A Manxman with no previous ocean sailing experience has spent almost a year at sea and completed the world’s longest ocean race to raise funds for a charity which helps older people to live independently. Marc Hundleby, aged 48, has raised ?1,087 so far for Isle of Man Live At Home schemes after finishing the Clipper 2015-16 Round The World Yacht Race. Divided into eight legs, the event comprises 14 individual races – and Marc is the first Manxman ever to complete it.
He said: “I am so proud to be the first Manxman to complete a circumnavigation in the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race and help raise funds for the Isle of Man Live at Home schemes. This has been one of the toughest physical and mental challenges of my life. There have been many highs and lows, from winning our division in the Sydney to Hobart race, to being knocked down by an 80 foot wave in the North Pacific Ocean. The 48,430 miles of sailing have certainly delivered an experience I will never forget.”
The Clipper Race, the only event of its kind which trains amateur sailors to become ocean racers, concluded on Saturday July 30th with a ‘parade of sail’ up the River Thames, under Tower Bridge into the finish at St Katharine Docks. After crossing the line, Marc commented: “It was an extremely emotional time knowing my family and friends were waiting to greet me, and I could see a number of Manx flags being waved from balconies and the dockside.”
Race organisers provided a fleet of 12 identical 70-foot ocean racing yachts, each with a fully qualified skipper. All crew members, many of whom were sailing novices like Marc, completed a rigorous training course before being allowed to take up the challenge.
The race began at St Katharine Docks in London on August 30 last year with the first leg finishing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The rest of the route took in Cape Town, two ports in Australia, China, Seattle, and through the Panama Canal en route to New York. The final leg was from the Big Apple to Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, and back to the finish at St Katharine Docks.
Marc is originally from the Isle of Man and after leaving the Island in 1996 worked in Hong Kong, Sydney and Dubai. He currently lives in Sydney, but still calls the Isle of Man home and returns whenever he can to see friends and family. He took part in the race aboard the Da Nang - Viet Nam yacht which had a crew of around 50 in total, with 20 to 22 on board at any one time.
Marc, who is an IT Project and Programme Manager who has worked in the finance, IT, energy, telecoms and construction sectors, added: “After working in the corporate world for most of my career I wanted to do something for other people rather than fuel the corporate machine. I wanted to select an organisation based in the Isle of Man and help the Manx community. As I am passionate about people’s independence, and also feel strongly about how isolated older adults can become, the Live At Home schemes charity was the perfect choice.”
There are approximately 700 older people who are members of the five Isle of Man Live At Home schemes (including the Northern Men In Sheds group) which are run by a team of 12 MHA staff and around 500 volunteers. All the schemes are run by the local branch of the UK-based charity MHA. Jo Dixon, MHA Area Manager for the Isle of Man, commented: “Many congratulations to Marc for completing this challenge, it’s an amazing achievement. I am delighted that he chose to raise money for our charity and thank Marc and all of his generous sponsors who contributed to such a fantastic fundraising total. It’s this kind of support that enables us to continue to enhance and expand what we do across the Island.”
It’s not too late if you want to make a donation, just go to www.justgiving.com/marc-hundleby
To find out more about Isle of Man Live At Home schemes phone 616571, email Isleofman.liveathome@mha.org.uk or find the charity on Facebook. You can also visit www.mha.org.uk
To find out more about the Clipper Race visit www.clipperroundtheworld.com
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