SAILOR Lindsay Court is set to attempt a gruelling, solo 2,000 mile non-stop voyage around the UK in aid of prostate cancer.

The Poole-based mariner, who has been living on his yacht with wife Sue for the past year, will set sail from Poole Harbour later this month.

Lindsay, a grandfather-of-five, hopes to complete the challenge on his 37.5ft vessel, Maggie May, within three weeks.

The 64-year-old told the Daily Echo: “As far as I know there are only around 10 people that have done this before, which is just a little less than the men that have been to the moon.

“I feel quite special to be trying to achieve it. As long as nothing breaks I’m expecting to get to the finish line.”

The adventure has been a long held ambition of the sailor who says he’d always been fascinated by the exploits of seasoned yachtsmen such as wartime hero Blondie Haslar and Sir Alec Rose.

“My biggest obstacle is going to be my lack of sleep,” said Lindsay, who will replenish himself with just 20 minute stints during his voyage.

He decided to attempt the task for prostate cancer after a customer he had at his plumbing business was diagnosed with the disease.

“We watched him go from Mr ‘Happy-go-lucky’ to a doomed man over the next few weeks,” Lindsay explained. “Fortunately, as he caught it early, we can now say that he will probably die of old age rather than the cancer.

“That change in him had a profound effect on me and I vowed to try and make certain that others could benefit, if and when, I did my challenge.”

Maggie May has been prepared with the latest electronic instruments including an AIS transponder, radar and chart-plotting software.

Lindsay says he’ll mark the completion of his voyage with a well-deserved glass of bubbly.

“I was going to do this trip eight years ago and as part of my training I decided to go alcohol free,” he explained. “I didn’t get to do it then but I decided to stay alcohol free until I did complete the challenge.

“One glass will probably do me, so I’ll spray the rest around the boat.”

n Lindsay starts his epic voyage on June 22.

You can track his progress via lindsaycourtyachting.co.uk and sponsor him via the website justgiving.com/RoundBritainSailingVoyage