FRENSHAM Sailing Club has donated £1,470 to charity Hounds for Heroes, as they competed in the Frensham Ten Hour Race.

The race is run for teams in single boats who sail for an hour and then have a pitstop exchange of crew. All ages and types of boat take part with crews from eight year olds to pensioners. It is a fun event with prizes for the most comic incident, plus many activities on shore such as a roast and barbecue.

Hounds for Heroes is a local charity based in Petersfield, where the founder Alan Parton lives. Alan was badly wounded in the First Gulf War and a dog was an important feature in his revival.

Jim Morley, from Frensham Pond Sailing Club, said: “We adopt a different charity each year but always with some local connection. The entry fees of the crews taking part go to the charity and we have sponsors both in the club and wider community. In the evening Alan Parton gave us a very moving account of how the company of his dog helped him regain some mobility and to be able to use speech again. He brought two dogs to the event.”

Frensham Sailing Club specialise in two activities, youth sailing and Sailability for the disabled. Through the youth training, the club has produced world european and national champions and only this week Nikki Curwen first woman to finish in the single-handed Trans Atlantic Race.