A British sailor has raised £20,000 for a prostate cancer charity by circumnavigating his country in a Laser dinghy.

Eastbourne’s Neil Peters (53) who uses the alias ‘Stick Daring’ when he’s at sea, began his voyage on July 17, sailing his Laser anti-clockwise around the Fair Isles. He arrived back home on September 30, having completed it in 76 days, six hours and 15 minutes.

Given a Laser’s limited storage facilities, Neil had to travel light. Essentials included a tent, some food, a pair of trousers, a T-shirt, a spare pair of shoes, a micro towel, a radio and some mobile phones. His wife drove part of the route – so he was able to sleep in the van overnight. But for much of the journey he camped.

The trip, he says, had its challenges but also its rewards: “It was the worst summer for years. I think Scotland had its wettest summer since 1983. It lashed with rain every day for a few weeks and it was a real challenge.”

But he was also humbled by the support he received from complete strangers. Many waived campsite fees or put him up for the night. They fed him, gave him waterproof trousers and talked to him about how prostate cancer had affected their lives.