Isle of Wight presenters Paul Topping and Heather McCallum are taking part in one of the world’s biggest yacht races this weekend.
It’s their second attempt at the 60-mile Round the Island competition after they had to be towed to shore when their rudder failed last year.
1,800 boats and around 7,000 sailors are joining the race on Saturday, with the team from Isle of Wight Radio doing it to raise money for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. Record-breaking yachtswoman Dame Ellen has been giving Paul and Heather advice as part of their preparations for the event.
Paul presents the breakfast show as well as being Programme Director of the station, while Heather does the afternoon show. The pair will be tweeting live as well as broadcasting from the 3m long boat – which has no toilet and only just has room for four people.
Last year they were 20 miles short of the finish line after 10 hours of hard sailing when their race was cut short. “I think we are even more nervous this year but are determined to make it all the way around,” Paul told RadioToday.co.uk. “Thanks to some amazing instruction and support I am confident, if not a little apprehensive that this year we will make it and we hope to raise lots of money for Ellen’s charity!”
Posted on Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 at 2:01 pm by RadioToday UK