Girls For Sail launches a saucy, seafaring calendar for charity

Portsmouth-based ladies’ sailing group Girls For Sail has launched a new ‘nauti-gal’ calendar, called Check You Out, to raise money for Cancer Research UK. It features friends of the group on deck in the all-together, along with tips on spotting warning signs of cancer early.

The scheme is the brainchild of Annie O’Sullivan, owner of Girls For Sail who lost a close friend and fellow skipper to cancer last year. The aim is to encourage younger people to get to know the early signs of cancer and get checked out if they have any concerns. It’s hoped that the scheme will raise £10,000 for Cancer Research UK. Annie’s multi-talented models are also running the calendar’s marketing, publicity and sales operations.

‘I wanted to create something fun, with a sailing theme that we could sell to raise funds and drive awareness,’ said Annie. ‘We’ve already had to increase the print run due to perceived demand. I hope everyone in the sailing community shows their support and such is the buzz around it that I wouldn’t be surprised is we raise much more than £10,000.’

The scheme echoes the runaway success of the Ryland and District Womens’ Institute’s 2001 calendar, which featured six members posing naked and protecting their modesty with strategically-positioned household items. That calendar inspired the film Calendar Girls, starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.

The calendar will be available next week from the Girls For Sail website. Pricing is a minimum of £5, but they’re hoping you will appreciate their assets enough to donate more.

www.girlsforsail.com