There she blows, to steer round British coast

Published on Monday 16 June 2008 21:14

IT IS a task that would test the skills of even the most experienced and able-bodied sailor, but yesterday, in a yacht steered by her own breath, Hilary Lister embarked on a voyage to become the first quadriplegic sailor to circumnavigate Britain.

Five years after her first sailing trip dispelled recurring thoughts of suicide, Mrs Lister, who is paralysed from the neck, set sail from Dover on the first leg of a voyage that is expected to last several months and inspire many whose bodies have become a prison.

The 35-year-old former chemist will trim the sails and steer the rudder on the yacht, an Artemis 20, by blowing or sucking into a series of three straws connected to a computer control panel that will send electronic messages to motors connected to the sails and rudder.

Cheered on by friends and family, Mrs Lister's yacht was towed out of Dover harbour to open water and her sails were opened with the help of her support crew.

She was expected to arrive at her first destination of Eastbourne in East Sussex at about midnight.

She has spent the past six months preparing for the trip, which has been plagued by technical problems during its latter stages.

Mrs Lister, from Canterbury in Kent, planned to leave a week ago, but problems with the boat's electronics set her back, before the mast broke.

Before setting off, however, Mrs Lister was confident that nothing else could go wrong. She said: "We've broken everything that can be broken, and everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong, so we've got to be okay now."

She added that she was experiencing a mixture of emotions at the challenge ahead of her.

"I feel excited, nervous and scared. I'm just desperate to get started now though," she added.

The Power Assist System that controls the boat works by her sipping or puffing down a straw. This activates pressure-sensitive switches that send commands to the system's electronics.

One straw is dedicated to the helm (steering controls), while the other two straws work together to operate other functions on the boat.

The default setting is to control the main winch, which in turn controls the main sail, but by using two straws in combination, she can control other functions, including the sail trim and autopilot.

Using this combination, Mrs Lister can sail in the same way as any other mariner. The control computer and its graphic displays are housed in a watertight module mounted in front of her, like the instrument panel on a car dashboard.

The sail is expected to take 12 weeks and will cover the Irish Sea, the North Sea and the Channel.

Tony Leppard, the project director, said the stretch of the journey that is likely to be the most challenging is the north Cornish coastline. He said: "The coast there, if not exactly treacherous, will definitely be the most difficult."

He 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.

"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."

Mrs Lister's support team includes four wet crew led by Toby May and three shore crew, while Mr Leppard will provide remote assistance.

Through her challenge, Mrs Lister hopes to raise money for her charity, Hilary's Dream Trust, which aims to facilitate the sailing ambitions of disadvantaged adults and those with disabilities.

Mr Leppard added: "She really is quite a fearless lady. It is quite amazing what she is doing."

PROFILE

HILARY Lister was not born quadriplegic. At the age of 11 she was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which meant that, over the years, she lost the use of almost all of her body, leaving her in incredible pain.

A determined individual, she studied biochemistry at Jesus College, Oxford, receiving a high 2.1 degree, despite having to dictate her papers flat on her back with an epidural drip in her spine.

Tempted in her darkest moments to end her pain and suffering, an introduction to sailing in 2003 transformed her life. In 2005, she made history by becoming the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel.

She said: "When I'm sailing I go into a different world... it's like flying."