H2 tags : Fund Raising & Donations
Each Service has nominated a lead fund raiser and Maj Mark Collins RE is the Challenge fund coordinator. The primary charity is Help for Heroes and 10% will be donated to each service benevolent funds (total 30%). It is envisaged that each service will raise at least £5k, which means once running costs have been accounted for (fuel, vehicle hire and ferry costs) there should be in excess of £10k raised for charity. An online fund raising page has been set up already at www.justgiving.com/forceswindsurfingchallenge; Team Structure
The intent is for each Service to get 4 boards to circumnavigate the island. In order to achieve this it is envisages each board will need at least one reserve sailor; hence Service teams will be a minimum of 8 sailors each. This construct is modular so can be modified in accordance with the safety structure.; Safety Structure
Clive Grant (ASA Regional Coach) is the appointed Challenge Safety Officer and is responsible for all aspects of safety across all 3 Services. He will be sea based in a safety boat independent of the following safety structure. Each service is responsible for providing the necessary safety boats and qualified crews (first aid) for their team. Sailors will be paired and will sail together. A dedicated safety boat will support each pair. A land based support crew, with spare boards/sails and sailors, if necessary, will support each team and meet at each staging point around the Island. ; The Intent
Each service will provide the appropriately selected and trained sailors, suitable equipment and safety cover for their team. Teams can choose how to complete the challenge either with individual efforts or as a relay. There will be water based support crew/safety and a mobile land based support crew with spare equipment for each team. The overall challenge coordinators will be the ASA(W) Committee. ; Around the Isle of Wight
To windsurf across the English Channel is 22 miles across the wind and so averaging 15 knots would take less than 90 minutes. To windsurf from Dublin to Anglesey is 55 miles downwind and would take just over 3 hours. To circumnavigate the Isle of Wight, although the circumference is 58 miles, requires the challenger to sail on every point of the wind, combat very strong tides and infamous sea states. Therefore, the minimum distance is estimated to be at least 100 miles. In addition, having to beat upwind and sail off the wind the average speed will be lower than across the wind sailing so depending on the actual distance covered, wind and tide the challenge could take over 10 hours. The Isle of Wight has been circumnavigated by a windsurfer before, but never on the scale proposed nor with the additional challenge of working together as a team.
