By Mal Butler
A group of eight young sailors took part in the Quest’s Quest Challenge and sailed around the Island on Sunday, raising more than £2,600 for the West Wight Dementia Choir.
Richard Liszka (17), Catherine Brading Palmer (16), Devon Smith (16), Max Newman (14), Bede Liszka (12), Alice Joubert (12), Katherine Backhouse (12) and George Newman (11) sailed in three of Yarmouth Sailing Club’s RS Quest dinghies and took 15 hours to complete the challenge with the help of instructor, Joanna Minchin.
Club commodore, Martin Palmer, said: “The idea started with member, Inez Newman, and her family. She asked me about the possibility of the club supporting the circumnavigation and it was an immediate ‘yes’ as I knew the committee would support the idea.
“Once the club put its weight behind helping out more of Inez’s sons’ friends wanted to take part and, using RS Quest dinghies, the, ‘Quest’s Quest’ was born.
“On the day, there were parents and club members on the jetty at 4.30am helping launch the boats and on the return at 8pm the number of spectators had grown significantly.
“I know how difficult it is to keep a boat moving in light winds and on Sunday there were very light winds – 15hrs of light winds to be precise.
“It was a wonderful sailing achievement which has made parents and the junior members themselves very tired, but very proud.
“They have also gained life-long skills of resilience, gratitude and a volunteering ethos chief among them. Yarmouth Sailing Club is very proud of what it can offer its junior members and of what they can subsequently achieve.”
Isle of Wight Observer