Swiss broadcaster and adventurer, Mark Decrey, is no stranger to hardship. After ten years of climbing in the Alps he turned his attention to sailing making a circumvention of the globe in a 28ft yacht, Ovni 28, in 1987. Two years later he took part in the Whitbread Round the World Race making daily Radio reports from the Roaring Forties. For the next few years he reported from Afghanistan, Europe and Central Asia before making the first solo crossing from the northern part of Spitsberg in 2004.

Mark’s latest adventure, in a new 39ft aluminum yacht, Chamade, built by Alubat [France], is to sail back into the frozen north to publicise the work of Swisstransplant and the shortage of donor organs. He is currently sailing north via Ireland and up the Scottish coast to Loch Ness en route to Spitsberg in Norway. In Largs the yacht was joined by two young transplant patients who helped crew up the Scottish coast. Chamade will over winter in Bergen following which Marc will spend April to September of 2008 near the ice fields around Cape Nord where other people with heart transplants will be able to join him in Arctic sailing and winter sports ashore. He will be accompanied by Sylvie Cohen, a fellow journalist, who trained for this adventure by cruising around Cape Horn.

Chamade is carrying two Excel Inflatable tenders and a Mercury 3.5 outboard supplied by Seamark Marine, Sutton Coldfield, and we will be following his progress to see how this formidable venture progresses and how his tenders fare in the frozen north.

If you fancy practicing your French you can follow this adventure on www.chamade.ch

click images below for larger view

Route

Postcard to Excel Inflatables

Excel Inflatable with the Chamade