Hero quad sailor completes solo sail round Britain

8:21 PM Tue 1 Sep 2009 GMT

'Hilary Lister triumphant quad sailor - photo by The Sun' .

Hilary Lister, the inspirational quadriplegic yachtswoman, has completed her ambitious project to sail solo around the British Isles by returning to Dover.

She was a day earlier than expected, arriving on Monday.

Hilary sailed clockwise along the coasts of Cornwall, Wales, The East Coast of Ireland, Scotland, The Caledonian Canal, The East Coast of England and home to the finish line in Dover.

The inspirational sailor, from Selling, near Faversham, Kent, suffers from a degenerative disease and has no use of her arms and legs. She steers her specially-adapted Artemis 20 keelboat by a sip-and-puff computerised system involving three straws - one puff to port, one sip to starboard.

It is the same yacht that saw her successfully sail around the Isle of Wight in 2007. She has sailed around the British and Irish coast in legs of between 30 to 50 nautical miles, venturing into the North Sea and crossing the Irish Sea.

She had a dedicated support team who at one time had to step in when her dry suit filled with water.

The voyage commenced in 2008 when Hilary and the team sailed from Dover to Newlyn, in Cornwall, but she was unable to complete the project in 2008 after bad weather and technical issues - not her health - hampered her progress and she missed the vital summer window for completing the Scottish portion. It was a tough decision, but she decided to postpone the dream and complete the journey this year.

Hilary showing her sip and puff method - .. .

She set off on 21st May this year and just over three months later has returned to her starting point in Dover to celebrate a momentous achievement that has inspired thousands of people across the UK and around the world.

Talking about the highly adaptable Artemis 20 yacht, Hilary concluded, 'I love the Artemis 20, she is a fantastic boat to sail that has looked after me so well, seeing me through everything from force 0 to force 6 and gusting 40 knots.'

During her journey she has been raising money for Hilary's Dream Trust, which aims to help other disabled and disadvantaged adults to achieve their sailing dreams.

The Artemis in action - photo by Mark Lloyd - .. .

Hilary found herself in a wheelchair at 15, and as her conditioned worsened she said life was not worth living until a friend introduced her to sailing.

For more information about Hilary, or the Hilary Dream Trust, go to her website .

The yacht that Hilary used, the Artemis 20, now forms the core of the Even Keel Project in the UK, designed to offer sailing to disabled and disadvantaged audiences who would not usually have access to the sport. Dave Rutter, Managing Director of the Even Keel Project concluded, 'The Artemis 20 has been a fantastic vessel for Hilary and everyone at the Artemis Even Keel Site UK congratulates her on this wonderful accomplishment in successfully finishing her round Britain and Ireland dream.'

To learn more about the Even Keel Project, or know of anyone who you feel might benefit then please contact the team via the Even Keel website

by Blackwattle Studios