SPEAKER EVENING - 17 October

Philip is an adventurer, sailor, writer and motivational speaker. He participated in his first international expedition, Operation Drake from Fiji to Papua New Guinea, in 1979 when he was 18 years old, following which he developed a strong interest in Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures. In 1982 he graduated in Politics from the University of Hull and subsequently became an officer in the Royal Navy.

He has led three international Kon-Tiki type expeditions, the first was the Borobudur Ship expedition, which he spoke to us about last time and which involved sailing an Indonesian double outrigger vessel from Java to Madagascar and around the Cape of Good Hope to Ghana in 2003-4. Following the success of the Borobudur Ship expedition he was awarded the President of Indonesia’s award for Services to Indonesian Culture.  

In 2008 - 2010 Phoenicia successfully recreated the first circumnavigation of Africa by  Phoenician mariners around 600BC, in a replica of a  Phoenician/Mediterranean vessel.

The Phoenician Ship Expedition launched from Arwad, Syria in August 2008, sailing through the Suez Canal, and into the Red Sea. Phase One of the expedition was completed in January 2009 when Phoenicia reached the Republic of Yemen.

Phase Two launched in August 2009,  sailing round the Horn of Africa and down the east coast.  Negotiating the dangers of the Cape of Good Hope was a critical point in the expedition. The voyage continued up the west coast of Africa, through the Straits of Gibraltar and across the Mediterranean to return to the Lebanon and Syria in October 2010. In total the circumnavigation covered over 20,000 nautical miles.

Phase Three  involved sailing the ship to the UK in spring 2012 and retraced the ancient Phoenician trading route with the Cornish.