Trip helps children

Press, 14 March 1985, Page 2

Trip helps children

Operation Albatross, a three-year yacht voyage to raise money for needy children. looks’ set to be extended bv a vear. Mr Jeremy Hall left Lyttelton on May 24. 1883. on a round-the-world trip. Sponsorships for tbe journey were organised by the North Canterbury centre of the Red Cross.

The former Tai Tapu farmer and Navw lieutenant-commander said before be left that be wanted to be sponsored for tbe voyage so that be could "achieve something a little more than my self-satisfac-tion.”

in his latest letter to the Red Cross he said he would be happy to extend the voyage and return towards the end of 1987, if tbe Red Cross approved and could arrange further sponsorship.

Red Cross staff are confident of raising more sponsors but have yet to confirm the extra year of tbe venture with Mr Hall.

A special sponsorship package will be offered if tbe extended voyage goes ahead. Existing sponsors will be given the chance to sponsor the extra year at a reduced rate.

New sponsors will be able to cover’the four years at a reduced rate and receive all back issues of tbe monthly bulletins sent bv Mr Halt

All money raised by the venture goes to help children in need. Money from tbe first year of Operation Albatross’was given to the Holiday Camps Trust, to provide food and clothing for the children of families in need, and to help youth activities in North Canterbury.

Overseas grants were made to the Honiara Red Cross Handicapped Children’s Centre, the Swaziland Appeal and to a Malaysian Refugee Camp at Pula’u Bidong. Sponsorships have been taken up by schools, businesses. and individuals.

Mr Hall sailed up tbe Queensland coast and on to Christmas Island and Cocos Island, Mauritius, and southern Africa. He then sailed to the .Azores, Gibraltar. Malta, Crete, the Greek Islands, and Turkey. He is now sailing along the Yugoslavian and Italian coasts.

He often leaves the yacht for a while and spends time among tbe people of the lands he visits.

His bulletins contain geographical, historical, socioeconomic, and cultural information.

Mr Hall plans to sail to

Falmouth and the Scottish Isles in late May. In August be will visit southern Norway and Sweden. He also plaits to travel to .Amsterdam and meet the designer of his yacht Mr Hall wants to be in Portsmouth for tbe beginning of tbe Whitbread round-the-world yacht race.

He will return to New Zealand via Barbados. Jamaica Panama, Tahiti, and Tonga

His wife. Jo, and son. Peter, have been with him throughout tbe voyage. His daughters, Julia, Philly. and Debbie, have each "spent time aboard to belp crew the yacht The 13m, steel hulled Brigadoon has undergone a dramatic change of image since owned by Mr Hall. It had formerly been used by tbe notorious “Mr Asia” gang to smuggle drugs.