Intrepid sailor on solo voyage raising funds for RNLI
Intrepid sailor on solo voyage raising funds for RNLI
Lifeboats News Release
Yachtsman Neil Marshall called into Dover Marina this week on his way from Ipswich to the Scilly Isles, on a mission to raise funds and awareness jointly for the RNLI and British Heart Foundation.
This is the second time he's done this - back in 2023 he sailed round Britain and raised £4,600 for each charity, Only last time he never made it to the Scillies. Neil said 'As a sailor I've always wanted to give back to the RNLI, and the plan was to get to the Scilly Isles, but the weather was against me so I never quite made it'. And following a life-saving heart procedure, he felt he should give back to the BHF too.
'I plan to call in or sail past as many RNLI Lifeboat Stations as possible along the south coast, so give me wave or pop by and say hello if you see me' said Neil, who will be sailing mostly on his own in his tiny 29ft yacht Waikare. Neil set off on 1 June from Ipswich and is hoping to complete the journey in 10 weeks.
Neil is raising funds through donations on his JustGiving page (Neil Marshall) and through harbours and marinas waiving their berthing fees, and so far has already raised over £7,200. His target is to raise £20,000 for the RNLI. Neil plans to set off from Dover on Saturday 13 June with the next planned stop at Eastbourne, then Brighton.
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. It is funded entirely through charitable giving and all funds raised help support lifeboat, lifeguarding and water safety operations.
The RNLI is the charity that 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 146,700 lives.
