| HMS Trumpeter and several yachts and motorboats carrying family and friends met Adrian and his 40ft yacht Barrabas at East Bramble mark and accompanied him up the River Hamble to the Royal Southern Yacht Club, where a crowd of people was waiting on the dockside. |
| Adrian was delighted to see his sons Benjamin (aged 9) and Gabriel (aged 6) and his ex-wife Louise, who has acted as his Project Manager throughout the voyage. |
| Mrs Annette Newton, Commodore of the Royal Southern Yacht Club, welcomed Adrian to Hamble. “We have all been amazed at your determination and tenacity” she said, “and we would like to make you an honorary member of the club for the next year”. |
| Adrian thanked the Commodore and club members for the warm welcome and was delighted to accept the honorary membership as he is not a member of any yacht club, despite calling in at many of them around the world during his long circumnavigation. |
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| Asked what he was going to do next, Adrian replied that he is going to take some time out with his family and also write the final chapters of his book, Over the Top, which is due to be published in October. |
| Report: Susan Preston Davies Images: Mr & Mrs Newton |
Nearly Home |
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| Extract from Royal Navy Press Release |
| Royal Navy Salutes Solo Yachtsman Adrian Flanagan |
| HMS Trumpeter Escorts Yacht Barrabas Home After Epic Solo Vertical Circumnavigation From Pole To Pole |
| The Royal Navy paid tribute to solo yachtsman Adrian Flanagan's remarkable achievement in circumnavigating the globe when he arrived back to the UK today escorted up the Solent by HMS TRUMPETER to a reception at The Royal Southern Yacht Club, after 405 days of sailing, covering over 31,000 miles. |
| On October 28th 2005, Adrian Flanagan set sail aboard his 38 ft stainless steel sloop Barrabas to attempt the first ever single-handed, vertical circumnavigation westwards via Cape Horn and the Russian Arctic. |
| Shortly after 11am today (21st May 2008) he arrived back at the Hamble to be greeted by the Commodore of the Royal Southern Yacht Club Mrs Annette Newton and a flotilla of small yachts and boats. |
| Lt Will King, the Commanding Officer of HMS TRUMPETER, a P2000 Naval Patrol vessel made contact early this morning with Adrian Flanagan on his yacht Barrabas off Fort Gilkicker in Stokes Bay. Chief Petty Officer Chris Bamber handed the intrepid yachtsman a breakfast bacon sandwich and cup of tea before they sailed together up the Solent gathering a Press boat entourage en route to the final landfall destination after 31,000 miles. |
Lt King, a keen yachtsman himself paid tribute to Adrian's achievement:
"As a fellow mariner it's a great privilege to represent the Royal Navy in celebrating this monumental maritime achievement. In this day and age there are very few firsts in the yachting world, and to pull this off is excellent. I can't begin to imagine all the hardships he must have gone through to achieve this. To cap it all, he is a thoroughly nice bloke; I am definitely going to be buying his book." |
| HMS TRUMPETER took time out of the ship's preparations for Royal Navy Operational Sea Training to salute Adrian Flanagan and was made most welcome by the Royal Southern Yacht Club Commodore Annette Newton who welcomed both Yacht Barrabas and HMS TRUMPETER onto the Commodore's quayside berth on the Hamble. |
| Last Friday evening, HMS MERSEY, a Fishery Patrol Vessel surprised Adrian Flanagan when they hailed his yacht in the North Sea and sent over vintage port and a donation to the charity he is raising money for on his journey. |
HMS TRUMPETER escorting Barrabas home. |
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For More information on Adrian Flanagan's Alpha Globex Challenge:
Contact:
Louise Flanagan
Expedition Manager
Alpha Global Expedition
01844 202878/07710 577099
Skype: alphaglobalex
For all expedition news including background, photos and BLOG visit:
http://www.alphaglobalex.com/ |
| Images of Adrian's arrival at the R Srn YC |