RNLI supporter Joan Bennett swapped land for sea on a sailing trip last year, thanks to an auction of promises event put on by the Alton Fundraising Branch. In the last 5 years, Joan’s bids have won her three of these sail-away days, joining fellow Alton volunteers Gwyneth and John Partridge onboard their Honda Pilot 27 sloop Islamorada. John and Gwyneth have used their boat to take more than 400 people on these leisurely trips over the last 15 years – with Gwyneth preparing food for the occasion and John skippering the boat. Joan has a disability and, as a repeat guest, continues to be an inspiration to John: ‘Joan again demonstrated incredible courage and determination. It was a great pleasure to have her onboard.’