Man plans mammoth sailing fundraiser

A man from the UK is to sail from North Wales to the Isle of Man next year - in a boat designed for lakes and shallow coastal waters.

Keith Darch from Ellesmere Port will undertake the trip in a 17-foot dinghy to raise money for the Amelia-Mae Foundation, which supports children with neuroblastoma.

Mr Darch says he hopes to make the journey from Llandudno and the return trip in just 13 hours with the help of a friend.

And he's now launched an online fundraising page on the JustGiving website, which has raised more than £1,400.

Mr Darch says the boat he's using, a Laser 5000, isn't normally used in rough waters - and he's expecting a tough trip across the Irish Sea.

He's aiming to raise £5,000 in total, and says if the journey's successful it would set a new world record for the dinghy.

He told a newspaper in the UK he fully expects the boat, which has no engine, will capsize and he'll have to do a lot of swimming.

And he says he's still looking for somebody to make the journey alongside him and act as an escort boat.