Having learnt to sail in the RAF, Steve Paul bought a 30-year old Oyster Mariner 35 yacht when he left the military after 32 years service, and has spent the last 12 months renovating Brown Eyes to bring her back in to seaworthy condition.
Not content with a leisurely retirement spent cruising his local east coast rivers, Steve has set himself three challenges over the next few months to raise awareness and funds for the East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH), the first of which is to circumnavigate the UK in Brown Eyes.
In preparation for this demanding trip, Fox’s Marina and Boatyard gave Brown Eyes a complete respray and some new stainless steel work and to help Steve with his fundraising have been pleased to make a donation to EACH, of which HRH The Duchess of Cambridge is Patron.
Steve commented; “I have personally visited The Treehouse Hospice in Ipswich and was moved and impressed by just how much support the care teams give to children and their families with the emotional and physical challenges that they face, helping them to make the most of life. I wanted to make some kind of difference and hopefully by taking on these three challenges I will be able to highlight their work and create awareness.”
Will Taylor-Jones, MD of Fox’s Marina & Boatyard said: “We are delighted to be able to support Steve’s endeavours for such a worthwhile cause, especially as EACH provides such a fantastic facility to families in our own community. We wish Steve fair winds for his trip and look forward to seeing him safely back at Fox’s Marina.”
Steve’s other two challenges include the 100km Ultra Race of the Stour Valley Path and Britain’s most brutal race, The Spine Race, the longest, coldest and most demanding mountain marathon in Britain.
You can follow Steve’s progress on board Brown Eyes and make a donation to Steve’s fundraising campaign for EACH by visiting his dedicated web page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/stevepaul
For more information about the East Anglian Children’s Hospices: www.each.org.uk