for taking on this huge challenge and look forward to welcoming them at all of our lifeboat stations around the coast.
‘We are only able to save lives at sea thanks to the generous support of people taking on challenges like this, and we’re honoured Belinda and James have decided to raise even more money to fund a new D class inshore lifeboat.
‘In 2023 alone, D class lifeboats saved 96 lives and helped 2,028 people in difficulty. Belinda and James’ 911 challenge will help continue that lifesaving legacy.’
RNLI media contacts
For more information please telephone Ben Williets, RNLI Press Officer on 01202 641450 or [email protected]. Alternatively, contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789 or [email protected].
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For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.