New RNLI lifeboat funded by couple’s Porsche 911 coast challenge

A new Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) D class inshore lifeboat has been launched following a fundraising journey by a married couple who visited every RNLI lifeboat station in their Porsche 911.

The naming ceremony took place at Exmouth Lifeboat Station in Devon on Saturday 21 February, where the boat was officially named RNLI 911 – Challenge. The lifeboat was funded through the efforts of Belinda and James Richardson, who raised more than £130,000 for the charity.

In celebration of the RNLI’s 200th anniversary in 2024, the couple travelled around the entire coast of the UK and Ireland in their Porsche 911, visiting all 238 RNLI lifeboat stations.

Their journey began in Morecambe, Lancashire, on 23 August 2024 and finished in Peel on the Isle of Man exactly 911 hours later.

Reflecting on their fundraiser, James said:

“We were amazed by the giving mindset of everyone. Meeting the people involved, at any level within the RNLI, was wonderful.”

The couple originally aimed to raise £110,000 but ultimately secured more than £130,000. The funds paid for a D class lifeboat, along with training and kit for three volunteer crew members, with the remaining amount supporting maintenance.