A YOUNG sailor who hopes to work with disabled seafarers in this year's Tall Ships Race is making a desperate appeal to readers to help him raise enough money to take part.

Christopher Pitt, 15, from Sway, near Lymington, hopes to join the crew aboard the Lord Nelson, the only tall ship in the race specially adapted for disabled sailors.

But he has only a few more weeks to find the £270 he still needs for the dream to become reality.

The determined youngster knows what it is like to consider the challenges faced by those with physical disabilities. In January his father suffered a massive stroke and is unable to walk and talk properly.

"We are all learning to look after a disabled person and I feel this trip will equip me for the future," said Christopher, who has just finished his GCSEs at Priestlands School in Pennington.

"The problem is that I am still short of my target and I desperately need some help in finding a bit more money. Once I have got the funding I will know that I can definitely go."

Christopher, who races dinghies with the Royal Lymington Yacht Club and is an instructor with its weekly children's sailing classes, needs to top up the money he has earned through hours of hard work after school.

The junior Scout leader isn't nervous about the prospect of being battered by the waves on the ten-day last leg from Amsterdam to the UK - but his fear of heights could prove a problem if he has to climb the Nelson's 100ft mast.

If you can help Christopher with the last part of his fundraising, call Mo Forbes on 01590 682526.

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