Motorcycle accident news
28/03/2007

Disabled men prepare for yacht race

A man who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident is preparing to tackle a gruelling sailing trip along with two other disabled adventurers.

The 53-year-old potter was forced to have his left leg amputated following the motorbike crash on the Isle of Skye in April 2006 but has refused to let the incident dampen his spirits and is now accompanying two friends on the tough North Sea Yacht Race from Norway to Scotland.

Between them the group only have three hands and three feet but are looking forward to the trip with relish and are hoping to raise at least £5,000 for charity.

The other two members of the crew are a 46-year-old woodworker who was born without fingers on one hand and a 37-year-old who had his hands and feet amputated after suffering horrific frostbite during a mountaineering disaster in the Alps.

The voyage will take three days and the money raised will be donated to charities helping people from developing countries who have lost limbs in motorcycle accidents and other tragic incidents.

The trio's yacht has been named Mrs Chippy after the cat that accompanied Ernest Shackleton on his 1914 Antarctic expedition and special handholds and ropes have been fitted to the boat to make handling her easier for the crew.

A spokesman from BP365, the motorcycle accident personal injury compensation claim experts, said, "It takes real guts to undertake a voyage like this and we wish these three men the very best of luck."