Today the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) is announcing a pioneering collaboration with the Royal Navy to provide transformative tall ship sailing experiences to naval trainees.

Launching on November 1st, the partnership will see almost 200 Royal Navy recruits and officers come on board SV Tenacious, becoming a key  part of the ship’s crew. 

The Royal Navy offers various adventurous training opportunities to trainees prior to going to Front Line Command but there is currently no scope for using larger tall ships. Maritime Sail Training with JST has been identified as a pilot programme to provide a more agile, engaging and beneficial professional training pipeline.

Working as part of a Watch, they will participate in all aspects of crewing Tenacious – from setting sails to washing dishes, from helming the ship to keeping watch at night. 

As with all JST voyages, the experience is designed to further enhance life-skills, including confidence and resilience building, as well as teamwork. The objective is to build a positive shared experience between the participants. 

Over a four month period they will sail on voyages from the UK to Lisbon, the Canaries and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. They will learn new skills, push themselves out of their comfort zone, bond with their fellow crew and get to experience the joys of Tall Ship sailing.   

Patrick Fleming, Chief Executive of the JST, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Royal Navy and delivering such a pioneering voyage programme this winter.  

“In our first 40 years, over 50,000 people have sailed with us. Because of the unique design of our ship, this includes over 5,600 wheelchair users, 1,900 visually impaired, 1,700 with cerebral palsy, 1,300 hearing impaired and almost 600 amputees. We’ve seen first hand the enormous impact our voyages have on the lives of those who sail with us. 

“We can’t wait to bring all this to the Royal Navy. Our ship’s crew are really looking forward to getting to know the trainees.” 

Colonel Ade Morley RM MC from the Royal Navy said: “We’re excited to be working with the Jubilee Sailing Trust. The voyages will provide a fantastic opportunity for our people as they move from initial to specialised training. The opportunity provides them with further experience at sea – and from an organisation that has proven it delivers impact for those who sail with them”. 

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For more information about the Royal Navy partnership, contact jennifer.piper@jst.org.uk