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The famous Azores and Back Yacht Race, known as the AZAB, first took place in 1975 and is held every four years.  We will be racing in a J109 yacht, "Jangada Too".  The course covers around 2500 miles of ocean, approximately 1220 miles on each leg. Leg 1, from Falmouth to Ponta Delgado, starts on 6th June and the return leg sets off on 23rd June.  The majority of yachts usually take between 7 and 10 days to reach the Azores, allowing a week or so for crews to relax and restock for the return passage.

The Communications and Public Service Lifeboat Fund (The Lifeboat Fund, for short) is proud to be the longest-serving supporter and one of the biggest single contributors to the RNLI.  The Fund is registered with the official regulators as a charity which fundraises throughout the UK.  The Fund was formed in 1866 by civil servants and since we are an ex- and current civil servant [Richard is ex-BT and Trevor works for Defra/APHA], we thought it would be a great idea to raise money for RNLI though this route, rather than directly.  Of course, every single penny donated will still go to the RNLI.

In celebration of its 150th Anniversary, the Fund is launching a special Appeal covering three years 2015 to 2017.  This is a very special time for the charity and the goal of the Appeal is to fundraise £1.1m towards the cost of a brand new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat.  The boat will be stationed at Wells-next–the-Sea, Norfolk from 2017. 

We are keen to raise money for this special Appeal and have dedicated our race to this cause, setting a target of £2000, to support the hundreds of volunteers who help to keep our coasts and rivers safe.

If you would like to know more about the race and follow our progress on a tracker, visit the race website at http://azab.co.uk where you will also be able to track us as the race progresses.   We will also be keeping a regular blog during the race, where you can also read up on our past adventures at http://jangada-too.blogspot.co.uk/

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