Disabled teen to embark on extraordinary sailing attempt

Inspirational sailing teenager Natasha Lambert is scheduled to embark on her latest challenge today. The 17-year-old was born with athertoid cerebral palsy, which affects her limbs and speech and confines her to a wheelchair. She sails using ‘sip and puff' - using her breathing alone to control her sailing boat. Last July Natasha, then aged 16, sailed across the English Channel from Boulogne, France to Dover, Kent in four and a half hours in her Artemis 20 boat Miss Isle. The previous year she sailed around the Isle of Wight, about 60 miles, which is the longest she has ever sailed. This afternoon, between 1pm and 4pm, Natasha is scheduled to set off from Cowes Yacht Haven on the Isle of Wight on her biggest challenge yet. 'Sea and Summit' is a month-long challenge sailing her 21ft Mini Transat, Miss Isle Too, single-handed around the South West coast of England to Wales - some 430 miles. She will then swap her boat for a special walking aid to climb Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons, the highest peak in Southern Britain. Natasha, who lives on the Isle of Wight, aims to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Foundation, and to encourage others with disabilities to get on the water. The teenager will be supported during the challenge by her sailing coach, Phil Devereux, who is managing the event, plus powerboating champion Shelley Jory-Leigh who will be leading Natasha's safety boat team. Find out more at www.missisle.com