HAMBLE TROOPS RALLY ROUND MIRANDA MERRON
£100 POUNDS FROM ONE 100 BUSINESSES

Last week an innovative sponsorship plan was conceived as the Hamble community rallies round Miranda Merron to get her on the start line of the forthcoming Artemis Transat single-handed yacht race from the UK to the US.

Boat owner Peter Harding has kindly lent Miranda the boat, and provided
funding towards the race, but there is still a shortfall of £10,000.

The concept, initiated by the Hamble pub The Bugle, is to get one hundred
local businesses to contribute £100 or more, to raise the £10,000 needed by
Miranda to enter the race. Businesses in and around Hamble are being asked
to contribute and sponsorship brings naming rights to one degree of
longitude in the race. After just three days of fund raising, the project
is gathering momentum, many businesses are donating much more than the
requested amount; the village is already over a third of the way towards the
goal. Miranda's yacht will carry the branding "Hamble, the home of
yachting".

Miranda's yacht racing career was temporarily halted last year when she
suffered a small brain haemorrhage and underwent a routine procedure in
hospital. This thwarted her plans to race for a mere 2 months as she
continued to train herself back to full fitness with a winter of skiing,
running, swimming and mountain climbing. Having been given the all clear
recently from the doctors, she was once again able to focus on her goal of
racing solo across the Atlantic.

Matt Boyle owner of The Bugle is championing the "Hamble Supports Miranda
campaign. "Miranda is well respected by the local community and in
recognition of her guts and determination we want to back her as much as we
can. It is not a hard-sell and so far every company we have talked to has
been delighted to help."

Miranda is surprised and delighted about the support. "I can't believe
people are doing this for me, it is really kind. Last year was a little
difficult at times, but that's behind me now and I know how lucky I am to be
back to full fitness and to have such an amazing group of friends in Hamble.
I'm really looking forward to the race, and proud to be carrying the name of
Hamble across the Atlantic. For those that are wondering, health-wise I am
now safer on the boat than I was before. The problem has been fixed."

Companies involved so far are:
MT Waters, Ancasta, Grapefruit Graphics, GRIB US, BP, The Bugle, Skandia
Team GBR, Southern Daily Echo, Health Unlimited, HRSC, Bonne Bouche, GE
Infra Aviation, DCP, St James Place, www.thedailysail.com, J-UK Yachts,
Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble Rage, Diverse Yacht Services, Esso, Owen
Clarke Design, Point Source.