Disabled woman set for solo voyage
Updated on 16 June 2008
A record-breaking quadriplegic sailor is set to sail solo round the British Isles using controls powered by her breath after technical problems forced her to postpone her challenge.
Hilary Lister, 36, from Canterbury, Kent, will embark on her journey sailing clockwise around the British coast from Dover, seven days after initially hoping to begin her voyage.
Despite having no movement below her neck, she will use a "sip-and-puff" system of straws to control the sails and tiller of her state-of-the-art boat, an Artemis 20, with just her breath.
Mrs Lister, who is only able to move her head, eyes and mouth, first entered the record books in August 2005 when she became the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel.
In a second record-breaking challenge, she solo circumnavigated the Isle of Wight in July last year, becoming the first female quadriplegic to do so.
Project director Tony Leppard said: "There were a number of technical issues with the boat's electronics, but we have now got those resolved. The team is out on the water today completing the final touches ready to set off on Monday."
On Monday the team were forced to replace the mast at the eleventh hour after it broke in training, but are remaining positive.
It is anticipated the sail will take 12 weeks and will involve venturing into the Irish Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel.
Mr Leppard added: "I suppose the biggest challenge for Hilary will be the physical one. She doesn't know how her body will react to long periods of sailing at a time. There is one leg in particular which may be as long as 18 hours, though the others are between five and six hours.
"She'll come into shore every night unless the weather turns for the worst. There are a series of planned stop overs round the route, on average she will be sailing four out of every seven days."
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