Duchess of Edinburgh to visit as young crews set sail from Guernsey
More than 150 young people from across the south of the UK have arrived in Guernsey for the sailing adventure of a lifetime.
The Association of Sail Training Organisations Guernsey to Poole Small Ships Race 2024 will set sail on Tuesday, and today the Duchess of Edinburgh – the charity’s patron – will be visiting the fleet.
The 13 charity sailing yachts arrived into Guernsey on Friday and Saturday and the young people – most of whom are under 25 – have been enjoying exploring the island.
ASTO comprises more than 30 sailing charities, which each year enables more than 12,000 young people and individuals with additional needs to embark on life-changing adventures at sea.
It is the first time ASTO has been in Guernsey since 2007 and chief executive Kerry McMillan said it was great to be back.
She said the young people would be learning a lot.
‘It’s about creating a community on board [the boat] and learning lots of life skills,’ she said.
The vessels vary in length from 38ft to 104ft, with crews made up of anything from seven to 23 people. The sailors have different levels to experience, and each boat has an experienced skipper and mate on board.
Two of the boats visiting were sister ships Eastern Star and Guiding Star, which set off from Portsmouth on Thursday and sailed to Cowes and then on to Guernsey, arriving on Saturday morning.
The crew of the Eastern Star faced serious attacks of seasickness, with Josh Lee, 16 from near Leicester, and Lizzie Walker, 17, from near Manchester, the only two not afflicted.
They both had the chance to take the helm of the vessel.
Lizzie said it was quite nerve-racking having to avoid obstacles, like rocks and lobster pots, but the vessel managed to arrive in one piece. Another hazard has been the blazing sun, with a few sailors suffering from sunburn.
Carys Faulkner, 17 from Wales, and Luca Haman, 17 from Bristol, were aboard the Guiding Star as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award.
For Luca, sailing was a new experience, but on the trip to Guernsey he had a chance to take the helm. However it was coping with bunk sleeping that proved the most challenging thing for him. Despite all these challenges, the teenagers said they had already seen some amazing sights, including the milky way, sunsets and dolphins.
None of the group had been to Guernsey before, but said they had enjoyed a lovely few days in the island, which has included trying crepes, exploring Castle Cornet and having a go at dinghy sailing on the model yacht pond.
Others had the chance to walk to Fermain and swim at the bathing pools,
The Duchess of Edinburgh is planning to join the crew on one of the yachts during a short training sail today and attend an informal reception at the Guernsey Yacht Club before her departure.
The race is scheduled to start at 2pm on Tuesday just off Castle Cornet. They are expected to sail around the south coast before heading across the Channel, arriving into Poole on Thursday, subject to weather conditions.
