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Tall Ships 2023

8 Year 8 students along with staff and 2 Year 12 have the exciting opportunity to take part in a five-day immersive sailing adventure onboard a 72ft Challenger exploring the south coast on a voyage of self-discovery.  Sponsored by Cross Keys Homes.

As a Tall Ships Youth Trust ‘Voyage of Exploration’ you do not require any experience of sailing. Throughout the week, students learn  new skills and can develop their confidence  and self-esteem, as well as increase their social and communication skills.  Throughout the week, students experience  steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework as well as learning how to keep safe  onboard.  If  conditions permit, students also get to do some  night sailing too

Annie Whyman in Year 13 went along to assistant with the supervision of JHS students and as one of our Literacy Champions wrote a piece about her time on the water.

What would it be like to sail for five days, without any prior experience? Would it be scary, or inspirational? This is a question a selection of Jack Hunt students have answered and found it to be utterly awe-inspiring. The unique experience challenges everyone both mentally and physically, it targets skills such as teamwork, resilience and problem-solving both above decks, where students learnt how to sail and below deck in the gallery where they cooked and cleaned. Working together as a team the students gain irreplaceable confidence and improvement in their communication, leadership, and independence. The trip is overall an empowering and inspiring adventure

This year’s voyage was an exploration of the student’s determination and strength, those brave enough climbed the mask of the ship while docked at Cowes on the second day, even students afraid of heights dared the climb, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. Everyone also had the opportunity to helm the ship, even while where were sailing against wind causing the ship to tilt at a 40° angle, guiding us safely to our destination. The voyage further included man overboard drills, and general skills needed for sailing such as raising all three sails (mainsail, Yankee, and Staysail) and knot tying, even on shore there was the ability to swim at the seaside and explore the towns we stopped at. At night responsibilities varied, while some cooked dinner the other would clean up alternating these duties fairly, alongside cleaning the ship itself, putting the boom cover on and folding the Yankee sail. There was even a beautiful experience on the 4th night to night sail, where we set of in the darkness relying on the light of buoys to guide us to Portsmouth, this was a gorgeous experience, watching the stars, and navigating the sea in darkness, it built up confidence and assurance in everyone.

Overall, the tall ships voyage is a self-esteem gaining, confidence boosting, leadership building trip, in which friendships skills are created and kept. It is incredibly fun and extremely unique, there is nothing quite like it. Its physical challenges and strength required helps build exceptional talents in the students and reinforces their resilient mind set, reminding them they can do anything they set their mind to.