A girl who suffers from cerebral palsy has arrived in Dover after sailing across the Channel using her mouth to control the boat.

Natasha Lambert, who lives on the Isle of Wight, is raising money for three charities, the RNLI, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust and Wetwheels Solent.

She left Boulogne at 7.30am, after a short delay because of fog, and arrived in Dover Harbour five hours later. The Dover-based Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club has made her an honorary member.

“I love being outdoors and taking part in sports, swimming, walking, geocaching, climbing and abseiling,” said Natasha. “I love going camping and I love my music too!

“I have athertoid cerebral palsy which affects all my limbs and speech. The messages from my brain don’t go to the muscles I need them too and kind of get lost along the way, which is really frustrating.

“So I need help 24/7 with all sorts of things. I use a wheelchair and a special walking aid called a Hart Walker, which is my best piece of kit, as well as my boat!

“I went sailing a few years ago. It was fab. I loved it from the start, it’s like flying, so exciting and fast, speeding across the sea. It’s so different from anything else I’ve done. I can now sail myself and it’s awesome!”

She said she controls her specially-adapted minio transat boat, called Miss Isle Too, using a special sip/puff system, a single straw and a tiny tongue switch.

Speaking about her cross-Channel voyage before she set off, Natasha said: “I will have to concentrate hard, passing through shipping lanes, but it will be fantastic if I can take myself from one one country to another.”

She said she had chosen to support the RNLI because a lifeboat had saved her friend who was involved in a sailing accident a couple of years ago. “They are fantastic in keeping us all safe on the water,” she said.

“I also see the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust out on the water all the time helping other young people who had cancer get a new focus on life just like me through sailing.

“Wetwheels Solent is a project taking people with disabilities powerboating. Wetwheels supported me last year when I sailed around the Isle of Wight and took out some friends of mine who use wheelchairs.”

To sponsor Natasha click here

Full story and photos in this week's Dover Mercury.