Cartoon courtesy of Bob Cooper, www.freewebs.com/onthenose

Roger and Josie are sailing their Contessa32, Nordlys around Britain to raise funds and awareness for Brain Tumour and Cancer charities and to complete a great personal challenge.

Photo: Josie awake during her first operation to remove her tumour

In the UK more children and people under the age of 40 die of a brain tumour than any other cancer – yet brain tumour research is woefully under-funded

Josie was diagnosed with a low grade brain tumour in 2004 and in 2008 after three operations we discovered it had progressed to grade 4 (malignant). Since then Josie has been treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as developing an infection which led to yet another operation and she is now without a section of skull!

The length of Josie's life is rather uncertain but one thing is for sure - She is determined to live it and enjoy it!

Since meeting Roger in 2003 Josie discovered a love for sailing, starting with dinghy sailing on the Norfolk Broads. We bought a Cornish Shrimper a couple of years ago to enable our adventures to grow and have enjoyed sailing her on the Broads and also the Orwell.

Receiving the terrible news of Josie's tumour progressing, made us look at life in a new light. As an outdoor enthusiast, Josie has always been planning the next adventure. Everest base camp, and the Himalayas may now be out of reach but that's not going to stop her. Josie can't give up on adventure and came up with a mission to sail all the way round Britain. This would enable us to have a great adventure and also raise awareness and funds for a terrible disease in which research and support services are woefully underfunded all within easy reach of UK medical centres.

...So a new boat was necessary!

We sold our Shrimper, bullied Roger's parents, persuaded his brother (it didn't take much!)and drove to Falmouth to buy 'Nordlys'.

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