Phil at the wheel of Liberty

You may have seen Major Phil Packer on the national news or in the papers recently. Phil was injured in Iraq last year and, following his rehab, has devoted much of his time to raising £1 million for the Help 4 Heroes charity by undertaking as many and as varied sporting challenges as he can.  When I heard of Phil, I contacted him and suggested he might like to come out for a blast in my powerboat. After a week of balmy warm weather with light breezes, yesterday it all changed and decided to blow a NW force 6.  Once in the lee of the land, we managed to open her up off Calshot Spit hitting 30 mph but coming back was a bumpy and rather wet affair.  So we went to the upper reaches of the Hamble where the sea state was much calmer. For more details on Phil and his magnificent efforts, visit www.philpacker.com  Fortunately, he's recovered some motor movement in his legs so he's planning to do the London marathon next month.  At 2 miles a day, it's going to take him a while.  Any potential sponsors, contact him through his website.

After 10 days at sea, my friend Sarah Outen www.sarahouten.co.uk effectively rowed a huge circle and is now back where she started from in Freemantle Australia.  Calling it her "warm up lap" and not in the least bit downhearted, Sarah is hoping to head off again soon on her attempt to row the Indian Ocean. A magnificent challenge if ever there was one.

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