Finishing The Dream: Another first for Geoff Holt

It’s not about coping with disability; it’s about finding the reserves we all have to achieve our goals in spite of it.”

said Geoff Holt MBE DL as he announced his latest ambitious sailing challenge entitled “Finishing The Dream.”

Four decades after his life-changing accident in the Caribbean, Seventeen years after his trail-blazing voyage around Britain and fifteen years after his solo TransAtlantic voyage in Impossible Dream, the multi-award-winning quadriplegic sailor and Wetwheels founder is set to circumnavigate the UK again – this time in the first-ever Wetwheels wheelchair-accessible power catamaran!

 

What is the Finishing The Dream Challenge?

Throughout May and June 2024, Geoff plans to visit approximately 17 harbours and ports, covering a distance of 1,750 miles. A voyage set to be a significant step forward in making sailing and the sea more accessible to people with major disabilities.

“Finishing The Dream” is more than just a challenging sailing expedition; it’s a testament to the power of human spirit and the importance of inclusivity in the sailing community. As Geoff sets out on this new journey, he not only aims to complete his personal dream but also to open new horizons for individuals with disabilities, proving once again that the sea knows no barriers.

“It’s getting people out, particularly those with profound, complex disabilities, from environments where they may be in sensory rooms or not normally leave their hospice or their medical setting, out on a powerboat and giving them the most amazing opportunities.”

“Finishing The Dream” is thus not just a sequel to Geoff’s previous adventures but an evolution, encapsulating the progression of his personal journey and his broader mission to make sailing accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical abilities.

Preparations and Planning

It was at the Southampton International Boat Show 2021 whilst celebrating  WetWheels’ 10th anniversary that Geoff  first announced his project entitled “Finishing the Dream” to enable the exciting expansion plans he had for The WetWheels Foundation.

His plan is to increase the number of WetWheels’ specially-built, fully-accessible powerboats to ten by 2026 which would allow up to 100,000 participants to enjoy the life-changing experience of sailing around Britain.

 

 

 

 

Geoff unveiled a sneak preview of his plans for “Finishing The Dream” on the main stage of BoatLife at NEC Birmingham, in 2024 whilst the official launch event happened 14 March 2024 at Dover. The revamped Wetwheels vessel, a 9m Cheetah catamaran, was showcased, symbolising a new era of inclusive sailing.

 

 

 

“I promise you, it looks stunning. If I say the control centre of Star Trek: Enterprise, you might get an idea of what it’s going to look like!”

Finishing The Dream of taking Wetwheels around the UK on a circumnavigation has already gained sponsorship support of: Stelios Philanthropic Foundation; Raymarine – a supporter of Geoff’s since his ‘around the Isle of Wight voyage in 1992; Hugh James law firm; Cheetah Marine and the RS Marine Group; RS Electric Boats; Henri Lloyd another long time supporter of Geoff’s since 1992; plus other supporters including Cory Yachts, SeaSure, PSI Marine, Icom UK, Scanstrut, Pol Roger Champagne, Swatcom, Global Philanthropic, Dowset Smith Design, Baltic Exchange Charitable Foundation and PredictWind.

 

 

 

 

The Finishing The Dream Challenge Route and lessons learned from previous challenges.

The Finishing The Dream Challenge is set to begin on 13th May from Tower Bridge, London,  where Lord Mayor of London Michael Mainelli will “do the honours” from St Katharine’s Dock and the 9m Cheetah catamaran will set off on its journey of 1,500 miles around the UK coastline travelling ‘westabout’ along the South coast, up the West coast, over the top of Scotland via Cape Wrath and back down the East coast over a 4-6 week timeframe

Scheduled visits include:
London (St Katharine’s Dock), Dover, Portsmouth, Torbay, Falmouth, Dale, Holyhead, Belfast, Tobermory, Stornoway, Scrabster, Peterhead, Edinburgh, North Shields, Whitby, Lowestoft, London

Reflecting on his previous experiences, Geoff acknowledges the challenges faced during his last circumnavigation and the importance of a realistic timescale, a lesson learned the hard way during his ‘personal Everest’ of sailing 1,445 miles, solo, around Great Britain.

“This time I won’t be in a 15ft dinghy getting soaking wet and cold. At least I’ll be in a big Wetwheels power catamaran!”

“Knowing the challenges that lay ahead, this will be the most daring and demanding project I have ever undertaken. I have been in a wheelchair for 40 years this year, although wiser and more experienced, my body is not as forgiving as it once was. The 1,500 mile journey will be a test for not only my physical endurance but also a mental challenge as I juggle the logistics of navigating through some of the most dangerous and congested waters in the world. 

“Only when I cross the finish line back in London and we hit our fundraising targets, I will allow myself to relax. Meanwhile, I look forward to another amazing journey around our beautiful country and meeting friends old and new. Hopefully, by demonstrating that a quadriplegic, 40 years paralysed from the chest down, still has the ability to achieve his dreams will inspire more disabled people to find out about Wetwheels and support the amazing work we do.”

A £1.2 Million Fundraising Task for Wetwheels: The Driving Force

Wetwheels is a national charity, of which Geoff is founder and a trustee with each operator being a social enterprise. Each Wetwheels Cheetah catamaran costs around £250,000, plus £100,000 a year to run.

Currently there are seven existing Wetwheels locations in: Edinburgh, Scotland; Whitby, Yorkshire; Dover; Jersey, Channel Islands; Portsmouth; Hamble; Falmouth and another one to be launched in Torbay, South Devon in Spring 2024. Geoff is keen to create further Wetwheels boat bases in: Northern Ireland; East Coast; South Wales; and an ‘Outreach vessel to complete the UK WetWheels fleet with 12 boats across the country as this would mean that no disabled person is more than an hour away from a WetWheels vessel and able to experience the thrill of the sea.

“You can do the maths, it’s not cheap…Finishing the dream is to find a way to acquire these final four boats….Slowly, over the years, we’ve started to build the network but there are gaps. By the time I write our 20-year anniversary update, hopefully our fleet will be twice the size and will be renamed the Wetwheels Navy!” 

Personal Challenge and Overcoming Barriers:

Geoff’s early adventures, including his groundbreaking solo circumnavigation around Great Britain in “Freethinker” and his transatlantic voyage in the “Impossible Dream,” were driven by personal challenges and the desire to overcome the limitations imposed by his quadriplegia.

These expeditions were not just about sailing; they were about proving to himself and the world that severe disability does not stop people from achieving great things. “Finishing The Dream” continues this narrative, with Geoff taking on another challenging voyage but with the added dimension of promoting inclusivity and accessibility.

 

 “I’ve spent most of my life in a wheelchair, the last 40 years or so, with a severe disability. But yachting and sailing is something that’s incredibly important to me and I’ve been very fortunate to do a number of adventures. I’ve sailed around Great Britain in a little dinghy, I’ve sailed the Atlantic Ocean a couple of years after that and I’m very fortunate to be able to go sailing as much as I can through a number of charities.” 

From Personal Empowerment to Collective Accessibility

Geoff Holt’s journey from promising young sailor to record-breaking quadriplegic athlete has redefined what’s possible for disabled individuals on the water. His journey to date has been nothing short of inspiring and his latest endeavour is a testament to his never-give-up attitude and his commitment to changing perceptions about sailing and disability.

As Dame Ellen McArthur once wrote to Geoff:

“Your voyage was nothing short of exceptional, but to me that journey is simply a reflection of you.” – Dame Ellen McArthur

 

Geoff Holt’s life and work continue to inspire many, not just within the sailing community, but also in wider discussions about disability, resilience, and the power of pursuing one’s passions against all odds. His story exemplifies how challenges can be transformed into opportunities for advocacy, innovation, and inspiration. Initially, Geoff’s sailing pursuits were focused on personal milestones however, over time, they have increasingly centred on community and inclusivity.

In 2007, Geoff completed a pioneering solo circumnavigation of Great Britain in his 15ft small dinghy, Freethinker, braving the elements and setting a new precedent for what disabled sailors could achieve. This journey was more than a personal challenge; it was a statement to the world that disability does not define one’s capabilities, as highlighted by HRH The Princess Royal:

 

“To sail around Great Britain is a massive achievement for even the hardiest of sailors. To do so when paralysed from the chest down, sailing a 15-foot dinghy 1,500 miles during one of the worst summers on records, not only demonstrated his determination and sailing skill but was testament to his ability to conceive and execute a complex expedition. It was a tremendously courageous voyage – but typical of Geoff… Personal Everest has not only inspired a new generation of disabled sailors in this country. It has demonstrated to everyone that disability need not be a barrier to achieving your dream.”

Following this, Geoff continued to break barriers, becoming the first quadriplegic to captain a boat across the Atlantic Ocean, a feat that garnered international recognition and solidified his status as a leading figure in adaptive sailing.

Whilst initially, his dream might have been to sail despite his disability. Now, it encompasses empowering others to experience the same freedom and joy he finds on the water, thereby finishing not just his dream but also facilitating the dreams of countless others.This project is not just about completing a circumnavigation; it’s about creating a lasting legacy that will continue to empower and inspire long after Geoff’s voyage is completed.

“Being on the water, and the freedom you get from it, everything you hear, see, smell is something I want to share with everyone in a safe, inspiring way.”

To support this mission, the Finishing The Dream Challenge also has an Education Area  and Geoff has been working with local schools such as Lady Joanna Primary School where two of their pupils asked Geoff the hard hitting questions to learn more about Finishing The Dream and Geoff himself. The school is producing educational packs for schools to use during the challenge. Giving schools and home educators KS1 &KS2 curriculum packs for each of our stops, which will be available on the Finishing The Dream website.

 

 

 

Technological and Conceptual Development

Geoff’s sailing adventures have mirrored the evolution of accessible sailing technologies and concepts. From the 15ft dinghy of his first circumnavigation to the wheelchair-accessible 60ft catamaran Impossible Dream and now to the custom WetWheels power catamaran, each voyage has leveraged advancements in design and technology to make sailing more inclusive. “Finishing The Dream” builds on this legacy, using the latest in accessible boat technology to safely navigate the UK’s waters.

“The biggest challenge I face is holding on and making sure I can still navigate the boat. But I’ve sailed a big boat in those conditions before in my wheelchair when I sailed the Atlantic. It’s so rough and very uncomfortable but I’m capable of enduring it,”

Finishing The Dream – Team

 

Geoff will Captain the vessel, supported by co-pilot James Dunn and technician Sam Taylor-Nobbs.  In addition to his crew on board, Geoff will have a shore team, including his wife, Elaine, and a wheelchair accessible motorhome, a regular motorhome and another vehicle travelling around the UK.

Geoff openly admits that he has only had the quality of life he has had because of the care and support needed for someone with a high-level spinal cord injury has been provided by wife Elaine for four decades.

“Make no mistake. No story about me can be told without mentioning Elaine. She is the real hero, not me… There are not enough words in the English dictionary to express how lucky I feel to have that unconditional love and support.”

 

James Dunn 

James’s connection to the water is deeply ingrained in his very being, touching every corner of his existence. His honeymoon was a serene journey through the stunning landscapes of the Caledonian Canal, a reflection of his personal joys and professional ambitions. In December 2021, James took the helm at Wetwheels South East, dividing his time between steering the boats and overseeing operations from behind a desk.

 

With a commendable 15 years dedicated to Kent Search and Rescue and NSARDA Kent, James’s contribution to voluntary and charity work is significant. Even after stepping back from Search and Rescue, his commitment to maritime safety didn’t wane; he joined RNLI Dover as a Deputy Launch Authority, upholding his dedication to community service at sea.

 

 

James’s love for the sea permeates his family life too. As a father to Ethan, Lucas, and William, he fosters an enthusiasm for aquatic adventures and a spirit of exploration in his sons. The boys are frequently seen assisting on the boat during peak seasons, living embodiments of their family’s bond and heritage, and savouring the invaluable moments spent navigating the waters with their father.

 

 

 

Samuel Taylor-Nobbs

Sam holds the esteemed position of being one of the original directors of Wetwheels South East CIC, a role he cherishes deeply.

In addition to his contributions at Wetwheels, Sam serves as the Sales Director for Icom UK Ltd. Since its establishment in 1974, Icom has been a leader in delivering top-notch Marine, Aviation, Amateur, PMR, Satellite, and 3/4G LTE two-way radios, catering to a diverse range of customers from business sectors to leisure and hobby enthusiasts.

From a young age, Sam ventured into the world of yachting, earning his stripes as a yacht skipper. He has competed in numerous sailing competitions globally and has successfully completed yacht deliveries across the Northern hemisphere. Today, he remains passionately involved in sailing, actively participating in yacht and dinghy races throughout the UK. Sam’s personal life is anchored by his family. He is happily married to Paula, and together they have two grown children: Ellie, who has carved out a career as an Event Manager in the hospitality sector, and Max, who follows the call of the sea as a 2nd Officer in the Merchant Navy, having been sponsored as a cadet by Trinity House.

Allan 

Allan plays a crucial role in the Finishing The Dream Challenge shore team and will stay in Kent throughout the event as the “indispensable voice of reason.”

In the face of challenges, it’s common for emotions to potentially cloud judgment. Allan’s responsibility to make the final call on the sea expeditions ensures that rationality prevails over emotion.

As one of the original founders of Wetwheels South East, Allan has a unique connection to the area, having been the last known person born in Dover Castle. With over 50 years of experience in both sailing and powerboating, his expertise is unparalleled.

Additionally, Allan contributes his skills as one of the skippers for Wetwheels South East, further cementing his vital role within the organisation.

Elspeth Dunn 

Elspeth, who is James’s wife, shared her honeymoon with him, journeying through the serene waters of the Caledonian Canal.

She has had extensive involvement with an independent lifeboat crew, as well as her participation in both Mountain Rescue and Lowland Rescue teams.

When reaching out to Wetwheels South East, whether by phone or email, Elspeth is often the first point of contact. She is as comfortable managing the office as she is being part of the crew on the boat.

Throughout the Finishing The Dream Challenge, Elspeth will be behind the wheel of one of the Motorhomes. She will also play a key role in keeping everyone informed about the latest happenings through updates across various social media platforms.

 

Paul Higgs 

Paul became a part of the RNLI family seven years ago, initially serving as a roving mechanic who lent his expertise to stations in need of a permanent mechanic.

Eventually, Paul found his place at the Dover Station. It was during this period that he, along with his partner Michelle, began volunteering with the Wetwheels South East crew. By the close of the 2023 season, Paul had earned his commercial skipper’s license.

In the upcoming Finishing The Dream Challenge, Paul will take on the crucial role of overseeing the boat’s readiness at each port, ensuring it is properly serviced and refuelled for the next leg of the journey. Additionally, he will be navigating one of our motorhomes, facilitating smooth transitions between ports.

 

 

Kris 

As Geoff’s primary caregiver, Kris will focus on maintaining Geoff’s health and comfort throughout the challenge and serve as one of the drivers for the motorhomes needed for the Finishing The Dream Challenge.

Follow Geoff’s journey on social media :

• Facebook: Geoff Holt MBE DL 
• Facebook Finishing The Dream 
• X or Twitter: Geoff Holt
• X or Twitter: Finishing The Dream 
• YouTube: Finishing The Dream 
• TikTok: Finishing The Dream 
• Instagram: Finishing The Dream 
• LinkedIn: Finishing The Dream
• LinkedIn: Geoff Holt

Learn More about Geoff Holt MBE, DL

Early Life: 30,000+ nautical miles sailed

Geoffrey Trevor Marden Holt MBE, DL  was born on the 24 February 1966 in Farlington, Portsmouth, Hampshire.to Patricia “Patti” Hoad, a 21-year-old ambitious model and Miss Southsea beauty queen, and haulage contractor Robin Haud. Named after an uncle who had been killed in a motorcycling accident at the tender age of 18, Geoff, and older brother Richard (born 1963) were both mainly looked after by their beloved Nana Harriet in St David’s Portsmouth and a variety of family friends who supported her. By 1970, Patti was divorced and re-married to John Holt – a successful who became an influential figure in Geoff’s later life and Geoff’s half-sister Lucy arrived shortly after in December 1971. Patti remarried again

Renowned for being the first quadriplegic to sail solo around Great Britain. A professional motivational speaker, author, and advocate for disabled sailing, Geoff’s career both before and after his paralysis highlights significant contributions to the sailing world and the broader community of people with disabilities.

His connection to the sea and sailing began at an early age, marking the onset of what would become a lifelong passion and vocation. Growing up, Geoff was drawn to the water, finding both solace and excitement in the undulating waves and the call of the sea breeze. His early experiences aboard sailboats ignited a deep-seated love for sailing, a passion that would define his identity and future endeavours.

 

 

Geoff Holt’s early life on the water set a foundational stone for what would become a series of remarkable achievements. From a young age, sailing was not just a hobby but a way of life for Geoff, ingrained in his identity and aspirations. Geoff always had a promising future in sailing – he had already established himself as a competent and passionate sailor having already crossed the Atlantic Ocean three times and completed several solo voyages by the time he was 18 – logging over 30,000 nautical miles. The strapping 6ft3 teenager was full of joie de vie, an enjoyable and lucrative career as a charter boat captain clearly in front of him.

“I first visited the British Virgin Islands when I was 17 back in 1984. My friend Sean was working on the island of Tortola for a chap called Tony Snell at his quirky restaurant called The Last Resort. I gave up my job in England, bought a one way ticket from a bucket shop in Covent Garden and flew via Puerto Rico to Tortola. I didn’t have far to walk, the Last Resort was at the end of the runway! I worked for Tony for 6 months, waiting tables by night, fixing boats during the day earning good money, supplemented by selling bags of ice and collecting bags of rubbish from the charter boats moored in the bay.  Sundays were spent trying to spend our dollars, hiring jeeps, lobster dinners, brandy and Benedictine cocktails around Treasure Isle hotel pool. I left by yacht that summer, sailing back across the Atlantic to France.”

A life-changing accident at 18

“I was working in the Caribbean on a yacht that had just been around the world… That’s when my interest was excited and I had this little plan that two or three years later I would join a boat and do it myself…It was not long until I returned to Tortola to work on a beautiful charter yacht based at Nanny Cay …I was working in the Caribbean on a yacht that had just been around the world. That’s when my interest was excited and I had this little plan that two or three years later I would join a boat and do it myself… The excitement didn’t last long. Within 12 hours of being on island, I had gone for a swim in Cane Garden Bay… I just ran down the beach until the water got to my knees, dived forward and hit my head on the sand. I dived too steeply and bang, from that moment I could never walk again,

Following his shallow diving accident in the Caribbean Sea in 1984, Geoff’s dreams of a professional sailing career were shattered. He broke the sixth vertebra down his spine, below the neck which resulted in quadriplegia: paralysis of all four limbs – both arms and both legs.

“The thought of being unable to sail after my accident when I was 18 years old was almost too much to bear. Sailing wasn’t part of my life, it was my life. The real magic happens out there, over the horizon. Only offshore can you truly get to understand the magnificence of the ocean, the wildlife, the infinite skies, the sensory overload from a breaking wave; on the one hand the feeling of insignificance as a human being, a mere dot on the ocean, countered by this overwhelming sense of being alive, at one with nature. It’s a very private and emotional feeling that I only feel when at sea.”

Far from succumbing to despair, he embraced a new life trajectory with remarkable courage and determination, spending 11 months in Odstock hospital in Wiltshire, sharing a ward with three boys of similar age and with similar injuries as part of his rehabilitation. Geoff was one of the first patients to be cared for at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre, now supported by SSIT, at Salisbury District Hospital when it opened (Geoff has been a patron since 2010)

“When you’re in hospital for a year, it’s a long time to be lying on your back. I yearned to see sky, to have fresh air, to hear birds singing. Hospital can be lonely and depressing – you need an organisation like Southern Spinal Injuries Trust (SSIT), to come in and make things a little bit more bearable…”

When Geoff was in hospital, there was very little support for patients and his parents had to bring their own TV from home for him to watch. Geoff spent a lot of his time charming his nurse (later wife), Elaine, into leaving hospital with him once his treatment was complete. Elaine and Geoff married in 1987.

Upon leaving hospital, Geoff knew he wanted a career. With very few O Levels, he knew had to re-train to be employable so he took the initiative to study a computer course. Upon completion and a successful interview, he was taken on by an international firm of chartered accountants, Deloitte and in 1987-8 he won what would be the first of many national awards – the national Total Ability Award

“in recognition of his outstanding determination to discover, develop and apply his  many talents, thereby encouraging others to reach out beyond their handicap and have acces to education in the same ways as the rest of the community.”

Being his first job as a disabled person, Geoff was unsure what to expect at Deloitte, but he need not have worried.

“I was given my own office, my own telephone with a direct extension, a computer and even my own secretary. But most importantly I was accepted as just another member of staff. There was not one occasion when my disability caused a problem for my employers and that gave me a huge sense of comfort and security within the firm.”

Geoff continued to climbed the ranks until he was Head of Marketing for Southern England (which happened within five years) and he spent twelve years leading the marketing department of what is now one of the largest professional services networks in the world.

He later graduated from Solent University in Southampton as a mature student with a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Arts Valuation, Antiques and Decorative Arts,  Regarded as the centre of excellence for anyone wishing to gain a professionally recognised qualification and enter the Fine Art world of Auctioneering and Valuation, Geoff became a qualified auctioneer and valuer specialising in early European ceramics in 1997.

Helped by his nurse Elaine – later to become his wife –  Geoff  has often spoken openly about how he came to terms with his long recuperation, and diminished physical capabilities. Such was the emotional damage of accepting he could no longer sail able-bodied, it took Geoff seven years to return to his first love of sailing.

“I refused to look at a boat, it was like a bereavement. It was like my life had been taken away from me.”

and eventually he came to terms with his new life of quadriplegia

“You’ve just got to accept there are things you can do and things you can’t. It’s absolutely pointless whingeing about what you can’t do. You have to look at your capabilities and secure objectives and goals. Small steps – metaphorically anyway.”

 

Geoff’s first adventure back into the water came seven years after a chance encounter with Diane “Tid” Campbell who was cared for by Elaine and whom Geoff had met before his accident in the Caribbean. Tid remembered Geoff as a kind-hearted teenager who  had worked in one of the restaurants she regularly visited. Geoff had helped to carry her frail body, cruelly twisted by a mixture of chronic rheumatoid athritis and a rare condition known as Still’s disease, up the stairs whenever she visited the establishment.

She struck up an easy friendship with the couple and whilst working with boat designer Reg White, Tid had created a new type of boat that could be solo-sailed by someone with a disability – the Mark 2 Challenger, a modified version of the Challenger trimaran.

“The first one arrives in Southampton next week, I’ve phoned the BBC and they’re sending a film crew to record you taking her out.”

It was Tid’s sister who offered the money to buy Geoff his first accessible boat – a 15-foot Challenger Trimaran dinghy, as long as it was named Billy in memory of her late son, who passed away in his early thirties after a brief fight with cancer.

“I decided I was mentally ready to try (sailing) again, but I was terrified because I’d never sailed as a disabled person…  When I got in that dinghy and watched my empty wheelchair on the pontoon grow smaller and smaller I felt truly independent for the first time since the accident… I soon realised that I should have been doing it all the time!”

“You steer with the back of one hand and pull the rope in with your teeth to make it go faster. I absolutely loved it. I looked back and saw my wheelchair on the pontoon, and it was almost as if I’d left my disability behind me. When I was on the boat I didn’t feel disabled. I realised then that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. For the rest of my life I’m going to sail.”

Geoff started immediately started planning his first adventure back into the water. A year later, in 1992, he managed to sail around the Isle of Wight in 14 hours.

“I’ve always looked for something a bit more adventurous than just pottering around in the Solent so one day I decided to sail around the Isle of Wight – it seemed like an easy thing when I first thought of it.”

During the trip he suffered from exposure due to constant sea spray and wind blowing in his face, and dehydration from struggling to eat, drink and sail at the same time. Fortunately he managed to avoid his greatest fear – pressure sores caused by being seated for too long. These can be painful and in some cases even life-threatening. 

Happily Geoff’s efforts raised £10,000 for the Seamanship Foundation but “it was seeing the pleasure that it gave Tid which was my greatest reward.” he admitted.

“The Challenger dinghy had not only given me back sailing, but out on the water it provided me with a means for my mind to escape the difficulties of everyday life as a disabled person. Were it not for Tid and her ambition to develop a boat exactly for that purpose, my life would have been much the poorer.” He wrote in his autobiography, Walk on Water, 2008.

After achieving so much himself, Geoff decided it was time to reach out to other aspiring sailors. By 1995 the newly-formed charity RYA SailAbility invited Geoff to be its chair, representing half a dozen club and 60 – 70 people. Geoff was incredibly rare in that he had experience of sailing from both an able-bodied and disabled perspective and was able to become a skilful translator between these two worlds. By 2007, RYA SailAbility had grown rapidly and represented over 200+ clubs and 20,000 people with diverse disabilities including physic to mental, genetic to acquired. (Geoff remains a SailAbility Ambassador and RYA council member.)

 

 

 

Having circumnavigated sixty miles around the Isle of Wight in fourteen hours in 1992, and learned a number of lessons from the experience, Geoff decided to try again in 1997 – this time he completed it in less than eight hours.

It was completing these two trips around the Isle of Wight that gave Geoff both confidence and understanding of what his brain, body and boat could endure.

“I wanted to show people that even if they are in a wheelchair they don’t need to be limited. I drive a car and I sail a boat, I’ve found a way to get my life back and I want other people to realise they can do the same.”

By the mid-90s Geoff sat on the RYA Council representing disabled sailors, the UK’s delegate on the world disabled sailing group and chairing a committee which would be choosing the UK’s sailors for an Olympiad. By accident, or good fortune Geoff was at the hub of knowledge and understanding of disabled in the UK.

When Tid Campbell tragically passed away, Geoff committed himself to his next sailing challenging –  managing the whole of the British coastline in a succession of 40-mile sails.

A landmark achievement: First quadriplegic to sail solo around Great Britain

“I had started thinking about sailing around Great Britian in my trimaran dinghy as early as 2004.” wrote Geoff in Walk on Water, after hearing the sad news of the untimely passing of one of his childhood friends, Simon.

“I started thinking about regret, but try as I might I couldn’t think of any – well, not any major ones. But there was one thing I’d love to achieve. Not so much a regret as a “Wouldn’t it be great if…” and that was the idea of sailing round Great Britain on my own.”

“I slowly put the bones of a plan together… to prove to myself that as a disabled yachtsman I could still do all those amazing things that I couldn’t do before my accident in 1984, but it was also absolutely a team effort…. In the document files on my computer I created a folder named Personal Everest – the ultimate challenge.”

 

In 2007, Geoff Holt achieved what many thought impossible: he became the first quadriplegic to sail solo around Great Britain in his 15 ft Challenger trimaran dinghy, the aptly-named Freethinker. This was a feat that not only challenged the boundaries of sailing but also redefined the perceptions of disability. This monumental journey was not just a personal challenge; it was a statement, a beacon of hope, and a source of inspiration for countless individuals facing their own battles, both on and off the water.

“Personal Everest was my project to become the first disabled person to sail single-handed around the UK. The journey itself was, and will remain, the most amazing thing I have ever done in my life. In a series of  sails, I visited 51 harbours around the UK and I sailed my tiny 15ft trimaran dinghy 1,500 miles.”

What a “Personal Everest” it was. This was an immense feat which was not just physically demanding; the logistics and infrastructure behind it were also mammoth.

Preparation and Determination

“It was an incredible journey, 51 starts, 51 stops, 110 days travelling around the country, going to some quite amazing places – amazingly beautiful as well. The further North you get, the scenery and the people are just remarkable.”

Geoff’s journey began long before he set sail from the Hamble, Hampshire. The preparation involved extensive planning, from adapting the 15ft trimaran dinghy Freethinker to meet his unique needs, to mapping out the 1,500-mile route that would take him around the British coastline.

I used a  large scale road atlas and a pair of compass dividers because I didn’t have the right charts available ..Southampton westward, towards Lands End, up the Irish Sea and the Welsh Coast, across to the Isle of Man, straight up to Scotland weaving a route between the Western Isles before rounding Cape Wrath at the top, crossing the Pentland Firth and then turning and heading South through the North Sea, down the East Coast, before coming back along the West Coast…. In the document files on my computer I created a folder called Personal Everest…and on a scrap of paper I began to draft a timetable. 

 

This preparation was critical, as Geoff would need to navigate the unpredictable British weather and the challenging waters, all while managing his physical limitations. Despite the daunting nature of the task ahead, Geoff’s determination was unwavering. His previous experiences, including crossing the Atlantic and sailing over 30,000 nautical miles, had prepared him for this moment. Yet, this was a challenge of a different nature, one that would test his resilience, stamina, and spirit. By Spring 2006 he was ready for the first big decision that had to be made:

Assuming she agreed to me going ahead, the first decision was whether Elaine would be coming with me or not… It was also essential we were back in the first week of September for Timothy who, being five, would be obliged to start school.

Elaine’s response was quite relaxed and Geoff admitted that he didn’t think she had “fully understood the monster I was about to unleash,” (but then perhaps neither did he!)

A chance meeting at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in 1998 on the eve of RYA Sailability’s first major fundraising dinner led notable yachtsman Sir Peter Harrison CBE, ex-CEO of Chernikeeff  to become a good friend of Geoff’s and perhaps the greatest philanthropist for disability support the UK has ever seen. Peter credits the set up of the Peter Harrison Foundation to being inspired by Geoff and it has awarded thousands of grants to hundreds of charities totalling well over £50 million to disability sport since it was set up.

With Geoff’s list of “equipment needed,” it was Peter underwrote the cost of Geoff’s motorhome which comprised about a third of the overall budget, and he also provided a “gruelling interrogation” of Geoff’s original Personal Everest plan. Geoff then approached another friend, Paul Strzelecki, owner of yachting and fashion company Henri Lloyd to sponsor both his and his crew’s clothing needs. Another yes added even more credibility to the project.

After months of planning, and a highly creative marketing campaign Geoff “went public” at the Southampton Boat Show 2006 in partnership with New Forest Sailability. This was an important networking event for Geoff as he met several people including Ian Clover and Mike Golden who helped Geoff sail into history as well as numerous opportunities to discuss the sponsorship he needed from both large and small donors including Fiona Pankhurst from Raymarine, Gecko (a fellow exhibitor at the show who offered Geoff a special helmet to help against the relentless sea spray) and Nigel Craig who invited him to a Trident Group dinner where Geoff met both Dee Caffari and Walter Cha, managing partner of Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons (now Blake Morgan) who became the one of Geoff’s main sponsors.

After much more hard work and planning, Geoff and the Personal Everest team finally reached launch day! The support team included project manager Ian Clover, a Yachtmaster ocean instructor who drove the Everest One RIB with one or two others aboard  “he was my own personal lifeboat” said Geoff.

Geoff also had a Land Rover with a winch and hoist to get Freethinker up slipways and out of harbours, and two motorhomes for the crew, including one for Geoff that was wheelchair accessible, because in many of the places he stopped at there was no other suitable accommodation. Each of these vehicles needed a driver – hence a total team of eight people was involved in Geoff’s challenge to sail around Great Britain including Andy Cockayne, Eddie Edrich, Mike Golden, Elaine Holt (with son Timothy Holt), Mike Spike Spencer and Joel Whalley. Sarah Outen MBE FRGS (the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean and also the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska.) also spent time on Geoff’s support team for the round-GB voyage. 

“It was a huge project and I had lots of sponsors; happily some of those sponsors are still with me today (supporting Geoff’s Finishing The Dream Challenge).”

Circumnavigating Great Britain – The Journey

Geoff launched at 1pm off the pontoon at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Southampton on 14th May 2007, after a farewell reception at the Hamble, attended by hundreds of well-wishers. With a blustery North-westerly breeze hitting 25 knots, Geoff set off on the first leg of his round-Britain challenge with a flotilla of boats following him down the Hamble River and out in to the Solent. His passage was cut short just a few minutes after the start, when the wash from spectator boats caused Geoff’s boat to broach and he was thrown into the sea.

 

 

“Finding yourself thrown into a turbulent and cold sea against your will can be dangerous at the best of times. When you’re quadriplegic…it quickly becomes life-threatening…it becomes something out of your worst nightmare.” Geoff wrote in his autobiography, Walking on Water published 2008

For Geoff, it was a loss of glory, personal integrity and an incident almost led to the loss of his life. Floating face down for more than a minute, his 275 Newton lifejacket failed to inflate and turn him over and he almost drowned before Mike “Spike” Spencer, a member of his support team was able to pull him to safety into the team’s RIB Everest One –  made possible by sponsorship from law firm Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons (now Blake Morgan LLP,) who provided the funds to ensure that Geoff has the necessary back-up team and equipment to make his Personal Everest attempt safe and efficient.

I may have had some ups and downs in my life but without doubt I shall remember Monday 14th May 2007 as the lowest.  Geoff wrote.

Certainly, the deep emotional turmoil Geoff experienced was clear. He had convinced seven others to join as a support crew, leaving their lives behind, and secured funding and equipment from various sponsors, including a major law firm and numerous companies. Despite assurances from others that the failure was not his fault, Geoff felt an overwhelming sense of shame, humiliation, and embarrassment; believing his standing as both a yachtsman and an individual were irreparably damaged. One of Geoff’s suppliers in an attempt to lighten the mood said “If I’d known I was going to spend £3,000 on a funeral, I’d have ordered more champagne!” Reminiscing about the event on Geoff’s facebook page, Tony Leeks said:

“I loved Tim’s greeting after Geoff capsized, “Dad, you’re a rubbish sailor!“

Sadly, due to the press interest Geoff had received, Tim was not the only one who wanted to air his views on Geoff’s misfortune. Online messages boards and websites were soon full of messages, and whilst many full of support, some of the general public left negative reviews anonymously. If Geoff was hurt reading those found on the local Southampton Daily Echo‘s website calling him a “nutter”, a “publicity-obsessed imbecile,” “totally irresponsible,” and telling to “stay at home,” he never showed it. Elaine however struggled to watch the local news footage that evening – the irony that it was filmed by the very crew that had caused the accident was not lost on her or others in the Personal Everest support team. Fortunately,

“‘The rescue drill worked perfectly. They’ve done numerous practices and everyone present saw how well prepared we are.” – A spokesperson for the project said.

Despite Yachting World’s headlines to the contrary, Geoff did not in fact nearly drown due to wearing the wrong kind of trousers. After 5 days of intensive work and pool-testing different options with lifejacket manufacturer Crewsaver to adapt their standard products as well as some additional modifications to Freethinker to improve stability, Geoff resumed his Personal Everest Challenge.

At midday on Sunday 20th May 2007, Geoff was quietly lifted into his boat on the public slipway at Lower Swanwick on the River Hamble, with just a few locals launching dinghies nearby. His second sail down the Hamble within a week had begun, and Geoff approached it with his usual characteristic cheerfulness:

“It was a bright warm spring day… a fantastic day to go sailing!”

After his departure from Royal Southern Yacht Club he followed a light breeze from the North, passing the  South Cardinal marker in Southampton Water at 1705

“We had been waiting for the weather window all week and Ian (Clover) had said we couldn’t start until at least Monday, so there I was, reading the Sunday paper and eating my toast when he arrived with the news that we could finally go!”

 

 

 

 

 

By the time Geoff reached the Solent the wind had dropped and the tide was against him, but he arrived at the Lymington River at 2015 and was met by the Lymington Inshore Lifeboat and the Royal Lymington Yacht Club Committee Boat and a crowd of well-wishers greeted him on the dockside for his first stopover.

This first stopover at Lymington was hugely significant for Geoff for 3 reasons:

Firstly, despite only sailing for about six hours, “it was the longest time I had sat on my bum in a boat for nearly ten years.” and happily he had avoided the one thing likely to scupper his chances of finishing his Personal Everest challenge – pressure sores. Secondly, “it was the first time I had ever slept in a motorhome in my life… and what surprised me more than anything was just how comfortable my bed was!” and thirdly “it was the first time the issue of towing arose – something that was to play on my mind increasingly as the expedition progressed.”

Waiting for safe conditions  

In reality, the 20 knots of wind that had delayed Geoff from sailing on Friday or Saturday was only a taste of what was to come.  Geoff could not have chosen a worst summer to attempt this ambitious project. the bad weather around the British coast greatly hampered his progress. By the half-way point, Geoff had spent 34 days weatherbound in various ports.

“It has been so frustrating spending day after day in a port or campsite just looking at the wind and rain. It is still quite chilly and blustery up here, but we are hoping that as we move down the East Coast the weather will improve further to give us a speedy journey home.”

Interestingly, of the 109 days it took Geoff to get round Great Britain, 56 of them were spent waiting in port for safe conditions.

Safe conditions were categorised by the wind forecast being 17 knots (or Force 4) under and the sea state being suitable. If the wind was over 17 knots, Geoff’s project manager Ian Clover  judged that Geoff would not have enough physical strength to control the boat as, paralysed from the breast-line down, only some of Geoff’s arm muscles work.

“It was very frustrating for us all waiting in ports for the next weather window. We were in Brixham for over a week and in Abersoch for 21 days and just itching to get sailing again.”

Each day that Geoff was able to sail, it took about an hour to get him into his boat and set up to sail, he would set off on passages of 30-40 miles. These were not always day-sails. Often Geoff would leave in the middle of the night to catch a tide.

“At 0430 in the morning it’s horrible. In my boat you’re facing the wind; there’s no shelter. And I’m only a few inches above the water, so within minutes I’d be getting drenched and be intensely cold. If I had to steer hard for hours I would arrive emotionally and physically wrecked.”

The effort involved in sailing the boat was also a feat of determination – Geoff steered Freethinker with the back of his wrist and used the only other two controls – the kicker and the mainsheet – by hauling them in, bit by bit, with his teeth.

Braving the cold 

On some days he would brave the cold and sail for up to ten hours at a time before he had to leave the water. This was because Geoff was (and still is) unable to regulate his body temperature properly. He also always had the fear of getting pressure sores as a result of sitting for long periods of time nagging at the back of my mind.

“I cannot move my fingers, I can barely move my arms…I have about 30% movement in my arms…I can really only sail for 8-10 hours without suffering”

and the perils and difficulties of such a venture for someone with restricted movement were obvious. Geoff could list them with ease:

“Pulling the ropes in with my teeth…the cold, the wet, the fatigue…“

Near disasters included an all-day battle with heavy conditions to Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway, after which Geoff’s hands and gums were bleeding and  he passed out with exhaustion. Geoff’s longest passage was between Peel on the Isle of Man and Portpatrick in Scotland, a distance of 60 miles.

On Day 58: Monday 16th July 2007, Geoff wrote in his blog:

“The sail to Scotland was without doubt the most physically and mentally exhausting of my life. For almost the entire eight hours, I had a stiff Force 4 blowing from behind, with a large rough following sea…It was not pleasurable in any way, just downright scary and in hindsight not a trip I would do again…It required so much concentration I could neither eat or drink the entire journey.”

The rare occurence of a 5-metre basking shark did however bring a brief pause for reflection as it was undoubtedly “one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen at sea.” but,

“Having threaded Freethinker through the narrow harbour entrance, I was so physically and emotionally drained, I collapsed and momentarily lost consciousness… I don’t recall anything about sailing across the harbour and coming ashore on the beach until Elaine lifted my visor, handed me a large mug of whiskey and announced “Welcome to Scotland!”

At the end of each day of sailing, it then took another hour to get Geoff out of the boat and put him and his boat to bed. “The hospitality of life-boating communities all along the route was astounding” and in reality, a lifeboat station and its adjoining land was often the only place to park safely and legally each night, with volunteers often giving invaluable local advice on well-known local hazards.

“The plan was to go over the top, to go over Cape Wrath and the Pentland Firth. 2007 was a particularly bad year so we took the decision to go through the Caledonian Canal, it’s stunningly beautiful.”

Having to hole up at, for 25 days due to bad weather brought near defeat – but despair turned to wonder when Geoff looked at his website.

“I’d been writing a daily diary but had no idea that anyone was taking any notice!”

He then discovered 30,000 hits a day and ecstatic emails from unknown supporters.

“One thing that still surprises me today is all of the sea around Great Britain, on average, the deepest bit is 50-60 metres if you’re lucky. If you go through the middle of Scotland, Loch Ness, it’s 250 metres deep.”

On Day 79, Monday 6th August 2007, he was escorted out of Stonehaven by a fellow trimaran sailor, Jenny and on that day encountered both a minke whale and sailed through a pod of about twenty dolphins leaping and jumping as they headed north.

“I was so close, one of them even knocked the centreboard of my dinghy up as they dived underneath. It was a terrific experience!”

On Day 98, Saturday 25th August 2007 as he approached … he encountered some seals

On his final stage, Geoff was virtually blown home by HM Coastguard’s helicopter Whisky Bravo, almost 23 years to the minute since his disabling accident in 1984.

Geoff hadn’t realised the significance of the date until reporter Danni Sinha, mentioned it during an interview at the Hayling Island Sailing Club on the penultimate day of the challenge.

“It suddenly dawned on me, at the age of eighteen an accident had robbed me of a career in sailing and then 23 years later to the very day, I would affirm myself as a yachtsman in both my own eyes and in the eyes of my peers.”

Completing the Record-Breaking 1,600 mile sail

When Geoff Holt sailed his trimaran into Southampton Water on 5 September 2007,  The River Hamble Harbour Masters sounded a foghorn to mark the event as Geoff set the record for the first disabled sailor to sail around Great Britain. Others took this as permission to join in. As Geoff sailed across the line at 1145, he did so to a cacophony of cheers, sirens, foghorns and hooters by spectator boats.

“For the first few seconds I was dazed…”I’ve done it. I’ve bloody done it!” I said quietly to myself, almost in disbelief…I could see my crew hugging each other, I couldn’t believe it. Together we’d done it!”

Geoff’s first words after completing the record breaking sail were

“I can’t wait to get out of this drysuit!”

Later in his speech at a reception hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Geoff spoke of the overwhelming support he had received throughout his voyage and his hope that others too will be inspired by what he has achieved.

“It was a great experience – tough and challenging, but unforgettable. My team have been wonderful – I couldn’t have done it without them. Having my wife Elaine and son Timmy as part of the team made it even more enjoyable.”

Tim was a week late in starting school, but his head teacher forgave him!

and it wasn’t long before Geoff was planning his next big adventure, which would begin just two years later with Impossible Dream.

Equipment

During his adventure, Geoff wore a Cornish-made Gecko helmet, which was modified with a special intercom, a Henri Lloyd breathable smock, which kept him warm throughout his journey and took with him his good luck charm, small pieces of cladding from HMS Victory. 

 “A friend of mine works on repairing and restoring Nelson’s flagship and he gave me these few scraps of wood several years ago. With Nelson being our country’s most celebrated disabled sailor, I thought it was fitting for me to take these items with me around Great Britain.”

Very apt indeed. Horatio Nelson being the British admiral who lost his right arm in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the sight in his right eye during an assault on Calvi, in battle with the French. He then kept on returning to combat until he, one-handed, had burned, sunk, or otherwise destroyed Napoleon’s navy. Like Geoff, he had to deal with the impact of a certain kind of physical impairment acquired suddenly through injury, benefitted in thinking in terms of adaptation and accommodation rather than tragedy and isolation and had personal connection to the various cultural meanings of “disability.” as well as both men sharing the same indomitable spirit!

 

Commitment to the British Rotary Club

In 2008, Geoff wrote Walking on Water, a narrative of his life interwoven with tales from his voyage. He described the contributions that 45 British Rotary clubs made to the trip, and how clubs in almost every port volunteered their services and logistical support to him and his support team.

“When we arrived, there would be a Rotarian waiting to help. And they weren’t old people like my granddad! They were really friendly people who understood business and the area they lived in. They had all the right contacts.”

A testament to the power of resilience and determination

Geoff Holt’s circumnavigation of Great Britain stands as a testament to the human spirit’s resilience and the power of determination. His journey was not just about sailing; it was about challenging the status quo, inspiring others, and opening the world of sailing to everyone, regardless of their physical abilities.

Today, Geoff’s record-breaking achievement continues to inspire individuals around the world to pursue their dreams and to challenge the boundaries of what is possible. His story is a powerful reminder that with courage, perseverance, and a bit of ingenuity, even the most formidable challenges can be overcome.

A Brief History of Challenger  

Challenger was originally the brainchild of Diana “Tid” Campbell was confined to a wheelchair from the age of 7 Despite this disability she developed a passion for sailing and, from 1979, was instrumental in development of the Challenger class, working with a brilliant yacht designer to produce a fast, exciting single-person dinghy that a severely disabled person could sail.

Diana had developed a passion for sailing and bought a catamaran at the age of sixteen, she wanted to create a purpose-built boat for disabled people that was fast and fun to sail. In 1979 Diana and yacht designer Rod McAlpine Downey collaborated to create such a craft. Interestingly, Rod McAlpine Downey also designed British Oxygen – the 70 foot catamaran – for Gerry Boxall and Robin Knox-Johnston, which they won the 1974 two handed Round Britain race in.

The first Challenger boat was sponsored by BP and the Royal Yachting Association Seamanship Foundation – Douglas Hurndall who ran the Seamanship Foundation, saw the Challenger’s potential to change lives and it was his firm intention to put a Challenger into every sailing club in the UK, a feat that he pursued with great energy and much success. It was built in 1980 by Cheesman Roll Ltd and dielivered to the disabled section of the Oxford Sailing Club at the cost of £750. Douglas’ daughter was married to a sail maker and so the relationship with Mouse sails began at this time too.

In 1990, The Challenger was re-engineered by Reg White, Olympic gold medalist, one of Britain’s best known yachtsmen and internationally renowned boat-builder,  at Brightlingsea, which included a redesign and strengthening of the rolled hull-to-deck join, crossbeams bolted to the hulls instead of being held by U-bolts and other improvements.

The first Mk2 was number 111 Pegasus. Named and sponsored by Readers Digest as it is their symbol as well as being the spirit of the Muses and war-horse on whose back Bellerophon rode against the Chimaera. MK2 111 Pegasus was delivered in 1992 and sailed by one of their employees at Tonbridge Town Sailing Club.

In 1993 production switched to Anglo Marine, in Clacton and the first boat was144, Telethon Challenge for Clyde Cruising Club, who were very active Challenger users, thanks to the efforts of Ian Taggart, Clyde Cruising Club’s Challenger Flotilla founder.

Anglo Marine made several improvements to the boat including; the lengthened cockpit Mk2a, sliding seats, front cockpits and a number of rig changes, such as the AeroRig and the fully stayed rig Mk3 with mainsail and jib. None of these variants were successful and production reverted to the Una rig until Neville Towler retired and sold Anglo Marine, ceasing the production of boats in 2002.  

Challenger No1 was presented to the Museum by the Challenger Class Association in 2007.

In 2024, Geoff Holt was reunited with Freethinker at the RYA Dinghy & Watersports show at Farnborough International in February 2024.

The Journey of ‘Impossible Dream’ and Geoff’s Transatlantic Voyage

“It’s not about being disabled. It’s not about sailing the Atlantic Ocean, it’s about demonstrating that disability need not be a barrier to achieving something positive in your life.”

Another first for disabled sailing

“The practical difficulty I had was clearly finding a boat where I could go with my wheelchair.” Geoff said as he reminisced about planning his challenging Transatlantic voyage. Fortunately on  the 10th December 2009, thanks to the generosity of Mike and Martine Browne, Geoff was able to set out from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to cross the Atlantic Ocean sailing singled-handedly in “Impossible Dream,” a 60ft wheelchair-accessible catamaran to Cane Garden Bayon the west side of Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

“It was here that I had my accident. There could be no other destination could there? The beach may have taken away my ability to walk but it couldn’t take away my spirit nor my determination. The crossing was never about ‘closure’ or exorcising demons, it was a celebration of life. Had I not had my accident I would not have met my wife and we would not have had our son Tim. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

He succeeded in sailing across some of the most hostile waters in the world , becoming the first quadriplegic to complete the journey unassisted, a 2,700-mile voyage that took 28 days to complete, across some of the most hostile waters in the world.

The first quadriplegic to Captain a boat across the Atlantic.

With complex logistics for the shore-based support team, it was a feat of personal endurance and sailing skills for Geoff.  Although physically able to navigate and sail the boat competently, Geoff was (and still is) unable to look after his own physical requirements.

Despite his adeptness at managing the vessel, Geoff’s physical condition necessitates constant assistance for his personal care. The successful completion of his sailing endeavours is a testament to the resilience and teamwork between Geoff and those who support him, showcasing that with the right support and determination, remarkable feats are within reach.

 

 

He was accompanied by his non-sailing carer, New-Zealander Susana Scott, who had specialist skills in caring for those with a high-level disability to help with day-to-day tasks like getting out of his wheelchair and have a shower. Growing up in Masterton with the Tararuas as her playground, Susana Scott felt she was destined for a life in the outdoors and keen to travel though she had no sailing experience. The costs of her support were underwritten by Sir Peter Harrison KGCN CBE.  Keen sailor, yachting journalist and cameraman Digby Fox was also present on the journey.

 

 

 

 

He wrote of the adventure:

Geoff was determined to do the sailing himself, and he specifically recruited Susana for her complete lack of sailing experience. Ah Geoff. What a genius plan! Susana’s role, which is normally carried out by Geoff’s wife Elaine, was to lift Geoff in and out of his chair, wash, cook, look after his personal needs, and so on. This was a challenging job for anyone, but in all my oceans I’ve never come across a crewmate who suffered so long from sea sickness. The fact that Susana had to become chief engineer, upside-down in both port and starboard engines, sucking fuel through pipes and bleeding the bleeding engines for the first week may not have helped! – Digby Fox

 

 

 

This was the fourth time Geoff has sailed the Atlantic, but the first since his life changing accident in 1984. The final destination of Geoff’s transatlantic voyage had particular personal significance as he completed his journey on the very beach, Cane Garden Bay, where he had his life-changing accident back in 1984.

Geoff used the journey to support the Ellen MacArthur Trust, as the official charity for his Atlantic crossing.  (The trust provides sailing opportunities to children with cancer and Dame Ellen MacArthur knows only too well what a challenge the Atlantic can be!)

“Geoff is one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Not only has he already achieved the unachievable, but he is humble with it. I think few will understand just how important this challenge is to Geoff; perhaps in a way it is unfinished business. This next chapter is as incredible as his life so far. I wish Geoff all the best, and I can only think of the pleasure you will feel of once again being at sea under the stars” – Dame Ellen MacArthur

Impossible Dream is a unique craft, and the world’s only catamaran built from the ground up to be fully universally accessible.  Worth in the region of £2,000,000, the yacht was provided on loan by Mike and Martine Browne, with the only stipulation being “not to prang it”.

History and Design of Impossible Dream

Impossible Dream was built for paraplegic Mike Browne in 2002 – Mikes founded of the outdoor company and retail chain Snow & Rock in 1982 and also competed in the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. An obsessive adventurer and self-confessed “adrenalin junkie“, Browne skied off the edge of a cliff in a white-out in Sainte-Foy, France, severing his spine, breaking 19 ribs and leaving him in a wheelchair for life. He took up sailing in 1996  and it wasn’t long before he was looking to buy a boat.

“I love the freedom of sailing… I wanted to build the yacht for two reasons – to prove that it is possible to build a boat capable of crossing oceans that can be sailed by a wheelchair user and to help others to realise their dreams and have the stimulus to rebuild their lives.” – Mike Browne

Mike sadly passed away on the 26th of April 2022. He always lived life to the full even heli-skiing using his adapted sit on ski sledge as well as sailing Impossible Dream. 

Design of Impossible Dream: A clever and complex boat

Built in 2003 by Multimarine in Plymouth, Impossible Dream allows access all round the boat in a wheelchair. It can be helmed from inside and out and operated, reef and trimmed from this control station. All the lines are hydraulically controlled and there’s a pretty complicated electrical system, allowing Geoff to sail it completely by himself during his transatlantic voyage in 2009

The carbon catamaran was designed by Nic Bailey, the architect who designed those distinctive pods on the London Eye. He worked with Darren Newton’s company Multimarine and a team of builders led by Simon Baker. Speaking of the design journey Nic says:

“Sailing from a chair means no leaping up to the base of the mast to bounce halyards, so every line is powered by hydraulic winches. Sheets presented a particular problem. How can you ease a sheet from three steering positions (one inside and two outside)? Commercially available captive reel winches were too heavy and expensive, so we devised a hydraulic ram system connected to the sheets through blocks which could all be operated by simply pressing buttons. We also used hydraulic rams to control the mainsheet and the coachroof-mounted traveller…As a boy,I used to love Dan Dare comics. We built a full-sized mock-up of the saloon in our studio and I spent a lot of time in a wheelchair to get a feel for how everything should work.

This was something able-bodied Digby Fox experienced first hand when sailing Impossible Dream with Geoff Holt in 2009.

“The height of the galley worktops is an example. They’re low and awkward to use when standing, but pull up a chair and everything makes sense, with fridge, cooker, sink and utensils all to hand.”

Upon seeing the boat, Digby Fox wrote

“The boat is striking in many ways. The interior cabin and deck are all on one level, with a gentle slope around the outside up towards the foredeck. This makes getting around in a wheelchair easy…Other clever touches include a fold-out lift platform to raise or lower a wheelchair user to the dock and back. This works from a remote control and in operation is another sci-fi touch…You can see Nic’s London Eye influence in the cockpit windows and the amazing view from inside to almost 360° outside, a key element when sailing from a chair at the command position.”

 

 

 

The Impossible Dream yacht is meticulously designed to accommodate easy wheelchair access both on deck and within the bridge-deck saloon. It features spacious pathways and an internal lift that allows a wheelchair to move to the lower hulls, where sleeping quarters and facilities are situated. There is a steering position outside on both hulls, but the whole ship can be operated from inside, with hydraulic winches and lines coming right into the ‘command module. Sail adjustments are thus made effortless with pushbutton-controlled hydraulic motors, part of an integrated system by TP Electronics (Plymouth, U.K.), allowing the captain to steer and control sails from various positions.

The vessel is crafted from a carbon/foam composite, designed by Gurit/High Modulus in Hamble, U.K. Its construction used a male mold, epoxy resin, and wet-preg materials for a controlled resin distribution and an air-free lamination. The fabrication process was done in stages, starting from the bridge deck to the hulls, with PVC cores and reinforcements layered and vacuum-bagged. The components were then smoothed with abrasives and post-cured at 140°F for 48 hours to solidify. Featured in “Reinforced Plastics” magazine, the deck construction was executed on a hybrid mold of MDF and composite materials. The canopy’s complex design necessitated a full plug and female molds to achieve a lightweight structure.

Impossible Dream was named by Paralympic sailor Andy Cassell who, born without legs and deformed hips, went on to win gold in sailing at the 1996 Summer Paralympics, where the sport made its Paralympic debut (thanks in part to Geoff Holt) during the Southampton Boat Show 2003.

“Impossible doesn’t exist in Mike Browne’s vocabulary,” commented Cassell.

Neither one could argue, is it in Geoff Holt’s!

Preparation and Determination Part Two!

As Geoff planned the Transatlantic voyage, he read through his old log books to remind himself of how difficult sailing the Atlantic can be and reminisce about his experience in the British Virgin Islands back in the 1980s before his accident.

“I’ve been living off the memories. I now want to relive the experience. It seems right to sail back to Cane Garden Bay in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands as this is where I had my accident. I will be returning as a quadriplegic yachtsman and it is a personal challenge where I feel I will be closing the circle from having my accident and returning again as a yachtsman.”

 

 

 

 

 

“It was quite stunning, doing it on my own. It is the only one I know of which is up to sailing across the Atlantic. It’s really exciting! I haven’t found a sponsor yet, but it’s going to happen with or without a sponsor! 

 

 

 

 

Whilst in Lanzarote making final preparations on Impossible Dream, Geoff  clearly enjoyed being in the marina amongst the yachting community saying:

“We are getting the boat ready at the moment. It is really good to finally be out here in Lanzarote with Susana getting the boat as we want it. We are currently stowing equipment, food (especially chocolate for Susana). The engineers have just left the boat and have been here sorting out the brackets ready for tomorrow’s fitting of the comms dome.

We are both so excited as it really feels like it is about to happen.The weather is beautiful and we are about to go off for a lunch with The Rotary Club.. Next week we are continuing to identify what needs doing. From next Friday we will take the boat out for some practice sails and we really hit the countdown to the 10th.”

Digby Fox, a TV producer who had worked on the America’s Cup, documentaries, even cooking shows previously, was also very busy preparing to broadcast abroad. 

“I’d never seen a live TV broadcast to terrestrial news from a boat before, but we did several, and for me this involved a jungle of wires and a complex set-up. The BBC fitted out our boat with the best Thrane & Thrane satellite communications available to feed live pictures back to London, and BBC technical boss Mark Tyrrell, who makes sure news come in from every corner of the globe, used our project as a test case for a new system. It worked brilliantly for all the Lives, video uploads and ISDN radio interviews” – Digby Fox

Geoff set out from Lanzarote and came up against confused seas in the 3,500 miles passage to Tortola –  the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands.

Our (original) ETA was 17 days and the theory was that we would be whistled along on this beautiful cat by the swift and steady Trade Winds, but in reality the wind beat us on the nose, the engines clogged up with filthy fuel, our wind indicator wouldn’t work and we took a month, spending Christmas and New Year at sea. – Digby Fox 

It was the first Christmas that Geoff was away from his wife Elaine and 7 year old son Tim  Elaine approached it with her usual pragmatism “It’s just Geoff out on another adventure”, but for 7-year old Tim it was an anxious time.

Despite Christmas being spent mid-Atlantic, and many miles from family, it was still a cheerful occasion

 

“It’s not every Christmas you get to spend in the Atlantic ocean, thousands of miles from land and family but I’m certainly not complaining, every waking moment I realise how lucky I am to be out here, living out my dream. It was without doubt one of my busiest christmases, what with four live BBC TV appearances (BBC Breakfast, 2 x BBC News 24 and BBC World), plus five BBC radio interviews (2 x World Service, 2 x Five Live and Radio 4) plus a telephone interview with The Independent newspaper.”

Geoff was also quick to highlight how easy he felt he had it, in comparison with others.

“I am only sailing the Atlantic, There are soldiers fighting for our country – away from their families, I have something easy to do!”

Facing up to the issues

En route to the British Virgin Islands, Geoff struggled to complete simple tasks.

“I can push my thumb so I can push the controls to get the sails out and sails in, I can also just about steer with the back of my hand…also you have the problem of sitting in a wheelchair on a boat that is moving quite violently. I was thrown about an awful lot.”

“The motion was so bad, I could barely keep myself upright in my wheelchair, let alone type a blog! Impossible Dream is bobbing like a cork, pitching and yawing, snatching and jerking, her 60ft length belying her skinny 17 tons as she gets picked up and slapped broadside by the seas.  It is difficult enough existing in a wheelchair in a house that does not move but negotiating my chair around ID is like riding a unicycle on a rollercoaster.”

Geoff’s carer, 28-year-old Susana was also sea sick for most of the trip, but didn’t miss a beat when looking after him. Digby Fox writes:

I asked Susana how she was coping after several days at sea and she said: ‘I’m finding it really hard. The movement adds a whole dimension and we can’t seem to do anything to make it more stable. I’m really struggling. Geoff’s doing his best to not get me to do as many lifts as possible but it’s hard, really hard.’ Susana was talking about the technique of lifting a quadriplegic from wheelchair to bed and back. It’s a full body hug, then a heave backwards and upwards, pivoting on your feet to swing your man to the side. There’s quite a technique to it and I winced thinking how easy it would be to damage your back in the process.

The problem at sea of course is doing all this on a rolling, pitching platform. Geoff eventually bore right away and made the motion as steady as possible, but it was still hard for Susana. Halfway across the Atlantic, after we’d made a detour to the Cape Verde Islands for a superb mechanic, Caesar, to completely drain, clean, bleed and generally expunge all dirty fuel, I asked Susana how she thought it was going: ‘I’m a mixed bag of emotions,’ she said. ‘I can’t voyage – Geoff was determined to do the sailing himself – It’s been horrible sometimes, I just want it to be over. It’s been such a test and I doubt how I’ve lived up to those tests.’

Learning from his previous experience in Freethinker, Geoff had anticipated problems in moving his wheelchair around the boat and in getting enough rest but there were further unexpected issues to confront, including the loss of wind instruments and endless diesel issues.

Looking back at how this complete non-sailor (Susana) took on the task of looking after Geoff across the Atlantic, plus how she dealt with endless diesel issues (the generator packed in towards the end, which meant another two days upside down in a dark hole), I can’t help but take my hat off to her. New Zealand should award her their highest honour, because she toughed it out on the rolling seas and didn’t fail Geoff or herself. I should mention that yes, like most passage-making trips, we motor-sailed on windless days. But the crucial issue with needing diesel was charging batteries. Geoff was particularly reliant on the self-steering rams and sheeting hydraulics  to be able to sail Impossible Dream… For the days Susana and I spent tinkering, fixing, bleeding and swearing, he couldn’t help. It was unspoken, but I sensed he would have been the first to pile into these problems if he could. – Digby Fox

Mentally, Geoff faced his own issues as  well as the many physical issues facing a quadriplegic skipper sailing an 18m (60ft) boat including getting about, staying upright, getting ropes around winches, even pushing buttons, and of course journeying so far away from any help.

On the windier and rougher days, Geoff had a job to simply stay in his chair. A large catamaran can bounce around in chop and swell as it hurtles over waves, but Impossible Dream, made from carbon and being totally rigid, had an unforgiving see-saw motion. I raced a wood-built 12m (40ft) trimaran offshore for two years, and that was as smooth as a Rolls-Royce by comparison. Some days I could see the sheer force of the brutal seaway causing him real trouble (me too, come to think of it). – Digby Fox 

But the thing that seemed to cause Geoff the most frustration was his swollen feet.

“The fluid around the ankle causes the foot to spasm which is a bloody nuisance. The remedy would be to lie down with the foot elevated until it subsides but that’s a luxury I don’t have. Another problem we have is that our wind instruments packed up shortly after leaving Lanzarote. With no moon and thick cloud cover, the skies are ink black, so too the sea, you cannot see a horizon nor the oncoming waves and have no indication which way the boat will throw you next. I am using the ship’s radar to track squalls and I reduce sail area accordingly before getting hit by one. With no apparent wind data, the radar is effectively acting as my early warning system to avoid any potential damage to the sails from gusts. It is not an ideal situation and only adds to the stress.” – Geoff Holt 

Throughout the trip, Geoff received many emails each day from people around the world, able and otherwise, saying how much he was touching their lives.

“One emailer even wrote that after losing his job, with family troubles and health worries, he was in the process of committing suicide by hanging, looking for the right knot online, when he came across Geoff’s website. What Geoff was doing stopped him in his tracks. His email left us speechless.” – Digby Fox 

On 7th January, as he entered Cane Garden Bay, Geoff was supported by more than 100 well-wishers both at home and in the British Virgin Islands. The Governor of the British Virgin Islands welcomed Geoff on land with a heartfelt speech, and it was an emotional and happy ending to the voyage.

“The welcoming committee was amazing. I was surrounded by a flotilla of boats and yachts that have all come out to meet me. I had all these emotions running around my head and I had a tear in my eye as I neared the finish line. I get there and there were 1,000 people, flags, foghorns…I was overwhelmed by it. I was laughing but I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. It was just perfect. I don’t lament the last 25 years, I celebrate it. Had I not had that accident I wouldn’t have met my wife…we wouldn’t have had our son and be doing all these wonderful things…helping to inspire other people.”

 “Congratulations Geoff on what is a truly exceptional achievement. You had a dream, one that at first may have seemed impossible but through your courage, determination and a belief that you could succeed you have realised it and gone on to be an inspiration for us all.” – Dame Ellen MacArthur wrote to Geoff from the UK.

“I am very glad Geoff has arrived safely and proud of his achievement. This is a wonderful example of an adventurous Rotarian. The hard work by Susana, his nurse, is also worthy of praise as I gather it was not the smoothest of voyages. I look forward to supporting Geoff in future adventures as I am sure he will not be on dry land for long.” – RIBI President David Fowler

“People think coming back 25 years later would be putting some ghosts to rest. I am not going to pretend that is is easy being in a wheelchair but I am certainly never one to look backwards…As I dropped the anchor in the bay and thought, ‘You know what? You took away my ability to walk, but you didn’t take away my spirit or my determination. Here I am, 25 years after breaking my neck, paralysed from the chest down, turning up at this beach in a £2million yacht as its master and commander’”

Sitting on the sand of Cane Garden Bay a couple of days later Digby Fox  asked Geoff what he thought the moral of the story was. Geoff replied:

“Princess Anne summed it up for me when she said that disability need not be a barrier to achieving your dream. In fact anyone – regardless of their ability, if they really set their heart on it – can achieve what they set out to do. There’ll be hardships along the way, sometimes painful ones, but there’s no feeling like completing a journey against all the odds. It’s the best feeling in the world.”

Tony Tromans, consultant surgeon at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury, and Geoff’s doctor 25 years ago perhaps said it best:

‘The fact that Geoff, who can only get about in an electric wheelchair using a joystick, sails around Britain and across the Atlantic is a very useful story for us to say to patients that life hasn’t stopped. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Disability will shut some doors, but it will open others…”

After the event, Geoff visited a number of schools on Virgin Gorda and Tortola and during his visit to the Eselyn Henley Richez Learning Centre on Tortola he left these words of encouragement for the children,

“Be good to yourself, true to yourself and if you have dreams, follow them, dare to dream and dare to follow them because look where it got me.”

 

On 19th January 2010, the day after Geoff returned from the British Virgin Islands, he was invited to the BBC studios to talk about his TransAtlantic trip on Impossible Dream. Unbeknownst to most, an hour before the interview Geoff  was laying unconscious in a pool of blood on a hotel bathroom floor having fallen over backwards in his chair and cracked his head open.

A costly lesson

Sadly Geoff’s exploits at sea came at huge personal financial cost. As no sponsorship was forthcoming for his Atlantic crossing Geoff learned a hard and very costly lesson about under-writing the costs for the voyage.

“I could not get one single sponsor. I was convinced I would get a sponsor so I underwrote the costs. Now I’m living in a rented house.”

Founding and Impact of WetWheels

One his return to the UK, Geoff began to be contacted by people from across the world asking: “How do you go sailing with a disability?” and “How do you get on the water with a disability?”

“Trust me, it’s hard. It has been hard for a long time. It’s got better, it’s still not ideal. Luckily, RYA Sailability exists, so there’s a lot of opportunities for dinghy sailing on reservoirs and rivers but there’s nothing to get ‘out out’ as Micky Flanagan would say, to feel the wind on your face, the spray on your face, to do 30 knots and have an amazing time offshore, away from the coast….For disabled people there was nothing.”

Finding a “solution to the wheelchair” was high priority, originally Geoff thought

“I don’t actually need to be in the wheelchair – I could perhaps use a cradle of some sort that is on a track. The wheelchair, if anything, is the weak link between me interfacing with the yacht and sailing the boat safely.”

The start of a decades-long wonderful relationship with Cheetah Catamarans

This may come as a surprise but I have a liking for speed. I’m talking power boats, in particular, powered fishing boats. I’ve owned a few in my time and have become a bit of a nerd in the range of powerboats that can take wheelchairs; from the ghastly flat-bottomed aluminium Wheelyboats designed for a Beaufort scale of zero through to the magnificent Cheetah catamarans with side access for a wheelchair capable of handling most sea-states.

I have discovered that the best catamaran for me to use would be a Cheetah power Catamaran, two hulls, two engines on the back, just over 9m long. Each time it goes out goes out it can take up to 12 passengers of which three can be wheelchair users.

 I used to write a column for a magazine called All at Sea. In November 2010 I wrote an article called My Powerful Secret discussing various powerboat options for wheelchair users.  The reason for a catamaran is it’s stable, plenty of room for people, including wheelchair users, and it was fast. In the article, I spoke highly of the Cheetah catamaran and concluded my article with the words “I always did have champagne tastes and lemonade pockets…I thought nothing more of it until two weeks later the managing director of Cheetah catamarans, Sean Strevens, called me and invited me to the factory on the Isle of Wight to discuss options!

Help was also at hand with industry-leading, multi-award-winning multihull designer Nigel Irens – a wonderful, self-taught naval architect responsible for many projects, including numerous trimarans and catamarans that have left their mark on the history of ocean racing including ENZA, Ellen MacArthur’s record-breaking B&Q and several Gunboat multihulls. Nigel has undoubtedly created some of the most beautifully elegant and high-performance multihulls of the late twentieth century and is “perhaps the greatest multi-hull designer in the world” (according to Geoff) as he recalls his experience of working together on designing an 80-foot (24-metre) catamaran adapted to his needs. (and just in case His Majesty King Charles III is reading this, the title of Sir Nigel Irens would suit him perfectly!)

 

When speaking of the journey to the launch of the first WetWheels boat, Geoff said:

I spoke to my existing friends and sponsors at Mindworks Marketing, Suzuki Marine UK and Raymarine and between them, plus support from Cheetah Marine  I spent many weeks and months working to create the (WetWheels) boat design and specification we all know today. I had only three requirements;

• Simplicity: I wanted good design features with the least amount of technical adaptations

• Accessibility: the boat had to be accessible to absolutely everyone, regardless of disability, including access to the helm so everyone had the opportunity to drive the boat

• Safety: we had to balance the safety of disabled passengers whilst creating a boat which would provide a high value, lived-life experiences, a boat which would get your adrenaline going

I created the boat (WetWheels) deliberately so it wasn’t just a participatory experience. This wasn’t a trip boat that took you around the harbour and dropped you back and said ‘Did you have a nice time?’ This was about going out there and getting your heart rate up, and getting wet and getting really buzzing!

In particular I wanted people to experience driving the boat (under the supervision of a qualified Captain) The whole ethos of Wetwheels was to make it as barrier-free as possible, a shared experience with mums, and dads, friends and family, but also to just get out there, forget about your disability and have a bloody good time on the water!”

Why was the catamaran called WetWheels?

Such a boat did not exist before, so this was a huge learning curve for all of us. By August 2011 she was ready to go in the water. There could only be one name, Wetwheels, and she was”

“In truth, the name WetWheels came a few years earlier than the foundation. It was a nickname assigned to me by my friend Bev Smith, a fellow member of Hamble Valley Rotary. I liked it and I used it as a nom de plume for a column I used to write in Yachts and Yachting magazine from 2009!”

WetWheels Solent launched in 2011 

“I launched the first Wetwheels boat in the Solent in 2011 to give disabled people the feeling of freedom and independence that you get from being on the water – it’s something you can’t gauge until you see the smile on their faces.”

Unable to secure outside funding at first, Geoff re-mortgaged his house to help get Wetwheels off the ground.

“At the time there was no Wetwheels charity, it was just me with this great idea and a boat. I always knew there would be a demand for a boat like Wetwheels but only through getting people on the water could I ever evidence that.”  

 

 

 

 

The concept took off quickly and within a year of creating Wetwheels, the team had taken 500 people on the water with  Wetwheels Solent

This remarkable milestone marked the beginning of a transformative journey for many participants, for whom the freedom of the open sea was a newfound joy. The quick popularity of Wetwheels Solent also reflects a community’s recognition of the importance of inclusivity in leisure and sports. It highlights a collective effort to bridge gaps and ensure that the joy of sailing is shared by all, regardless of physical ability.

The WetWheels Foundation  

“The first few months were tough. Any of our existing Wetwheels Operators will know how much it costs to put 600 litres of petrol in a Wetwheels fuel tank and how long that fuel lasts before the next refill…I could not afford those costs myself. Friends and family were soon giving financial support so it was essential I set up Wetwheels as a not-for-profit, social enterprise company for complete transparency.  I had to make some serious decisions; I knew Wetwheels had the potential to shape the rest of my life and my family too. I knew it would be a huge commitment. That said, I was not aware exactly to what extent.  I have always had my own personal set of values that I have applied to my previous sailing projects; Inclusivity, Equality, Professionalism and Integrity/Trust and Wetwheels was to be no different.  

I pulled together a number of friends with expertise in the charity sector who shared my values to form the Disabled Powerboating Trust, a charity dedicated to getting disabled people afloat on powerboats. Within 18 months, it became clear the DPT should become the umbrella body for Wetwheels and subsequently changed their name to The Wetwheels Foundation.” 

Being in the right place at the right time: The evolution of WetWheels and launch of Wetwheels Jersey in 2013 

“Late in 2011 I was engaged as a professional speaker for a charity dinner held at the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes on the Isle of Wight for a client called the Le Tournoir charity, consisting a group of friends from Jersey who were visiting on a fleet sailing charter.  

With my talk being in Cowes, I spoke to a friend of mine, the late Ian Shuttleworth, himself a wheelchair user and member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He arranged permission for me to ‘park’ Wetwheels in the Squadron harbour from where it was only a short trundle in my wheelchair to the Cowes Corinthian yacht club

Having given my talk, the organiser of Le Tournoir, Andy le Seelleur, asked me how I had travelled to the island. From the bay window at the Cowes Corinthian yacht club, I pointed to Wetwheels below in the Royal Yacht Squadron Harbour and so a chain reaction was started. Andy invited Wetwheels to attend the Jersey Boat Show in May 2012. The seeds of Wetwheels as a national organisation were sown and the rest, as they say, is history!”

For me, It’s about  getting people out, particularly those with profound, complex disabilities, from environments where they may be in sensory rooms or not normally leave their hospice or their medical setting, out on a powerboat and giving them the most amazing opportunities…I have always talked about a link between the sea and improving our health and wellbeing, both physical and mental health. That too now has a name, Blue Health.”  

 

 

 

 

 

You can Listen to Geoff’s interview with Alka Patel on Health Hacktivators (October 2023) here 

May 2016 – WetWheels Hamble launched 

Wetwheels Hamble became the third regional operator, with her home at MDL’s Mercury Yacht Harbour in Hamble, so is perfectly positioned to operate across the Southampton region, the Isle of Wight and the South Coast.

In 2018 WetWheels Yorkshire launched

Launched in 2018, Wetwheels Yorkshire became the fifth regional operator, with her home in Whitby she is perfectly positioned to operate across the region, from the North East to the Humber.

In 2018 Wetwheels South East also launched.

By June 2018, There were 5 boats (comprising £750,000 of assets), five locations and five great teams in the WetWheels fleet enabling over 8,000 participants to get onto the water.

Launched in 2018, WetWheels South East has her home in the Port of Dover, and is perfectly positioned to operate across the region, from Eastbourne to Central London. In 2021, WetWheels South East was visited by HRH The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

2020 will forever be remembered as the year Covid-19 impacted the world. The Wetwheels family did not go unaffected either.

“Working within local and national restrictions where possible, our participant numbers across the fleet were decimated as was our fundraising and income from activities. It was heartbreaking to see our fleet confined to harbour and learn of the growing anxiety and mental anguish of many of our disabled participants and friends”

July 2020 – Wetwheels Launched groundbreaking Immersive VR  360 degree open water video adventure for land-locked young disabled people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Geoff recognised the isolation felt by disabled young people who were unable to leave their homes, let alone get on the sea. The charity created an immersive video to give them the seafaring experience on virtual reality headsets from their home, school or care setting. Launched at Treloar School and College for young disabled people, Hampshire, students were given the first opportunity to experience the trailblazing video ride and enjoy life on the open wave.

The high definition film, which features 360 degree boat and sea views, uses specialist software to bring the same exhilaration that a Wetwheels powerboat ride gives on the water to land-locked disabled people. Watch the video here 

“My lightbulb moment was triggered by a conversation I had with Juno Hollyhock, CEO of Southampton’s Rose Road Association, about how many disabled people were profoundly affected by ‘Covid isolation’ and needed to get out and about. Juno said that Wetwheels was top of her list to take the children to as soon as the coronavirus restrictions were eased because of their desperate need to get ‘air in their lungs’. This immediately got me thinking how I could help them and the idea of bringing the video experience directly to them came into my head.”

“There is something very special about being on the water. For someone with a disability, being at sea offers unparalleled freedoms. Your mind and imagination fill with things that once didn’t seem possible. The VR version of this film is important because it opens up the on-water opportunity to anyone anywhere in the country, not just those who are able to go out on the water.”

The video was produced by Soundview Media, a Plymouth-based production company and ties in with the latest research into ‘Blue Health’ – the link between urban blue spaces, climate and health and how virtual environments might be used to boost wellbeing for vulnerable people.

“It’s important to take time out for our mental health and wellbeing, and it’s proven that being near blue spaces and on the water is great for mindfulness. It’s a chance to forget about your woes and troubles and do something fun – I believe people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the challenges of life. I want to provide something that lets people forget about all this, and the last thing we talk about is our problems and disabilities. It’s about the wildlife, feeling the sea spray on your face and feeling the wind in your hair.”

“Wetwheels occupies much of my time today but Wetwheels is so much more than a trip on a boat. I have witnessed how Wetwheels not only removes the physical barriers to accessing the sea but, in so doing, we are helping to increase confidence, reduce anxiety and, by making our boats fully accessible, including steering the boat, we are enabling all of our participants to share those experiences with loved ones. Founding Wetwheels and watching the concept grow across the UK and beyond, gives me a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction and makes me feel very proud of my team.”

Many of us fail to reach our full potential, whether in our life-goals, relationships, work or sport, this is particularly true for those less able. I have experienced life as a non-disabled person and someone with a high-level of disability, it still saddens me how our built-environment continues to exclude disabled people. The removal of barriers, be they physical, attitudinal or political, creates opportunities for us all to play our part in society.”

3rd September 2020 – Launch of WetWheels South West

Amidst the backdrop of this global pandemic, it was perhaps fitting to celebrate the launch of Wetwheels South-West, the 6th Wetwheels boat, named by Commodore Jamie Miller CBE in her new home port of Falmouth, Cornwall, on the 3rd September 2020. Funded by Sport England and a generous benefactor, the launch of Wetwheels South-West was a statement of intent: Despite times of hardship, Wetwheels will continue to deliver unique, barrier-free, truly inclusive, life-enriching experiences to disabled people. In 2022 Mayor of Truro, Steven Webb came aboard WetWheels South West. 

March 2023 – WetWheels Edinburgh launched

With her home is Port Edgar, situated just outside Edinburgh in South Queensferry.   Wetwheels Edinburgh will be operating on the East coast of Scotland, perfectly positioned to access Edinburgh, and numerous other ports and harbours on the banks of the Firth of Forth, such as Dundee, St Andrews, North Berwick, and Anstruther

Spring 2024 – WetWheels Torbay launches

The 8th boat in the WetWheels fleet and the first in Devon, she is based at MDL Marina in Torquay, perfectly situated to serve the whole of Devon, East Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset and beyond. Torbay and the English Riviera provide the most stunning coastlines with many secluded coves, is a UNESCO Geopark and has an abundance of marine life including a resident pod of dolphins, porpoise, seals and an array of sea birds.

Fast-forward 12 years and there are eight identical Wetwheels boats around the UK and Channel Islands, taking in excess of 10,000 people a year out on the water. WetWheels skippers are fully trained and commercially endorsed, and volunteer crew receive our bespoke disability awareness in a maritime context training. All our boats are certified according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Cat. 3 standards.

The Wetwheels Foundation is a shining example of Geoff’s vision to empower disabled individuals through sailing.WetWheels commitment to safety and quality of service delivery has led the MCA (our regulator as the government agency responsible for safety at sea) to declare us as the ‘subject matter experts on taking disabled people to sea in small boats’. With eight locations across the UK and the Channel Islands, Wetwheels provides the unique opportunity for people with profound and complex disabilities to experience the freedom and exhilaration of sea sailing. Each Wetwheels boat is specially designed to be fully accessible, allowing up to three wheelchair users per trip to experience the thrill of the ocean waves. This initiative not only offers an escape from the constraints of land but also fosters a sense of independence, achievement, and equality.

Personal Life: Resilience and Family Support

Geoff Holt’s personal life, particularly his marriage and family, has been a central and supportive aspect of his journey, both before and after his life-changing accident. His story is not just one of individual achievement but also a testament to the power of love, partnership, and family in overcoming life’s most challenging obstacles.

Marriage and Partnership:

Geoff’s relationship with his wife, Elaine, is a touching and pivotal part of his story. Elaine was Geoff’s nurse following his accident in 1984, which left him paralysed from the chest down. The bond that formed between them during his recovery blossomed into a deep and enduring love. Their relationship transitioned from patient and caregiver to life partners, illustrating a profound connection and mutual respect. Elaine has been an integral part of Geoff’s support system, standing by him through the highs and lows, and playing a crucial role in his sailing endeavours and advocacy work.

The couple has been married for over 30 years, a union marked by shared challenges, triumphs, and unwavering commitment. Their story is one of mutual support and collaboration, showcasing how personal relationships can thrive and provide strength in the face of adversity.

“I guess I’m proudest of being a husband to Elaine and a father to Tim. Elaine and I have been married for more than 30 years, she was my nurse in hospital when I had my accident back in 1984, all very romantic. As a family we make a great team and I would certainly not have achieved what I have today without their love and support. Life as quadriplegic can be tough, not just on me, but those around me, particularly Elaine, but I’m a firm believer in a positive mindset and resilience, armed with those, you have a head-start to achieving your aspirations”

Family Life:

Geoff’s role as a father to his son, Tim, adds another dimension to his personal life. The family’s closeness and teamwork have been evident in Geoff’s adventures and initiatives. The shared experiences and challenges have not only strengthened their familial bonds but have also provided Geoff with motivation and purpose. His family has been central to his journey, offering both a grounding presence and a source of inspiration.

The challenges of life as a quadriplegic have undoubtedly impacted Geoff and his family, yet they have faced these together, demonstrating resilience and adaptability. Geoff himself has spoken about the strength he draws from his family, emphasising how their love and support have been foundational to his achievements.

Honours and Awards: Recognising Geoff Holt as a Trailblazer in Sailing

November 2023 – Geoff Holt shortlisted Finalist for the Purpose Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Great Britain Entrepreneur Awards. 

The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards (GBEA) celebrates and champions the stories of entrepreneurs from across the United Kingdom.  The category of “Purpose Entrepreneur” celebrates the exceptional achievements of entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses with a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to creating positive social and environmental impact. Geoff earned a finalist spot for breaking barriers at sea.

6th July 2022 – Geoff Holt brings The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to the South West Of England, UK

Geoff Holt MBE brought the baton to Southampton as part of the Birmingham 2022 Queens Baton Relay.  The Queen’s Baton Relay is touring England for 25 days in a celebration of sport, culture and communities during the final countdown to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.  Geoff also took the baton to the Isle of Wight  

Being asked to be a batonbearer is a real honour, I wasn’t expecting – Geoff Holt

20th August 2021 – Geoff Holt becomes Vice President of the RNLI 

14th May 2021 – Geoff Holt becomes Chair of the Global Philanthropic Philanthropy Awards Judging Committee (Geoff was also a previous award recipient in 2018.)

Global Philanthropy Awards 2021: Talk Philanthropy

Global Philanthropic along with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy at the University of Cambridge hosted Talking Philanthropy 2021 conference where the Philanthropy Awards were received by participants. The scoring of the awards by the judging committee took place in two rounds, first individual anonymous scoring of the nominations and then the top nominations were selected for discussion until a final decision was agreed upon.

30th May 2019 – HRH The Princess Royal agrees to become Patron of the WetWheels Foundation 

Commenting on the royal patronage of the Wetwheels Foundation

Geoff said

“This is a tremendous honour for the Wetwheels Foundation and a proud moment for everyone involved in making the organisation what it is today. The Princess is a keen sailor herself and she truly understands the benefits to be gained for everyone from being afloat on the water, including for those people with disabilities… To have Royal endorsement of Wetwheels makes me very proud indeed”

 

 

18th January 2019 –  Geoff Holt wins Shaping Portsmouth Community Award for WetWheels Solent (Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth, UK)

For work enriching our local Portsmouth community by enabling disabled people to access Portsmouth’s rich maritime heritage. Awarded by Shaping Portsmouth. Presented at the Shaping Portsmouth Conference, by Lord Mayor Councillor Tom Coles

“They (WetWheels)are an outstanding social enterprise doing some truly innovative and meaningful work with those most vulnerable in our society, including their awardwinning Harbour Breezes project which focuses on getting people living with dementia out on the water” – Shaping Portsmouth

 

 

 

14th September 2018 – Entrepreneur of Excellence. Awarded by the National Diversity Awards. (Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, UK)

Geoff Holt at National Diversity Awards 2018 with Scissor Sisters’ Ana Matronic, TV presenter Brian Dowling, Celebrity Big Brother’s Gabby Allen, and Love Island’s Samira Mighty.

Created by founder of the National Diversity Awards, Paul Sesay, a record 24,584 people were nominated in 2018 with an astonishing 124 nominees being recognised for their various achievements nationwide. Amongst those being commended were freedom fighters, domestic violence campaigners and trans rights activists, all of whom work tirelessly to combat injustice without acknowledgement or praise. Over 700 charities like WetWheels, role models and community heroes like Geoff Holt have been honoured at the ceremony since its inception, showcasing their outstanding devotion to enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion; thus embracing the excellence of all citizens irrespective of race, faith, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability and culture. Scissor Sister favourite Ana Matronic united with TV presenter Brian Dowling to host the 7th annual National Diversity Awards. A number of special guests made an appearance including Celebrity Big Brother’s Gabby Allen and Love Island Favourite Samira Mighty who praised advocates and charities for their outstanding achievements. Scouse sensations Claire Sweeney, Jennifer Ellison and Marcus Collins also applauded this year’s nominees alongside the cast of Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and The Gloves Are Off presenter Johnny Nelson. Joining the likes of the Open University, Blackberry, The British Army, Direct Line Group, HSBC Nielsen, MI5, Lush Spa and the Financial Ombudsman, leading global brand Johnson & Johnson were headline sponsors of the 2018 awards.

6th June 2018 – The Spinal Injuries Association Rebuilding Lives Awards – Paul Smith Award for Lifetime Achievement. Awarded by the Spinal Injuries Association. (Williams F1 Conference Centre, Oxfordshire UK)

This award is presented in honour of Paul Smith, Spinal Injuries Association’s Chief Executive Officer, who passed away in 2014. The nominees must be a spinal cord injured individual, who has shown similar levels of commitment and dedication to the spinal cord injury community. This person will have also inspired others through their positive way of thinking and mind-set. Nominees were Geoff Holt MBE DL, Helen Cooke, John Leonard. Winner: Geoff Holt MBE DL. TV With over 170 nominations for the 2018 awards, Presenter Matt Barbet said. “Award winners and nominees are remarkable examples of what can be achieved after injury. With the right care and support a fulfilled life is indeed possible as our Award winners show.” 

14th June 2018 – UK 927th Points of Light Award Awarded by British Prime Minister, Teresa May (10 Downing Street, London, UK)

 

Recognising outstanding volunteers who are making a real difference in their community. Every week day the Prime Minister recognises an inspirational volunteer with the daily Points of Light award. First established by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, over 7,000 US daily Points of Light have been recognised through the USA programme. UK Points of Light was developed in partnership with the US programme and launched in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street in April 2014. Since then hundreds of people have been named Points of Light by the Prime Minister, highlighting an enormous array of innovative and inspirational volunteering across the length and breadth of Britain. Doing everything from tackling knife crime, to supporting families of dementia patients, our UK Points of Light are fundraising, awareness raising, problem solving heroes who all had an idea they decided to make a reality. Their actions have changed lives and their stories can inspire thousands more to get involved or start their own initiatives.

6 March 2018 – Federation of Small Businesses Celebration Small Businesses Award – South East Triumph over Adversity Award. Awarded by the Federation of Small Businesses Wessex. (Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, UK)

WetWheels celebrating as the winners of the South East Triumph over Adversity Award, Wetwheels collect their award from Sam Goode of The Old Fire Station, Tonbridge.

September 2017 – Lifetime Contribution to Philanthropy Award Awarded by Global Philanthropic. Presented by Dame Darcey Bussell

 

 

The Philanthropy Awards were first created in 2017, to celebrate distinguished leaders and innovators in the philanthropic community whose actions inspire others to do good, create change, and make a positive impact. Global’s first Lifetime Contribution to Philanthropy Award which recognises individuals who have demonstrated a sustained commitment and contribution to philanthropy and outstanding action and leadership was given to Geoff Holt MBE DL during the annual Talking Philanthropy event. Other recipients include Dame Stephanie Steve Shirley CH DBE and Yann Borgstedt.

November 2015 – Disabled Entrepreneur of the Year £50,000 Award.

 

Awarded by the Sir Stelios Foundation to recognize unique achievements of disabled entrepreneurs. Presented by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

Geoff was chosen personally by easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou for his work on WetWheels, a Community Interest Company (CIC) run out of Portsmouth. The two runners up, Andrew Gilbert of GilbeyFilms and Anna Wilkinson of MoreRehab.com both received £10,000 each.

Geoff  said ‘I am deeply honoured to have been chosen by Sir Stelios and the award will really give us the chance to expand our services for disabled people. Over the years I have witnessed thousands of disabled people of all ages enjoy our boats and services. It doesn’t matter if that is on a sail boat or a motor boat; it is being on the water that makes the difference.’

July 2013 – Geoff Holt and the Wetwheels Team are recognised as AT Volunteer Champion 

Geoff Holt & Wetwheels team received their Angling Trust certificates  and are officially approved to deliver the AT Let’s Fish programme.

March 2013 – Founded Wetwheels Solent as a Community Interest Company (CIC) serving the local community.

December 2012 – Geoff Holt is made Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire. Awarded by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

The role of a Deputy includes supporting and promoting the Lieutenancy in Hampshire. A Deputy also represents the Lord-Lieutenant in performing public duties when required. Deputies do not receive payment for undertaking duties. Their service to the county is entirely voluntary.

One of my roles as a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire is to sit on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service panel and every year, on the 2nd June (the anniversary of Her Majesty ascending the throne), winner’s of the year’s QAVS Awards are announced. It’s wonderful to witness the contribution volunteers are making to our communities

Another is to represent The Crown at Citizenship Ceremonies. It is really special to see  people from all parts of the Globe swear their Oath to The King and become British Citizens – all of whom choosing Hampshire to make their home. It is a real occasion with new Citizens having undertaken a beaurocratic process which has often taken many years to reach this point.

13th July 2012 – Torch carrier for London Olympic Games. Nominated Dame Ellen McArthur. 

In June 2011, when the design for the official Olympic torch was unveiled, the Chair of LOCOG Sebastian Coe said:

“The Torch that carries the Olympic Flame during the Olympic Torch Relay is one of the most recognisable and significant symbols of an Olympic Games. Members of the public right across the UK are busy nominating inspiring people to be Torchbearers and I am thrilled we have a beautifully designed, engineered and crafted Torch for them to carry.

“Integral to the design are the 8,000 circles, a lasting representation of the Torchbearer stories of personal achievement or contribution to their local community that will be showcased with every step of the Relay.”

The Olympic torch was to be carried by ‘8,000 inspirational people’ and Geoff Holt was nominated to carry the torch by Yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur because he “epitomised courage”, 

The torch relay began on May 10, 2012, in Olympia, Greece, and concluded at London’s Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012. Torchbearers, chosen via public nominations by the Games Organising Committee and partners Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung, carried the flame across Greece and then to the UK.

It started at Land’s End on the 19th with sailor Ben Ainslie. The route allowed 95% of the UK population to be within an hour of the procession, passing landmarks like Much Wenlock, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, the White Cliffs of Dover, Orkney and the Channel Islands.

Geoff carried the Olympic torch on the 13th July 2012.  Performance squad member Giles Scott (who beat Ben Ainslie to win the recent Sail for Gold regatta in the Finn class at Weymouth) carried the torch through Portland before passing to Geoff Holt who carried the torch in Swanage  from 12.35 as the torch made it’s final leg of its journey to the Olympic Stadium in East London.

I will always treasure the memories of carrying the torch in Swanage, what an honour, and what a reception from the crowd! Thank you to Ellen (Dame Ellen McArthur) for making this possible.

There were massive crowds on Swanage seafront to greet Geoff with the torch and many shops and businesses closed so staff can join the crowds.

Interestingly, Geoff felt that the handling of torchbearer places by sponsors and LOCOG damaged the experience of carrying the torch.

“If you’re asking yourself why the other torchbearers are there, it’s not right. Then if you can’t find out from the internet what their story is, then – because it’s supposed to be open and transparent – you wonder: this is our Olympics. What are they trying to keep from us?”

You can find out more about this story in 8,000 Holes: How the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Lost its Way. You can download the book for free – or choose to pay a donation, with all proceeds going to the Brittle Bone Society.

3rd June 2012 – Geoff Holt invited to take part in the Royal Flotilla for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Geoff sailed “Wetwheels” one of the elite wheelchair accessible powerboats on the River Thames on Sunday 3rd June 2012. He was part of the biggest flotilla in modern times, with rowing boats, working boats and pleasure vessels of all sizes all highly decorated with streamers and Union Jacks, stretching for an estimated 12-and-a-half miles. Geoff said

 “I’m very proud indeed. She is a magnificent boat and I’m thrilled to bits that I will have the opportunity to be there, on the Thames, playing a part in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.”

Every vessel took its place in the flotilla alongside Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family aboard the Royal Barge, The Spirit of Chartwell. The Spirit of ­Chartwell was turned into a royal barge to emulate those of the 17th and 18th ­centuries, painted in a red, gold and purple and sporting a gilded prow sculpture. Owner Philip Morrell said

“Six months of hard work went into making the royal barge, with countless hours of ­craftsmanship. We’ve had to give it a paint job after we took all the furniture and carvings away.”

 

 

2012 – Geoff Holt becomes the first Ambassador for the Disabled Powerboating Trust launched in 2012.

The Charity’s board of Trustees include Robert Braithwaite CBE, President of Sunseeker International; Chairman Ian Davies, Council Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, Shelley Jory-Leigh, British Powerboat Champion, Tracey Clarke, media specialist and Andy Fell, disability expert. The Trust will raise money from individual and corporate donors, identify providers of suitable craft, make grants and provide information to those with disabilities who wish to access the water under power.

 

 

 

Geoff said:

“The advantage of powerboating is that it allows people of all abilities to take part together, so families and friends can share the pleasure. I have already taken many people out on my adapted boat, ‘Wetwheels’, and no matter what their age or ability, the pleasure we get is the same for all. I wish the Disabled Powerboating Trust every success and wholeheartedly lend my support to its endeavours.”

October 2011 – Awarded membership of Cordon Rouge Club. Presented with Cordon Rouge Sabre. Presented with Cordon Rouge Sabre

Inspired by G.H. MUMM enthusiast Jean-Baptiste Charcot’s famous polar expedition of 1904, The Cordon Rouge club was founded in 2008 by Champagne G.H. Mumm, to recognise exceptional people for their extraordinary achievements within the realms of exploration, sailing, adventure and discovery.

It is an invitation-only club of approximately 30 members. The members are recognised for showing immense courage and dedication in their particular fields, from conquering mountains to traversing oceans single-handedly. The club is a way of celebrating the achievements of the members by bringing together like-minded, inspiring individuals on an annual basis.

The intrepid and renowned members of the club today include such world-famous adventurers as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (Sailor), Bear Grylls OBE (known worldwide as one of the most recognised faces of survival and outdoor adventure), Dee Caffari MBE (Sailor), Colonel John Blashford-Snell (Author/Explorer), Ben Fogle (Explorer/Broadcaster/Writer), Sir Ranulph Fiennes 3rd Baronet OBE (Named by the Guinness Book of Records as the ‘world’s greatest living explorer), Sir Chris Bonnington (Mountaineer), Dame Ellen MacArthur (Sailor), Ed Stafford (Former Army Captain, who recently became the first man ever to walk the length of the Amazon River), Olly Williams, Tom Avery (Explorer/Author), Oliver Stead, David Hempleman-Adams (Adventurer) Patrick Woodhead (Author/ Explorer) Neil Laughton, (Adventurer/Explorer), former Royal Marine Commando Rune Gjeldnes (Norwegian Adventurer) Polly Murray (Scottish Adventurer/ Explorer)

Geoff refers to it as possibly the best club in the world! 

March 2011 – Geoff Holt immortalised on British Virgin Island stamps  

“Who ever thinks they are going to be on a stamp? It’s very kind of them!”

On Geoff’s birthday, he was immortalised on three commemorative stamps issued by the Government of the British Virgin Islands bearing his image. The British Virgin Islands’ government invited Geoff, along with his family, back to share the postal honour with the islands’ Sailability group.

15th January 2011 – Honorary Belongership of the British Virgin Islands. Awarded by Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neil OBE, Premier of British Virgin Islands,

 “It came as a complete surprise and the significance was not lost on me. It is a huge honour…It is hard to think of any other community that I have lived in my life that has made me feel as welcome as the BVI. Despite being possibly the most inaccessible place on earth for a wheelchair, whenever I visit, I feel as though I am home.“

In the British Virgin Islands there are two forms of status: Belongership and BVIslander status.   Belonger status can be acquired in several ways, but generally it is granted as an honour in very rare cases. The honour has only ever been bestowed on two others – venture capitalist Laurance Rockefeller and local priest the Rev Peter Brannelly.

Geoff Holt and family were granted Honorary Belongership in the Virgin Islands at a reception hosted by His Excellency the Governor Mr. David Pearey. Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE (who is also the minister with responsibility for immigration and the longest ever serving elected representative in the British Virgin Islands) conferred upon Mr. Holt and his family honorary belonger status on January 15 at a short ceremony held at Government House. The Governor described Mr. Holt as an extraordinary individual who exudes energy, power, enthusiasm and high spirit.

“(Belongership) is a prize that is given out sparingly.  We think it is something that should be given to persons who have done so much to assist us here and especially in your situation. What you have done for this Territory is worth billions of dollars in advertisement and we are grateful.” – Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neil OBE

January 2011 – Paul Harris Fellowship. Awarded by Rotary International (British Virgin Islands)

Paul Harris was a Chicago attorney who formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision has gradually extended to humanitarian service with a long track record of addressing challenges in their communities and around the world. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents.  Founded on 5th January 1968, the Rotary Club of the British Virgin Island officially became the 138th Nation of Rotary International and today there are four active clubs located in the British Virgin Islands that are known collectively as the Rotary Clubs of the British Virgin Islands.

11th January 2011 – Geoff Holt is recognised as Yachting Journalists Association (YJA) Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year. Awarded by the Yachting Journalist Association. Presented by Sir Robin Knox Johnston. (Trinity House, London, United Kingdom)

The other finalists for the YJA Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year award were Edward Wright. Finn World Champion and double World Cup Winner and ladies world match racing champion Lucy McGregor.. She and her team are a promising prospect for the future of British sailing, having gained National, European and World Championship titles and rapidly risen through the ranks to lead the World rankings.

The trophy was presented by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, himself a three times winner of the award.

Geoff’s nomination for the award was announced in November as he collected an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II for services to disabled sailing.

“Given the choice between an MBE and Yachtsman of the Year, I think I would choose YOTY award every time! Tens of thousands of people receive MBEs but more people have walked on the moon than received the YOTY Award – it is the ultimate accolade in our sport because it is voted for by the people who matter most, the yachting journalists themselves, all of them experienced yachtsmen; it’s more like a “Knighthood of sailing” than an award!…What pleased me most is that it’s not a disability award, or an award because I’m disabled; it’s an award given by the yachting community to their peers. The list on the trophy includes all the greats – Sir Robin (Knox Johnston – the first person to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world), Dame Ellen (Macarthur), Ben Ainslie, Francis Chichester…the list goes on. It’s amazing to think that my name is now on it!”

September 2010 – The Paul Harris Fellowship. The second one awarded to Geoff Holt. This time by Rotary International (Hamble Valley, United Kingdom).

Paul Harris pioneered the service club movement with the founding of Rotary International. Rotary fulfilled his dream of a worldwide organisation of business and professional people. Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow recognition program was established the in 1957 for individuals who contribute, to the Rotary Foundation and/or their generous, ongoing support of Rotary and their community.When a person is recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow, they are presented with a Certificate signed by the Rotary International President and the Chairman of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation. During this event -in the spirit of “service above self”- rotary members recognise these individuals as Paul Harris Fellows for all they do in our community and in the world. Geoff is a member of the Rotary Club in Hamble Valley Many other notable figures have been named Paul Harris Fellows, including U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. astronaut James Lovell, UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, and polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk.

 

 

June 2010 – Geoff Holt makes Queen’s Birthday Honours List with MBE for services to disabled sailing. Award by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (Photo is from the investiture ceremony was held at Windsor Castle, Windsor, 16th November 2010)

The 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours list recognises outstanding achievement and service across the whole of the United Kingdom.The selection of these names was carried out by the independent committees during the previous administration.  But the current Prime Minister did, in accordance with the normal practice, submit them to The Queen for approval.

In total 975 people were recommended to The Queen for an award including 598 for MBEs. Upon hearing that he had been awarded an MBE, Geoff said:

“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet I don’t think. I feel a bit of a fraud. I do what I do because I love it not for accolade. It seems quite weird to be recognised for it. I genuinely believe sailing is one of the few sports if not the only sport that is available to anyone regardless of their ability…I’m absolutely flabbegasted. It’s been a big shock.I have been fortunate enough to have been given awards in the past but this is recognition from the whole country. My next goal over the coming years is to sail around the world so hopefully these three letters after my name will bring in more support.”

On 16 November 2010,  Geoff was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) after an Investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in Windsor, Berkshire, United Kingdom.

Both Geoff and his friend and sponsor Sir Peter Harrison received national honours in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2011, Geoff an MBE and Peter a CBE and both received our awards from the Queen at Windsor Castle on the same day which made it “very special“ according to Geoff.

November 2010 – Honorary doctorate of science. Awarded by Southampton Solent University (Southampton, UK)

At the annual graduation ceremonies, Solent University awards honorary degrees to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the fields of education, arts, sports, maritime studies and engineering and acknowledges their mastery of their field. Geoff Holt received a Doctor of Sport in November 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2010 – Honorary doctorate of Science. Awarded by the University of Winchester. (Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, UK)

Over 1250 students from the University of Winchester graduated, with the Chancellor of the University of Winchester, Dame Mary Fagan DCVO JP, Her Majesty’s LordLieutenant of Hampshire, presided over the graduation ceremony. The university gave honorary degrees to a selection of outstanding individuals including former England cricket captain David Gower OBE,  coemedian Shappi Khorsandi, Professor David Crystal (Internationally renowned linguist and author/co-author/editor or translator of over 100 books in the field of language), The Right Reverend Michael Scott-Joynt (96th Bishop of Winchester in 1995) and Geoff Holt MBE.

 

January 2010 – First disabled person to sail unassisted across the Atlantic in Impossible Dream.

Watch the BBC Edit online 

27th July 2009 – Geoff Holt named Great Briton of the year. Shortlisted and Awarded by British Airways

The prize was free air fare for his wife Elaine and son Timothy to and from Antigua in the Caribbean to meet Geoff at the completion of his sailing challenge taking Impossible Dream from Lanzarote to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands

The British Airways Great Britons programme was the first outing of its London 2012 ambassadors in paid for media as the airline looked to highlight its involvement as official airline partner of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The programme offered opportunities to work with brand ambassadors Heston Blumenthal, Richard E Grant and Tracey Emin  before the 2012 London Olympic Games.

 

 

 

 

1st September 2008 – Published “Walking on Water: A Voyage Around Britain and Through Life” An Autobiography

Walking on Water is Geoff’s very personal story of his life before the accident: how he learned to live with his disability, how he achieved remarkable success in spite of it, and, in particular, how he rediscovered the sea and helped to promote sailing opportunities for disabled people. It is also the story of how he conceived, organised, and completed the dangerous “Personal Everest” voyage of circumnavigating the UK in 2007 . Moving, uplifting, and written with humour, it is above all a journey through a remarkable life. Forward by HRH, The Princess Royal and afterward by Dame Ellen McArthur.

Available to purchase here.

Audible Sample of Geoff Holt reading his book here 

 

 

 

 

September 2008 – Great Briton of the year (shortlisted)

The Great Briton Awards are an annual event to indicate who has made the greatest contribution to British life during the year. They were sponsored by Morgan Stanley in 2008. and presented at London Guildhall on January 31, in London. Nominations are based on a shortlist generated by asking the public to identify the candidates. The nominations are divided into seven categories: Arts, Business, Campaigning, Creative Industries, Public Service, Science and Innovation and Sport with the top three contenders in each category going on to the next round. Geoff Holt was shortlisted for the Sport award. Lewis Hamilton won in the Sports Category for outstanding talent and being a great ambassador for Britain.

2008 – The Paul Harris Fellowship. The first one awarded to Geoff Holt by Rotary International (Hamble Valley).

The Rotary Club of Hamble Valley, Hampshire, England, presented Geoff with his first Paul Harris Fellow Recognition in 2008. As an honorary member of the club, regularly speaks to Rotary clubs about his life and journey, and overcoming barriers to making dreams real.

“We count ourselves extremely fortunate in having Geoff as a member. He’s a terrific chap and even though severely disabled, he takes part in as many of our projects as he can.” – Fellow Rotarian, Bernard Dannan

June 2008 – Quadriplegic of the year. Awarded by Regain. Presented by Trevor Jones.

Trevor Jones was a Royal Navy pilot until he broke his neck during trials for the Navy skiing team in 1987. He presented the award for Quadriplegic of the year to Geoff Holt in 2008. Trevor Jones was in fact the first tetraplegic to complete the Round Britain Voyage in November 2002 with two crew members about Inventure, his specially adapted sailing vessel. The 2,500-mile route took in Plymouth, Falmouth, Scilly Isles, Bristol, Milford Haven, Dublin, Liverpool, Carrickfergus (Northern Ireland), Fort William, Inverness, Buckie, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Ipswich, London, Dover, Portsmouth, Guernsey, and Plymouth as destinations.Trevor said

 

 

“I enjoyed sailing up the west coast of Scotland and the Caledonian Canal most of all because it was stunning, and it reminded me of my time at school in Scotland. The low point was in the middle of the Irish Sea with a gale forecast, when we lost the self-steering and hydraulic systems. I had two crewmembers seasick and was exhausted after having been up all night. We proved that the technology can work, although there were some problems which still need to be ironed out. Provided they get the right sort of backing, people with severe disabilities should be able to enjoy sailing in the same way able-bodied people can.” – Trevor Jones

2007 – Geoff Holt nominated for the Yachting Journalists Association (YJA) Pantaenius Yachtsman of the Year. Awarded by the Yachting Journalist Association to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. 

The Yachtsman of the Year Award was established in 1955 by Sir Max Aitken, Battle of Britain pilot, chairman of Express Newspapers, and a leading yachtsman in both sail and power. Other previous winners of the award include Dame Ellen MacArthur and four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie. The award went to Legendary Clipper Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston for completing the Velux5Oceans solo round the world race at age 68. Sir Robin first won Yachtsman of the Year in 1969 for the feat that made him enduringly famous and a national hero: winning the Golden Globe Race and becoming the first person to sail non-stop single-handed round the world on 32ft Suhaili in 312 days. (Only finisher in Sunday Times Golden Globe race) He won it again in 1994 jointly with Peter Blake for their record-breaking 74-day, 22-hour, 18-minutes 22-seconds round the world record in the catamaran ENZA New Zealand, and for the third time in 2007 when he completed the solo Velux 5 Oceans round the world race in this same Open 60. Worth noting that In 2015 Sir Robin Knox-Johnston won it again for the fourth time for his triumphant solo race in the Route du Rhum in November, in which he finished 3rd in class in his Open 60, Grey Power. Interestingly only Sir Ben Ainslie has equalled this number of Yachtsman of Year awards. Upon winning, he said:

“While I can, why would I stop? It is what I do!” – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

November 2007 – Geoff Holt named BBC South Sports Personality of the year. Awarded by BBC South (De Vere Hotel, Southampton, United Kingdom)

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award was created by Paul Fox, who thought of the idea while he was editor of the magazine show Sportsview. The first award ceremony took place in 1954. This is the main award of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, which takes place each December. The winner is the sportsperson, judged by a public vote, to have achieved the most that year. The recipient must either be British or reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the United Kingdom. The winner is selected from a pre-determined shortlist. Following a public phone vote, Geoff was given the accolade at the BBC South Sports Awards after polling a staggering 57% of the public vote to win the top award. He won against tough competition from Sussex Cricket Captain Chris Adams, sailor Sarah Ayton and Guildford Heat Basketball Coach Paul James.

November 2007  – BBC South sportsman of the year. Awarded by BBC South.

It was a double celebration for Geoff as he also scooped Sportsman of the Year, following his achievement of being the first disabled person to sail solo around Britain. The ceremony on 2nd December at the De Vere Hotel in Southampton was hosted by BBC’s Sally Taylor and Roger Johnson, and saw some of the region’s best sporting talent being recognised for their achievements. Upon winning Geoff said:

“Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me. I can’t begin to tell you what an honour it is to win these awards, particularly to win the overall Sports Personality award and by such a margin. I could not have climbed my Personal Everest without my crew and I thank each and everyone of them and also my wonderful sponsors, Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons, whose generous sponsorship made it possible. Thanks too to all of the companies, clubs, groups and individuals who provided equipment, specialist advice and support, this really was a team event that could only have happened with the help and support of you all. I will be forever grateful to each and everyone of you”

May 2007 – First disabled person to sail single-handed around Great Britain in Freethinker.

“It’s fantastic to know that I have achieved my dream. I have always wanted to sail around Great Britain and I cannot believe that I have done it.”

 

 

 

 

 

13th October 2004 – Geoff Holt receives Royal Yacht Association award for outstanding service to boating. Awarded by the RYA. Presented by RYA President HRH the Princess Royal

The RYA President HRH the Princess Royal, presented the RYA Awards to nine individuals who have made invaluable and outstanding contributions to the world of boating at the association’s Annual General Meeting.

Awards were presented to:
Geoff Holt for his inspiration and role as figurehead for the cause of disabled sailing for the last decade; Michael Shefras MBE, RYA Thames Valley Chairman for his outstanding service to the RYA as a member of Council and his invaluable work in protecting the interests of recreational boaters on the River Thames; John Rowlands for his services to the Llandudno Sailing Club and his enormous contribution to the development of the Welsh Yachting Association; Curly Morris OBE for his invaluable contribution to the administration of sailing in all areas from racing to training. Since he began sailing at 13 years old, Curly represented Ireland in no fewer than 23 World, European and other major international championships. He was sailing secretary at East Antrim Boat Club, nationally during the formation of the Olympic Committee of the Irish Yachting Association ;Bob Grant for his 30 years of dedicated service to the sport through his involvement in training with many organisations in the North West; John Selby for his dedicated committee work in the Southern Region; Oliver Ludlow for his service to RYA Scotland and his immense contribution to cruising, racing and training in Scotland; Robin Hill-Sanders for his work as Honorary Secretary in the Eastern region, one of the longest serving of the RYA regional secretaries, and his dedication to the Blackwater Sailing Club and Bob Holmes for his promotion and support of RYA activities across the country.

January 2000 – Francis Elkin Award for Services to Disabled Sailing. Awarded by the RYA, Present by HRH, Princess Royal

The RYA Volunteer Awards are divided into five categories: The RYA Awards, RYA Community Awards, The Francis Elkin Award, The Family Award and The Honor Preston Award. The Francis Elkin Award is one of the Royal Yachting Association’s most prestigious awards  given each year in recognition of a significant contribution of time, effort and personal endeavour to enable people with disabilities to become involved in sailing.

 

1997 – 2002 – Fine Arts Valuation, Antiques and Decorative Arts Degree BA HONS. Awarded by Southampton Solent University, (Southampton, UK)

The course was the UK’s undisputed number 1 course and was RICS accredited. For years it was  the chief source of new blood in the auction profession   as it provided a grounded theoretical understanding of the valuation of objects described as art and antiques. It was fundamentally inductive and inter-disciplinary including Art History, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics and Psychology. Financial value is strongly correlated with aesthetic value, created partially through the process of exchange, but largely through the ascribing of ‘meaning’ to objects through social and historical mechanisms. These mechanisms are examined using consumer behaviour paradigms. The economic notion of ‘artistic capital stock’ is also then assessed for its wider applicability.

 

 

 

September 1997 – World Disabled Multihull Championships. Hobie Cat Trapseat World Championships (California, USA ) Bronze Medalist.

Trapseats are hammock like wing seats that attach to either side of a Hobie 16 catamaran. Combine the Trapseat with the Hobie 16 and you have one of the most exciting sailing experience for those with disabilities.  Mike R. Strahle, the creator of the Trapseat broke his neck in 1985 while snow skiing at Squaw Valley USA. The accident left him with C5 quadriplegia. Now severely disabled, he could not move from the shoulders down, had no grip in his hands, and couldn’t even lift his arm high enough to feed himself using an adaptive fork/spoon holder. He said of the invention:

“In 1985, I invented Trapseat’s, an adaptive seat that accommodates the disabled sailor who happens to want to sail a Hobie 16 Catamaran. I did not invent Trapseat’s out of the goodness of my heart, I invented them because I had broken my neck snow skiing which left me as a quadriplegic. Hence, I was a quadriplegic with a Hobie 16 that simply wanted to go sailing. Trapseat’s worked, and I was able to set up comfortably, and, could even steer the boat. In fact, three weeks after I returned from rehabilitation I raced my Hobie 16 in the 1985 Whiskeytown Regatta…WhiskeyTown Lake (near Redding, California) is one of the most accessible National Recreation Parks in the entire world…And there you have it, how Trapseat’s were conceived! – Mike Strahle.

Mike hasn’t missed the Whiskeytown Regatta in over 25 years. You can find out more about the Hobie 16 Trapseat Championships in this video produced by a Canadian news station with Ken Kelly.

1996 – Geoff Holt named as Chairman and member of the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) Paralympic Steering Group (PSG)

Sailing was first introduced to the Paralympics as a demonstration sport in 1996. This group  oversaw the selection of our Paralympic sailors in the UK. Geoff said:

“Although I never competed myself in a Paralympic sailing event,  I was one of many who lobbied hard and worked tirelessly to get sailing into the Paralympics in 1996. It was a role I loved and one I committed to over three separate Paralympic quadrennial cycles. I saw first-hand the passion, the commitment, the sheer determination and skills of disabled sailors from around the world, it never ceased to amaze me the degree of skill of those competing. But beyond the individuals, there were teams of supporters, coaches, tacticians and physios, not to mention the friends, the family, sponsors and all of us who watch the racing, either on television or at the events. These athletes are more than just sailors, they are role models. As a disabled person myself, we need role models who we can identify with. Role models inspire the next generation of sailors, be they just recreational sailors or whether they choose to be competitive and who knows, ultimately represent their country.”

1995 – Geoff Holt becomes inaugural Chairman of the charity RYA Sailability.

Around 1 in 5 people have a disability so understanding the barriers that prevent people taking part is really important.  Sailing is one of the very few sports in which able-bodied sailors and disabled sailors can participate on equal terms. Within a decade of Geoff’s involvement, the charity raised £2 million and established over 200 groups and clubs. Through RYA Sailability, over 20,000 people in the UK with a disability have been able to experience sailing and sail regularly. Sailability continues to encourage and support people with disabilities to take up the sport and facilitate sites to develop sailing opportunities. Useful sailability club and centre support resources can be found here 

 

September 1995 – World Disabled Multihull Championships. Hobie Cat Trapseat World Championships (New South Wales, Australia) Bronze Medalist.

Hobie Cat was founded by Hobart Alter. While initially a surfboard manufacturer in the late 1950s, Alter’s focus changed in 1961 towards designing an easily beached, fiberglass catamaran.  In 1969, Hobie released the Hobie 16, their most popular catamaran and the world’s largest one-design catamaran class. Over 135,000 Hobie 16 Cats have been built. This was followed by many other similar beachcats: the Hobie 18 in 1976, the Hobie 17 in 1985, the Hobie 21 in 1987, the Hobie 18SX in 1989, the Hobie 17 Sport in 1990, the Hobie 20 in 1991, and the Hobie 21 Sport Cruiser in 1992. The Hobie 16 is the most popular Hobie Cat, both for recreational and racing purposes and as a one-design racer. The boat is 16 ft 7 in (5.05 m) long, 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) wide, and has a mast 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) tall, but only weighs 320 lb (150 kg). As with the 14, it is intended to be sailed from the beach through the surf, and to be surfed back in on the waves to the beach. Instead of daggerboards or centreboards, the 16 has asymmetrical hulls which act like foils and keep the boat from crabbing, or slipping sideways from the force of the wind. Both jib and main sails are fully battened and total 218 sq ft (20 m²). A trapeze is usually used by the crew and helmsman.

You can see a demonstration of the complete trapeze system – Hobie 16 or any catamaran by Joyrider TV here. 

1990 – Geoff  joined the Royal Yachting Association Council.

RYA stands for Royal Yachting Association. Set up in 1875 as the Yacht Racing Association, the RYA has since become the national governing body for dinghy, motor and sail cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sportsboats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative body for inland waterways cruising. The RYA exists to get more people into boating and watersport activities, promote safe boating practices and raise the standards of yachting and sailing in the UK through its network of more than 2,400 RYA recognised training centres in more than 58 countries, and more than 1,500 RYA affiliated clubs.

The RYA Council is the RYA’s senior policy-making body in boating matters, responsibility for the Association’s different activities and areas of interest is delegated to a number of policy committees. The main function of the policy committees and sub-committees is to agree and oversee the implementation of RYA policy in their respective areas. Responsibility for day-to-day management of each area rests with the RYA’s professional staff, with the relevant departmental manager acting as secretary to his or her committee.

1987 National Total Ability Award

Mentioned in Geoff’s Autobiography, Walking on Water 

Geoff Holt’s Impact on Advocacy and Motivation:

Geoff’s personal life, especially his relationship with his wife and son, has profoundly influenced his advocacy for accessible sailing and his broader mission to improve the lives of people with disabilities. His family’s experiences have informed his understanding of the importance of inclusivity, community, and the right to adventure and joy, regardless of physical limitations.

In essence, Geoff Holt’s personal life, marked by a strong and supportive marriage and close family ties, has been both a sanctuary and a source of strength. His family has played an essential role in his resilience and determination to break barriers, not just for himself but for the wider community of individuals with disabilities.

The challenges Geoff faced following his accident were profound, not just physically but emotionally and psychologically. However, instead of succumbing to despair, he used these challenges as a catalyst for change, both for himself and for the broader community. His family’s support has been crucial in this transformation. Geoff often speaks about the importance of having a positive mindset and resilience, qualities that have been bolstered by his family’s unwavering support.

Geoff’s accident and subsequent life as a quadriplegic could have ended his sailing career. Instead, it redirected his path towards making sailing accessible for others facing similar challenges. His personal experiences with disability have deeply informed his advocacy work, driving him to dismantle the barriers that keep people with disabilities from participating in sailing and other activities.

This personal connection to the cause is what makes Geoff’s contributions to sailing and disability advocacy so impactful. He understands firsthand the therapeutic effects of being on the water and the sense of freedom and independence it can bring. This understanding has been the driving force behind the establishment of the Wetwheels Foundation, which not only provides accessible sailing experiences but also promotes inclusivity and empowerment for individuals with disabilities.

Geoff’s family life, marked by love, resilience, and mutual support, has not only provided him with the strength to navigate his own challenges but has also inspired his efforts to enable others to overcome theirs. Through his work, Geoff extends the same sense of support and possibility that he has experienced in his personal life to the wider community, embodying the principle that with the right support and opportunities, anyone can navigate the challenges they face and contribute meaningfully to society.

Impact and Legacy

Geoff’s successful circumnavigation of Great Britain in 2007 was more than a personal victory; it was a landmark achievement in the world of sailing and disability advocacy. By completing this journey, Geoff challenged societal perceptions of what is possible for individuals with disabilities. He showed that with the right support, adaptations, and determination, barriers can be broken.

This voyage also had a profound impact on the sailing community. It paved the way for more inclusive practices and highlighted the need for accessible sailing opportunities. Geoff’s journey was a catalyst for change, inspiring sailing clubs and organisations to consider how they could become more inclusive to sailors with disabilities.

“One thing I have learned about being disabled is it is pointless looking backwards; it is all about looking forward and following your dreams.”

“Life is a journey and I have come a long way since those teenage years when my life changed forever. For the better, as it happens.”

Miscellaneous notes:

• Geoff has spoken to just about every audience conceivable around the world; from after-dinner speeches in royal palaces and primary school assemblies, to Heads of business in FTSE 100 companies and keynote speaking to conferences of a thousand or more people. In-person speaking slots  & Virtual Event prices upon request – contact Emma@emari.co.uk for more information. 

• Geoff Holt’s book is available to purchase here.
•  ‘Over the Horizon – An Invitation’  is WetWheels recently published strategy. – Please email Neil Wilson for more details and to receive your copy.
• You can read WetWheels Environmental and Sustainability Policy, and ongoing commitment wherever possible, to help protect and preserve our coastline.
• You can donate to Finishing The Dream here. Please highlight that you read about it on the Sailor’s Paradise website -we appreciate the love!
• Have any photos, anecdotes or additional information you can share about Geoff Holt or just want to share your feedback about this article? Contact Hello@Sailors-Paradise.com