Disabled Man in ‘Single-Handed’ Round-Britain Sailing Bid
Published: June 8, 2005
A disabled boatman embarked today on an attempt to sail around the British Isles “single handed” to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
Keith White, 56, who only has the use of one arm, set off early this morning from Gillingham, Kent, on a 2,000-mile voyage in which he hopes to raise hundreds of pounds for charity.
The adventurer will travel anti-clockwise around Britain and Ireland in his boat Nephele, which has an 8ft picture of Admiral Lord Nelson – painted by Mr White – on one of its sails.
He hopes to arrive on the South Coast in time to join celebrations marking the anniversary, including the International Fleet Review on June 28, before he completes the circuit.
Mr White, from Eltham, south-east London, said he had drawn some inspiration from Nelson, who had his right arm amputated eight years before he died at Trafalgar in October 1805.
But he added: “There is a link there but I am not playing on it. I am doing it for a sense of self-achievement – there is not much else I can do in life now.”
The father of seven lost the use of his left arm following a motorway crash 15 years ago but continued sailing, a sport he first fell in love with around 40 years ago.
He said that he would attempt to sail the whole route and was only planning to use the engine to recharge the vessel’s batteries.
And he suggested that if he succeeded in his present voyage, he may become the first person to sail “single handed” – quite literally – around the British Isles.
“I don’t know that anyone has done it. I have sent the Guinness Book of Records an email but I haven’t received a reply,” he said.
Mr White hopes to raise money for several charities, including The Psoriasis Association, which aims to raise awareness of a skin condition which he himself suffers from.
A spokeswoman for Guinness World Records said the voyage was “too specialised” to be accepted as a record attempt but she added that the organisation wished him luck for the trip.
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