Talisker, the famous single malt whisky distilled on the Isle of Skye today announced its sponsorship of an epic sailing adventure which will be the first to recreate the exact journey of Captain William Bligh's epic 4,000-mile open boat ‘Mutiny on the Bounty 'voyage. Led by Australian adventurer Don McIntyre and a crew of three, the reenactment will follow the journey across the Pacific from Tonga to Timor and aims to raise vital funds and awareness for the world's first international research centre into Motor Neurone Disease, currently being built by the Sheffield Institute Foundation.
McIntyre returned to his roots and the roots of Talisker on the Isle of Skye to trace his Scottish ancestry, and hold a Clan reunion at the famous Talisker Distillery. His grandparents Thomas and Mary McIntyre emigrated to Australia shortly after their marriage in 1901 and this was Don's first visit to the island and Scotland. The 54 year-old adventurer, who successfully sailed single-handed around the world in 1992 and has led a series of expeditions down to Antarctica, brought with him the 25ft replica of the Bounty Boat to give his fellow McIntyres an insight into the extraordinary fight for survival that Captain Bligh and his crew faced following the infamous mutiny on HMS Bounty led by Fletcher Christian.
McIntyre and his three-man crew will face the same deprivations as the original Bounty Boat crew, with little food, no charts or toilet paper and only the limited navigation implements that were available to Bligh. They will start the adventure on the same day, at the same time and in the same place 221 years after the original mutiny journey.
Fiona McIntyre, Talisker distillery employee, said: “As a McIntrye myself and employee at the distillery, it was a proud moment for Talisker to announce our sponsorship of this wonderful adventure and welcome Don to the Isle of Skye to meet his fellow McIntyres. It's amazing to think that Don and the crew will sail thousands of miles in the very open boat he has brought to the island and we'll be supporting them every step of the way.”
Don McIntrye, adventurer, said: “I am bowled over by the warm welcome I have received on the Isle of Skye. It has been like coming home, and to have met so many of my namesakes has been fantastic. I am also surprised by the number of people on the Island who have had a direct experience of Motor Nurone Disease. It is a fatal disease that we know far too little about. I hope that this voyage will raise far greater awareness and fund vital work by The Sheffield Institute Foundation to find a cure.”
Steve Wood, global marketing manager for Talisker, Diageo, said: “This is an incredibly exciting adventure for Talisker to sponsor and we are urging people to support the expedition by visiting www.taliskerbountyboat.com. Not only will we be a part of sailing history but the expedition will also raise vital funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease through the Sheffield Institute Foundation. Talisker is the only malt whisky made on the Isle of Skye and has a strong affinity with the sea.”
