I’ve spent a lot of time glued to various boat-tracking sites, for all types of sailing challenges, but Project Fear is possibly the most compelling I’ve encountered.

Its founder, Jazz Turner, is a 26-year-old British sailor and mechanical engineer who set out from Brighton on 2 June to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Britain and Ireland on FEAR, her 27ft 1975 Albin Vega (the same model of boat that the American Matt Rutherford famously sailed solo 27,000 miles around North and South America in 2011-12).

As if that’s not already a tall enough order, she is aiming to set a Guinness World Record as the first wheelchair user to have done so, while also raising at least £30,000 to benefit Newhaven and Seaford Sailability.

Jazz Turner’s previous hurdles

Having survived an abusive upbringing, Jazz was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) as a young adult.

EDS is a progressive genetic condition that affects connective tissue throughout the body and which requires constant and careful medical management.

As her condition worsened, she found the increasingly invasive medical procedures needed to keep her alive were having such a negative impact on her quality of life that, last December, Jazz and her medical team decided to move to palliative care only, and her life expectancy is now measured in months.

Rather than ending her days in a hospice, she’s chosen to keep checking items off her bucket list for as long as she’s able to do so.

Jazz Turner departed Brighton aboard her 27ft 1975 Albin Vega yacht FEAR on 2nd June 2025. Credit: David Martin

What does Project FEAR stand for?

The name of the project comes from one of Jazz’s favourite quotes: ‘FEAR has two meanings you can Forget Everything and Run or Face Everything and Rise’.

Jazz is now three weeks into her voyage.

On day 21, she posted on her ‘Jaz Turner Sailing’ Facebook page: “I wasn’t sure whether to share this, but I always said I’d share the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The last 24 hours have been ugly. Lots of wind, massive sea state, torrential rain, thunder, and lightning. Andy [my autopilot] isn’t coping, so it’s pretty much been hand steering constantly. Haven’t got out of my sallopettes. In the few minutes of sleep i get, I just collapse on the floor because the alarms have been going off so often.
I’m tired, wet, cold, hungry, and in pain.
I always want to present as this tough, strong, brave person. Sometimes, that’s what I feel people want, but that would be a lie. Right now, I feel beaten and destroyed and just keep crying. But that’s okay. Because no matter what, i just keep pushing.
Mile by mile, wave by wave, and breath by breath.”

Fundraising success for Sailability centre

Jazz’s restricted mobility can make it hard to regulate her temperature, so she’s glad to have Henri-Lloyd’s support as a technical clothing partner. Credit: Tom Pilston/tompilston.com

She has so far raised more than £38,000 of a £50,000 goal of which “a minimum of £30,000 will go to Newhaven and Seaford Sailability” for the purchase of two new adapted Hansa dinghies to get more disabled people out sailing.

“Any excess will be used to purchase adaptive equipment to develop systems for those with more complex disabilities to enable them the opportunity to sail independently, such as servos that can be controlled with head tilt switches, sip and puff systems or eye gaze software.”

I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Jazz fair winds and following seas for the rest of her inspiring journey.

She’s posting at least one short video update a day which you can find by following @jazturnersailing on Facebook or Instagram.

Find Jazz’s tracker at: www.projectfear.uk/Expedition-Log/Tracking