ROCKINGHAM quadriplegic yachtsman Jamie Dunross (44) will set sail on his solo trip around Australia next week, weather permitting.
The trip could be a precursor to his bid to be the first quadriplegic sailor to sail around the world single-handed.
Jamie has been held up in his bid to sail around Australia in the specially designed yacht Spirit of Rockingham because of lack of sponsorship.
However, he said a number of smaller sponsors had come on board and a self-funding had enabled him to start the trip.
“This has been dragging on for too long, but approaching smaller sponsors was successful and I cannot thank those sponsors enough,” he said.
Jamie has worked out a modified route that reduces risk for him. It takes in Perth to Hobart, then on to Sydney, up to Airlie Beach in Queensland, around to Darwin and then back to Perth.
He said he had been doing a great deal of work in the gym and he was physically ready for the rigours of the journey and mentally “over-ready”.
“The yacht is well prepared too and the electric lifting device to get me up and down from the cockpit to the cabin is now working,” Jamie said.
“The previous device was not working well, but a Rockingham engineer, Wolfgang Lantzberg, came to the rescue and had another one ready in a week. If it were not for him, I would not be able to get away.”
People wanting to check on Jamie’s progress can visit the website at www.solo.com.au, where a tracking device will give a position every 10 minutes.
“This will be a test in navigation and if all goes well on this trip, I will begin looking at circumnavigating the world,” Jamie said.