More young cancer survivors will continue to receive the vital support they need following the unveiling of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s latest addition to the fleet.
Dame Ellen MacArthur was joined by special guests, including many who have made the new boat possible, for the naming of the Beneteau Oceanis 46.1, Kalooki, at Buckler’s Hard on the banks of the Beaulieu River in Hampshire.
At 46ft (over 14m), Kalooki is longer and wider than the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s other boats, allowing more young people to experience its transformational adventures, while bespoke accessibility adaptations mean more of those who need additional support with their mobility can benefit from the charity’s support.
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is a national charity that takes young people aged 8-24 living through and beyond cancer on sailing and outdoor adventure trips to inspire them to believe in a brighter future. In 2024, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust supported 671 young people – the most since it was founded in 2003.
The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust worked in partnership with Ancasta Group, Europe’s largest yacht broker, and globally renowned boatbuilders Beneteau, to bring Kalooki to the water. She was adapted under the expertise of Ancasta Yacht Services at Port Hamble Marina and with advice from 28-year-old George Paxford, who first sailed with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust in 2009 following treatment for bone cancer in his leg and had an above-knee amputation after the cancer returned in 2018.
Dame Ellen MacArthur described Kalooki as a ‘game-changer’ as her charity aims to support more young people than ever this summer.
She said:
“It’s a big day for us at the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust as we welcome Kalooki into our fleet. It’s wonderful for us to have boats in the water so we can take young people out and have adventures with them, and it makes a huge difference to have Kalooki. She’s one of ours and she is a game-changer.
Article continues below this advertisement “I’d like to say a massive thank you to Jean-François Lair and all the team at Beneteau, and Nick Griffith and all the team at Ancasta. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you’ve done. It’s amazing to have Kalooki in the fleet.”
Kalooki becomes the third specially-adapted boat owned by the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust. In 2016 and 2017, Ancasta and Beneteau were instrumental in the charity acquiring two Beneteau Oceanis 45s – Solent Hero and Caledonian Hero – which sail from the charity’s bases in East Cowes Marina, Isle of Wight, and Largs Yacht Haven, Scotland respectively. Kalooki joins Solent Hero in East Cowes, while the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust also owns the Gibsea 44, Moonspray, in Largs.
Kalooki has five cabins compared to the Heroes’ four, significant for getting more young people on trips, with the cabins having a wooden divider to give young people more privacy, while also functioning as full-sized bunks for other uses too.
Jean-François Lair from Beneteau continued:
“Beneteau is proud to support Ellen MacArthur’s Cancer Trust. This is a long-term collaboration, which started nearly 10 years ago. What the charity is doing is remarkable. Also, Dame Ellen MacArthur is a very famous figure in France. So, when Nick Griffith from Ancasta proposed us to support the project, it was a very easy decision to make.”
Young people will get to experience the benefits of Kalooki when the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s 2025 season gets underway in the last week of May. She will also be taking part in this summer’s Round The Island Race. For more information visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @EMCTrust across social.
