MAY 26, 2019
Bill Tempro, a seasoned sailor who lost his sight while sailing, has volunteered to
sail around Barbados on the 26th of May 2019 on his yacht “Sail La Vie” to raise
funds for the Lions Eye Care Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Bill is only
partially sighted, but still has a good chance of successfully completing this event.
An organizing committee that includes, Ophthalmologist at the QEH, members of
Lions Clubs, and members of the Barbados Yacht Club, has been formed to promote
this event and solicit donations that will go to the purchase of equipment for the
Lions Eye Care Centre.
Bill will start from the Barbados Yacht Club at 6:00 am on Sunday May 26th and sail
up the South Coast. The sail to Oistins will be in relatively calm waters, but as he
approaches South Point he will have to avoid the Bow Bells shoal that extends far off
shore with its intermittent breaking waves. The sail from there to East point will be
done in rough seas and adverse tides. Bill then faces the greatest test of the journey
as he approaches the very dangerous Sam Lords reef that also extends far out into
the Atlantic.
Sea conditions along the East coast from East Point to North Point may also be very
troublesome as the wind direction and current may combine to create conditions
that cause Bill to lose control. At this point Bill will have been sailing for over six
hours in demanding conditions and will be finding it difficult to maintain
concentration.
Rounding North point will also be challenging as Bill will have to make a change of
course that will be very difficult to manage singlehanded without damaging the
yacht. With the Trade winds coming from the East and the ocean current flowing
against the wind, large waves build up at North Point making it difficult to
maneuver. Once Bill gets around North Point the sail up the West coast, back to the
Barbados Yacht Club, will be a time for him to reflect on his achievement.
Bill will be sailing “Sail La Vie”, a yacht that was designed and built by Andrew Burk
right here in Barbados. Ten years ago Andrew Burke sailed around Barbados on
“Regent One” to raise money for children with cancer. It was at the 10th anniversary
C/o Barbados Yacht Club, St. Michael Barbados
Email: Sailforsight@gmail.com /Tel. 246 243-5938
celebration of this event at the Barbados Yacht Club earlier this year arranged by
Dorothy Cook Johnson of the Barbados Cancer Society that Bill made the offer to Sail
around Barbados to raise funds for Eye Care. Angela Best, a member of the Lion’s
Club South who had been intimately involved with Andrew’s event, took up the offer
and a team for the event was put together.
Andrew’s Sail from the Heart raised Bds $ 368,135.00 for kids with cancer. Many
of the team that worked on that event are also helping with Bill’s Sail for Sight and
we have high hopes of raising Bds$ 500,000 for the Lions Eye Care Centre. Ten
years have passed and economic conditions have tightened, but the team will be
going all out to achieve this target.