Fort Lauderdale greets Oceans of Hope yacht

by Sailing Sclerosis Foundation on 4 Dec 2014 Oceans of Hope, the 67-foot yacht undertaking the first circumnavigation with a working crew of people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), has arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the latest leg of a 33,000-nautical mile global voyage.

Oceans of Hope sailed into Fort Lauderdale this morning at 11:00 a.m. local time to an enthusiastic dockside audience awaiting their arrival. Cheers ensued, horns blared and the crew looked happy to arrive in the tropical landscape of Florida.

It has been a long and arduous journey for some, including Christina Lamb Sidell, who joined the Oceans of Hope crew several weeks ago in New Jersey and sailed the extreme offshore passage around Cape Hatteras. A wife and mother hailing from Burlington, Vermont, Lamb Sidell was diagnosed with MS in 2010 when she developed optic neuritis. Since then, she has decided to face her diagnosis head-on, Lamb Sidell now views MS as a challenge that she can overcome.

'What can I do? How far can I go? What haven't I done that I still want to do? How can I learn to work around such an unpredictable disease?' She finally states, 'I take action and seize the day.'

Oceans of Hope was greeted on the dock by media, family, friends, and MS advocates, including Alan Segaloff, Co-Executive Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation based in Fort Lauderdale.

'Oceans of Hope is navigating the seas to bring awareness about MS and offers an opportunity for people with MS to feed their dreams not their fears about MS,' said Segaloff. 'The motivation of this incredible crew is an inspiration to us all and we at the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation are proud to be a part of this initiative.'

During the six-day stopover in Fort Lauderdale Oceans of Hope will be berthed at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, in the heart of sunny Fort Lauderdale and people living with MS will be invited to take part in sailing trips on the sixth of December. Further information can be found at Sailing Sclerosis website.

Later in the evening on December 6th, the Oceans of Hope crew will receive an award for their determination and dedication to sail around the globe at the 'HATS OFF! Gala' at the Hyatt Regency, benefitting the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

Oceans of Hope is the flagship vessel of a campaign by the same name which aims to change perceptions of MS during the course of its 17-month global journey, encouraging participation in sailing as the yacht makes its way around the world. It is a project of the Sailing Sclerosis Foundation which was founded by Danish doctor and psychotherapist, Mikkel Anthonisen.

The Oceans of Hope project aims to educate, inspire and motivate those living with MS. Instead of accepting a diagnosis and feeling paralyzed in life. The experience of sailing is intended to open new doors of opportunity and challenge the feeling of a life-sentence that often comes when one is faced with the challenges of MS.

Oceans of Hope's voyage began in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 15, 2014 and has made stopovers in numerous port cities in Europe, crossed the North Atlantic and was a centerpiece at the MS2014 ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Conference hosted in Boston, Massachusetts, where the yacht and crew were presented to the 9,000 international attendees. Oceans of Hope will set sail following the short stop in Fort Lauderdale to continue the global journey, heading south through the Panama Canal and crossing the Pacific Ocean for visits to New Zealand, Australia and Asia. This ground-breaking circumnavigation will end in Barcelona during October of 2015 where the yacht and crew will attend the MS2015 ACTRIMS-CTRIMS global conference.

People living with MS from all over the world are participating as crew on each leg of the voyage and places are still available on board throughout the journey. To find out more and apply to take part, those living with MS may download the application forms at Sailing Sclerosis website.

Biogen Idec is the Official Partner of Oceans of Hope. Through cutting-edge science and medicine Biogen Idec discovers, develops and delivers to patients worldwide innovative therapies for the treatment of MS. Founded in 1978, Biogen Idec is the world's oldest independent biotechnology company.

Oceans of Hope will set sail from Bahia Mar Yachting Center in Fort Lauderdale on December 8, 2014.