Sailing charity announces exciting new voyage programme
Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT) has published its exciting new voyage programme with sailing adventures available to book between now and January.
From weekend training courses to almost three weeks’ passage sailing from Santa Cruz, Tenerife to Portsmouth, we’ve got something for everyone aged 12 to 80!
With a particular focus on working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the national charity has been providing young people aged 12 to 25, with transformational experiences at sea for the past 67 years.
On a TSYT sailing adventure, young people from across the UK, learn new skills, discover new places and create lifelong memories.
TSYT operates four 72ft Challengers, famous for having raced twice round the world, as part of the Global Challenge races in 2000/2001 and again in 2004/2005, and a 55ft ketch.
Alana (13) from Cambridgeshire, who recently set sail on a five-day adventure, said: “The voyage was really fun! It was a new experience for me as I had never sailed before. The crew were so supportive of us as we were being pushed out of our comfort zones. I found the experience very rewarding.”
Young people can apply for help with funding their TSYT adventure through the charity’s bursary programme, which can offer a standard bursary discount of up to £300 on all new voyages, depending on the length of the trip.
There is also extra funding available in certain areas of the UK, so there is the potential for further support depending on the personal circumstances of the young people who would like to take part.
On youth voyages, young people can complete the residential section of the nationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Gold Award or work to complete Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses, both great additions to their records of achievement!
Kirsty French, Director of Youth Development and Outdoor Learning, at TSYT, said: “This year we’ve launched our three-voyage programme, these exciting experiences enable young people from across the UK to embark on a life-changing journey of personal development at sea.
“The young person’s journey with TSYT takes them through different stages on their own pathways through Exploration, Empowerment and Leadership to provide an incredible platform for growth, self-discovery, building confidence and trust relationships.
For many of our young people the spark that changes their lives can happen when they least expect it; the moment they realise that they have found their confidence, they stand taller, they’re taking on risks and they’re supporting others.”
TSYT’s sailing experiences for adults, including its exciting winter-sun voyages centred around the Canary Islands, provide an exhilarating opportunity for sailors to to build sea miles and widen their experience, while directly enabling more young people to benefit from the charity’s transformational youth development voyages.
Voyages can currently be booked up until January 2024, with further voyages being made available over the coming weeks.
If you’re a sailing club interested in TSYT’s charity regatta, or a business looking for an exciting team-building day, TSYT can also tailor its voyages to meet the needs of you and your team.
For more information, please email: info@tallships.org or call 02392 832055.
To find out more and book your next adventure, visit: https://www.tallships.org/voyages/