Superyacht superheroes brave adverse weather conditions for a great cause

Ask yourself this - Could you spend 24 hours in a life raft, in the chilly Solent strait which separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England?

Albert McIlroy, one of the superyacht industry’s most memorable figures is doing just that! Having spent the last 20 years working as an owners representative, project manager, chief engineer, build engineer, systems controller and specification reviewer, there isn’t really a lot he doesn’t know about engineering on refit and new build constructions. But will this help him endure the inhospitable conditions the team will face when they set sail at 3pm today?

Yachting Pages media group met with Albert at Pinmar Golf Tournament last week in an emotional reunion for James Williams who last saw Albert in Antigua in 2007. It was then that Albert informed us about the first ever team from the superyacht industry participating in the Sail 4 Cancer life raft challenge.

The team are spending 24 hours in a life raft in the Solent to raise money for this fantastic charity and for those of you not familiar with this challenging location, the weather is reported to include rain, wind, more wind and knowing the UK, possibly some more rain!

Lizette Van Niekerk has worked with Ocean Safety to provide life rafts and wet weather gear, so hopefully they will be ready to face anything that is thrown at them.

Sail 4 Cancer provide those with cancer, or families and carers of those affected by the disease with an opportunity to spend an enjoyable day sailing. £20,000 provides 200 people with a chance to experience a day of sailing and provide a degree of relief and enjoyment away from grave medical concerns.

We implore anyone within the industry to follow this link and make a donation to the Superyacht 60/40 crew and show industry support for an amazing cause.