Fundraising for Laurel House Chemotherapy Unit.

My name is Michael Browne, and I am a 60-year-old man from Magherafelt, last year I retired from my work in local authority, and I had the pleasure of spending 37 very enjoyable and rewarding years. My job consisted of project management and working to tight deadlines and the one worry I had about retiring was the void not working would leave, so I decided that I needed a challenge to give me a focus, especially in my first year of retirement.

I have owned and sailed boats most of my life and initially, I was considering sailing around Ireland during the summer months 2022 as a personal challenge. However, before Christmas 2021 a friend and fellow sailor from Ballyronan Boat Club, Elwyn Agnew suggested that he was thinking of participating in a transatlantic race called ARC + on his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45-foot sailboat called Optimistic and asked if I would be interested.

After some discussion with my wife Patricia, we agreed that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and should not be missed, I contacted Elwyn and agreed to participate in the 2022 ARC + race and this was a perfect goal for me as I had the entire year to prepare for the race, which sets sail from Grand Canaria on Sunday 6th November 2022 at 1300 (Local time).

ARC+ takes sailors across the Atlantic from Gran Canaria to the Caribbean via the Cape Verde archipelago. Originally launched in response to the ever-growing popularity of the ARC, the route via the Cape Verde islands is now firmly established as a standalone rally with its own unique identity.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45-foot sailboat called Optimistic

The Cape Verde islands are ideally placed for boats to sail ‘south until the butter melts’ and the route includes a stopover at Mindelo, São Vicente. The new landfall marina is Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina is situated in the lagoon to the south of St George’s Harbour and is ideally placed for the Atlantic crossing landfall. The Caribbean Island Grenada is situated at the southern end of the Windward Island chain and is ideally placed for sailing north through some of the best cruising areas in the Caribbean. The total time at sea will be between 20 – 24 days (hopefully) in total covering some 3,000 nautical miles, sailing 24/7.

Leg 1 - Gran Canaria - Cape Verde

Leg 2 - Cape Verde to Grenda

During this time, I would expect to encounter all types of weather conditions and suffer from mental and physical fatigue as we will be operating a 4-hour on with a 4-hour off shift, every day that we are participating in the race. In total there will be a team of 5 people on Optimistic.

Having agreed to do the ARC + race several friends asked if I was considering fundraising for a charity because of taking part in ARC +, and having given it considerable thought, I now want to raise money for Laurel House Chemotherapy Unit at Antrim Hospital.

At some stage in our lives, we all will have to deal with cancer and when it comes to your door it’s only then that you see the brilliant and dedicated folk that work with cancer patients every day, putting the patient's needs first. Recently I had two relatives attending Laurel House one on the Browne side and the other on Patricia’s family, the Kelly’s and we were overwhelmed with the staff at Laurel House and how they went over and above to ensure that our family was treated with the highest level of dignity and professionalism. Laurel House deals with hundreds of patients every week, given time receiving their brilliant care.

Laurel House Chemotherapy Unit provides an outpatient service and a day unit for the delivery of chemotherapy, and other treatments for the care of patients with cancer or haematology conditions. This means you do not stay overnight. There are nurses, doctors, pharmacists, support workers and other team members in the Unit. Other types of clinics are held in Laurel House which may not be linked to cancer or haematology services, for example, respiratory clinics.

Thank you for reading this – and (hopefully) giving what you can to such a worthy cause.

Michael Browne - Magherafelt