Tall Ships’ Races offer an Adventurous Activity for 2008
Anyone with an adventurous spirit should consider taking part in a Tall Ships’ Race in 2008. Even landlubbers with no prior experience of being at sea can take part and experience the sheer exhilaration of crewing a Tall Ship. Billowing white sails, the wind in your hair, salty air, the creek of rigging and the thrill of competition all combine to make taking part in these events an unforgettable experience. It’s real life ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.
Fifty people from all over Cornwall will join the ships in Falmouth to take part in the race – one of them could be you! You could be part of this fantastic experience leaving Falmouth on a Tall Ship on 13th September this year, bound for Ilhavo in Portugal, then on to Funchal in Madeira, in the Funchal 500 Tall Ships Regatta 2008.
Racing Tall Ships has been an annual event for the past 50 years but is becoming increasingly popular for youngsters who want to challenge themselves and find adventure. There are so many activities that vie for the attention of the young that taking part in a traditional event is often overlooked. However these races continue to change with the times and young people are now finding that competing with their peers from other countries and having the opportunity to visit places that they may not consider for a holiday destination, is adding more dimensions to an already great experience.
Fifty percent of each vessel’s crew must be aged between 16 and 25 and many ships now try to encourage different nationalities on board, sometimes as many as 16, creating a real melting pot of cultures which has resulted in some memorable moments.
Eighteen-year-old Siri Taxbro from Norway summed up her experience when she said: “The friendships, the people, the mood, the crew, the food, the experiences. I felt like I’d seen more of the world in a couple of weeks than I’d seen in 18 years. Everything thrilled me, even the drama on board was cool. It was like being part of a reality show without being evicted! Also, there was so much to learn about yourself. You think you know yourself but it turns out you have a side you didn’t know existed. I thought I would get tired of some people on board but after two weeks I still loved them all.”
The Funchal 500 Tall Ships Regatta, which will start in Falmouth (10-13 September) with a race to Ilhavo in Portugal (20-23 September) and then on to Funchal in Madeira (2-5 October) where the fleet will form part of the city’s 500th anniversary celebrations. During the days in each port, crews are offered cultural tours of the town and surrounding areas, a large party and the traditional parade through the streets, which is always a colourful and noisy affair. The events in Funchal promise to be a memorable affair, and form the centre piece of a year of celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the founding of Funchal.
Tall Ships for All
There are a number of Tall Ships that specialise in taking those with mental, social or physical difficulties out to sea with some startling results, proving that absolutely anyone can take part in these events and get a great deal out of the experience.
Ryan Nestor from the UK has Cerebral Palsy, which has restricted him from doing lots of challenging things in the past, but sailing on a Tall Ships changed his mind: “Seeing other people with the same or similar disabilities working along side ‘non disabled’ people really made me think! I am not disabled, I’m just different! I can do things by myself. If I had been told that I could travel to Portugal by myself, I wouldn't have believed it.”
For many years the activity of ‘sail training’ has been believed to be an effective tool to inspire self-confidence and create the leaders of tomorrow, but research commissioned by Sail Training International and undertaken by the University of Edinburgh in 2007 firmly endorsed that view, adding that the experience transcends national and cultural boundaries and was effective in working with young people who were ‘at risk’ or had been involved in offending. The study entailed months of fieldwork with some 300 young people interviewed from on board 17 different sail training vessels around the world.
A number of navies have Tall Ships on which to train their cadets and have found it particularly useful in developing courage, leadership and an understanding of why good teamwork is essential. A Tall Ship demands human cooperation at its best to overcome and work with the unpredictable ocean - the ship and nature give immediate feedback on poor leadership and cooperation in the form of damages, injuries or slow progress. Countries that use Tall Ships include Argentina, Italy, Norway, Spain and the USA’s Coast Guard.
Anyone from the age of 16 upwards can join a Tall Ship for either leg or both, of the regatta. Full training is given on board the ships and everyone is assured a trip of a lifetime. For those that want a break from playing computer games and need some action in their lives, this is just the ticket.
Robert Wishart from the UK summed it up when he said, “I would describe the whole experience as one of the 99 things to do before you die.” |
