Geoff Holt

Just to prove that the Challenger is really seaworthy, Geoff Holt, who is quadriplegic, not only raced his own boat Billy on the  Challenger regatta circuit during the 1990s but he circumnavigated the Isle of Wight in it and, in 2007,  Geoff achieved what seemed to be the impossible by sailing over 1,400 miles around the coast of Britain in a journey that took 109 days. To see more of Geoff’s adventures, buy his book "Walking on Water" (Seafarer Books) or visit his website by clicking here: www.geoffholt.com

 

To see examples of what a trimaran can do in the right hands, look at these links:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bjD2734WAU

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2wCSG3NPc

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FmGeNVvWK4

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP-67_sPgGc

 

The Challenger can be a wet boat because of its narrow hulls but it is also exhilarating and being able to reach speeds of up to 13 knots means that the boat can keep up with Lasers as they plane in stronger winds. In fact, the Challenger has been described as a “Laser with stabilisers” and, with a rig that responds well to tuning, it rewards the skills of good racers and the seamanship of competent cruising sailors, just  as its name suggests.

   If you haven't tried it, why not go to the "Where to Sail" pages and find your nearest Challenger group. Most of them will let you have a trial sail or two free of charge, to make sure you are comfortable before paying a membership fee. They may also offer tuition so that, with the help of the information on the Challenger website, you can become a competent sailor and perhaps follow Geoff's example.