Eight high school pupils from a special-learning unit are back on dry land after completing a day’s sailing as part of the Challenge Wales voyage.
The youngsters made history as the first group of pupils from Islwyn High School’s special resource base to take on the challenge, which was led by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Caerphilly Adventures team, who co-ordinate outdoor activities for people of all ages and abilities.
The group of eight formed part of the crew taking charge of the 72-foot racing yacht, and it was all hands on deck as they learnt the ropes and honed their skills in sailing the round-the-world boat.
Challenge Wales help those aboard to develop their personal and social skills, and the youngsters stepped back onto land with a recognised Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network qualification in hand.
Russell Howells, of Caerphilly Adventures, led the trip from Cardiff Bay and said: “The day was action packed with an early start for the crew who were fortunate enough to experience every aspect of sailing. It was a successful day as we were able to develop skills and finish the day with a recognised qualification.”
Leaving the Bay, the group pulled up the front two sails and the main sail and with a steady breeze, the boat took to the waves at seven knots and with a slight lean to the left.
They set the compass towards Weston-super-Mare, then down to Bridge water before breaking for lunch and travelling past the Flat Holm and Step Holm islands in the Bristol Channel.
Cllr Nigel George, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “The Caerphilly Adventures Team deliver a huge range of services with a particular focus on supporting young people to gain practical life skills and recognised qualifications.
“I would like to congratulate the crew on their fantastic achievement on completing the Challenge Wales Voyage.”
Good training and good fun. Hope they learned the sail forr’ard of the main is called the jib. It’s a long time since I last messed around on a boat but learning the nautical terms is part of the fun and it’s essential when working as a crew to all use the same language.
I’ve never been a nautical man, but I imagine they had great fun and importantly,learned a lot about team work ,- which should serve them well when they eventually take up their individual careers in later years.