British sailor and Vendee Globe competitor Steve White has re-launched his IMOCA 60 in Les Sables D’Olonne, under the new name – Toe in the Water.

The tenacious skipper secured sufficient funds from a consortium of private backers at the eleventh hour. The funding has come from a group of like-minded supporters who together will provide the money privately, and whose only request has been that Steve’s boat carries the branding and message of the Toe in the Water project with him around the world.

Steve (35) commented: “I have dreamed of participating in the Vendée Globe for many years and have been building towards November 9 for the last four years. We managed to qualify by completing The Artemis Transat in May this year, but have struggled to find sufficient sponsorship.

“We arrived in Les Sables D’Olonne in October, unsure as to whether we could even keep hold of my family’s home, let alone sail alone around the world. With these new funds, we can finish the necessary preparations, and I am delighted to carry the name and colours of Toe in the Water around the world.”

The sponsors first encountered Toe in the Water during this year’s Cowes Week and were inspired by the way in which servicemen had overcome serious injury. Many of the individual sponsors behind Steve are ex-servicemen or have past/existing links to the armed forces, and therefore wanted to help raise the profile of the project.

Their support is a philanthropic gesture, as Steve will not benefit directly from the financing. It will allow him to participate in the Vendée Globe under the colours of Toe in the Water, thereby raising the profile of the worthwhile project.

To find out more about the project, visit www.toeinthewater.org .