NOMAD Sponsors 2007 Circumnavigation of the UK by Kayak

 

NOMAD is proud to announce its sponsorship of Noel Webb in his circumnavigation of the United Kingdom mainland.

 

The Challenge

 

My name is Noel Webb, I’m a 24 year old from Worcester who, on the first weekend in

May, is setting out on what will be one of the most exciting and difficult challenges

of my life – to kayak, alone, around the coast of mainland UK.

 

So why would I decide to do this; why take 5 months off work to kayak over 4000km

when the internal combustion engine has been around for a few years now.

 

Well one reason is that despite travelling all around the world I have never really properly

seen the UK, one of the most varied and interesting coastlines in the world. Doesn’t it make

sense to see why people travel from across the world to paddle off North West Scotland?

 

Another motivation is to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. I have seen first hand

the good work the Trust does in their support of my 18-year-old cousin who sadly died of

Cystic Fibrosis in 2000. The aim of this challenge is to raise £10,000 for the Trust to fund

their gene therapy research.

 

Cystic Fibrosis is the UK’s most common life threatening inherited disease there is no cure.

1 in 20 people are non-symptomatic carriers of the defective gene and each week five

babies are born in the UK with the disease and three young people die – 90% from lung

disease.  Average life expectancy is just 31.

 

Along the way I expect to face many challenges from the Atlantic swells of Lands End and

Cornwall to the remote coastline of Scotland. At times I will be making long crossings

including the busy River Thames estuary and the Bristol Channel with its extreme tidal ranges.

 

I expect that I will average some 36km a day paddling with the whole journey taking some

120 days. This predication also includes ample time to allow for unfavourable weather

conditions or problems that might arise during the expedition.

 

NOMAD and its staff wish Noel the very best of luck and a safe return.