Adult Sail Training

 

These are a few of many remarkable people we remember after 22 years voluntary involvement with sail training organisations:

 

A 70 year old former ballerina doing the splits once more as she stretches from the ratlines to a swaying footrope 90ft above the deck on a square rigger.

 

A farmer’s wife and mother of 5 sons in tears of emotion because finally at 54 she has found time to fulfil her lifelong dream to sail on a tall ship.

 

A recently widowed woman so uplifted with optimism for the future by her tall ship experience and the people she meets on board that she decides to risk a little and sells her house and signs up for the round the world clipper race.

 

What is significant is that these are all adults sailing on ships built for youth and the personal development of young people. Think about what it means for men and women well over their adolescent years bravely venturing up the rigging on a tall ship, or signing on as crew having never sailed before or lived communally for years. Why does nobody think this is an exceptional moment in their lives?  

 

All the publicity says tall ships are all about youth....young people finding the confidence to get on in life: a shipboard community where there is nowhere to hide, so you have to work together and socialise. The challenges are real and necessary to sail the ship. Where better to test your courage than climbing aloft on a square rigger –for a healthy adrenalin buzz 100ft above the waves ?

 

Classic Sailing co founders Adam and Debbie Purser have supported sail training for decades and have absolutely no doubt that sail training turns many young lives around and the organisations that take them to sea are right to focus on youth at a critical time in their lives.

 

We also believe ‘sail training’ on tall ships can and does have the same effect on people of all ages at many critical stages in their lives. This is not a new belief, and it was one of the reasons why we set up Classic Sailing in 1997.

 

Adam and Debbie met on the topsail schooner Malcolm Miller on one of the first adult charter the Sail Training Association had ever run. It was a series of adult voyages to raise funds for their youth voyages, but was a run away success. On board were a mix of professional people with the romance of sailing in their hearts, but behind the fun were musicians looking for fresh inspiration, a father recovering from death of his daughter, several taking time out to consider a career change, and the vast majority rediscovering the art of conversation, gaining a self confidence boost and a new zest for life.

 

In 1997 we could not afford a square rigger so we went for a wooden pilot cutter with plenty of character – to offer sailing holidays specifically for adults. We were proved right about the demand. Eve of St Mawes has worked flat out for 11 years taking adults exploring under sail every week from March to November. Since 1997 we have collected a few more boats with bowsprits to our holiday fleet but we still feel there are not enough ship owners and organisations that are willing to provide a quality adventure sailing product for adults or a mix of ages.

 

From Classic Sailing website customer enquiries we find that for every teenager wanting to impersonate Jack Sparrow on the high seas we receive perhaps 20 enquiries from adults that also have the romantic notion of running off to sea on a square rigger.

 

Help us celebrate the value that sailing on a tall ship or historic vessel can have for all ages. If your life or perspective has been changed by a sailing voyage we would love to hear from you. If we can gather enough evidence it will help us convince other ship owners that their mission statement could be a bit more inclusive.

 

Eve, Lizzie May, Bessie Ellen, Annabel J, Bark Europa, Stavros S Niarchos and now Pelican offer a vast range of sailing experiences for adults. You can even race xebec Pelican in the Tall Ships Race to Norway and Holland in 2008, and take part in the Falmouth – Funchal Tall Ships Race in September.

 

If you have sailed on other traditional ships around the world that offer a great experience to adults but are not getting the limelight and customers they deserve then do tell us about them, or better still show them our website and encourage them to join us –so we can promote the best traditional sailing holidays in the world.

 

 

Here are some of the reasons we think escaping to sea on a beautiful sailing ship can be good for you.

(As you can see, all the problems that face young people do not go away when you reach 25 !)

 

After divorce, bereavement or some major confidence crisis

Stress

Depression

Re-discovering the art of conversation and feeling more socially confident with strangers

Career break

Space for Creativity and new ideas

Starting a healthier life

Learning a new activity / leisure pursuit

Escape busy life

Break from children

Me Time

Career Break

regaing self confidence back

Achieving a life goal

Doing something for the first time

Challenging a fear

Saving the planet – not using my car for a week

Time to think what is important to me

Low carbon footprint travel plans

Bonding with daughter / son or step children

Team building

Chance for business brainstorming in fresh sea air

Learn about marine wildlife or maritime history

See how to run a tourist business / sailing business

Chance to reappraise strengths and weaknesses

Let someone else make decisions for a change

Relax and recharge