Life adjustments - sail to raise money & awareness

by Media Services on 2 Aug 2006 Ground Breaking Medical Research supported by Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race crew member.

On Monday 7th August 2006 Neil Basil will be setting sail for the Round Britain and Ireland Race with Global Yacht Racing. The race is a non-stop, 1760 mile sailing challenge starting and finishing in the Solent.

As well as racing to win he plans to raise funds for a ground-breaking £132,000 research project into the genetic causes of Ulcerative Colitis. Although Ulcerative Colitis was first diagnosed over 150 years ago we still don't know what causes this incurable condition that affects around 120,000 people in the UK. Neil will be donating the proceeds of his fundraising to the NACC, the National Association for Colitis and Chrohn's Disease which is behind the research project.

Neil was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1999 and three years later was medically discharged from the Army. Early in 2004 he became critically ill with food poisoning and shortly after required life saving surgery. His large bowel was completely removed and overnight he had to adjust to life with a stoma bag stuck to his abdomen.

After a number of difficult years and many surgery he is now in a position to look to the future feeling fitter, healthier and happier than he can ever recall.

The yacht is a Corby 45, a fully equipped and highly competitive race yacht. Incisor won the last Round Britain and Ireland Race in 2000 and since then has undergone a full refit. She boasts a competitive sail wardrobe and is ready to race hard and fast!

The crew have joined Global Yacht Racing to form a team of ten that will train intensively before the race. They will enter three qualifying races that take place in the English Channel and are excellent preparation for the race itself. They will also train in the Solent and undergo Safety and Sea Survival training.
The team members are united by their enthusiasm and are committed to working hard and achieving the best result they can in the massive challenge of racing non–stop around Britain and Ireland.

Neil says “Although a part of me will never forget the trauma of the last two years, the whole experience is now only a vague memory which serves to spur me on with the rest of my life. Overall I have found the whole experience to have been positive - but I am one of the lucky ones. Many people suffer unbearably for years. Now I have the opportunity to make a difference to the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer the same problems I had. The donations will help to ensure more people can make the most of their lives and don't give up hope, and will make a major contribution towards curing these diseases for good.”

Visit Neil’s website at http://www.neilbasil.co.uk/index.php


Global Yacht Racing offers individuals of mixed ability the opportunity to become part of an outstanding yacht racing team in premier races and regattas around the world. High profile races include: The Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, The Rolex Fastnet Race, Skandia Cowes Week, Ford Cork Week and The Rolex Middle Sea Race. www.globalyachtracing.com


The National Association for Colitis & Crohn’s Disease is dedicated to improving life for people affected by these debilitating conditions, and creating a wider understanding of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

About the diseases:

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease are incurable Inflamatory Bowel Diseases affecting 200,000 people in the UK. There are up to 20,000 new cases diagnosed every year, the majority of whom will be aged between 15 and 35 years old.

They cause debilitating symptoms of bloody diarrhoea and abdominal pain. It can also affect the body in other ways, for example inducing continual tiredness and inflammation in the eyes, skin and joints. They can predispose to bowel cancer.

About the research project:

NACC is currently fundraising to launch the largest study attempted to-date into identifying genes that influence susceptibility to Ulcerative Colitis, or influence the behaviour of the disease once it has occurred.

The research will take advantage of newly-available genotyping technologies and the infrastructure for collecting and processing large samples of DNA established for work being carried out by the £9 million pound Wellcome Trust genetic research study. This collaboration has enabled the NACC to greatly reduce costs. They now need to raise £132,000 to fund year one (an analysis of 15,000 key genetic markers) and £52,000 to fund year two (a further investigation into the top 10% of markers identified in year one).