Sailing: Dolphin Project in merger

THE unfunded Youth Challenge has merged with the Dolphin Project for disabled people to take part in the 1993-94 Whitbread Round the World race and the new enterprise needs a skipper, writes Stuart Alexander.

Dolphin's skipper, James Hatfield, a hole-in-the-heart sufferer who made his name sailing solo across the Atlantic in a 22-foot yacht, walked out of yesterday's meeting in Southampton where the merger was announced.

'Lord Wade (chairman of the charity trustees) assured me there would be no reference to a change of skipper at this launch,' Hatfield said. By last night he had parted company with the project.

Robin Aisher, another trustee and the challenge's link with the Royal Yachting Association which recommended that able-bodied people crew alongside the disabled, said Hatfield had agreed with the plan to merge with the Youth Challenge.

Evaluation to find six crew from each syndicate and to decide the skipper will now take place under the management of Iain Macdonald-Smith.

The youth group has not been able to raise funding to build a yacht. Dolphin already has a pounds 1m Rob Humphreys-designed yacht, but it still needs to raise pounds 750,000 of campaign funds by the end of June if it is to make the start in September.