AS many of you will know, Great Yarmouth recently hosted the splendid tall ship, SV Tenacious, which was moored for a week on the South Quay before embarking on its voyage to Portland in Dorset.

Stan Offord, a 17 year old sixth form student from Winterton, was lucky enough to gain a place as a member of the crew for that voyage. Stan, a qualified dinghy instructor, was the youngest member of the crew and was awarded his place under the Norfolk Berth Scheme. He undertook various fundraising activities in advance of the voyage in order to help fund other places in the future.

Tenacious is owned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust and is the only tall ship in the world which has been purpose-built to be sailed by both able-bodied and disabled crew. 

The ten-day voyage from Norfolk to Dorset was an amazing experience for Stan. 

“It was incredible to learn how to sail such an extraordinary vessel and become part of life on board. The crew - both permanent members and those like me who were sailing on it for the first time - were all wonderful people. 

“It was a life-changing experience for many of us. In addition to learning how to sail the ship in a range of conditions, we swam in the sea, saw dolphins and whales, and made friendships that I think will last a lifetime.”

The Trust’s mission is to give people of mixed abilities and circumstances the freedom to explore their ability, potential and place in the world through inclusive adventures at sea, but it’s under threat because the pandemic destroyed much of its revenue streams and it needs to raise £1.2m by the end of September in order to survive.

If you would like to support the JST Covid Recovery Campaign go to https://jst.org.uk

JST voyages are open to anyone regardless of age or ability so if you are interested take a look at the voyage schedule on the JST website.