Hundreds of Plymouth schoolchildren will once again enjoy a spectacular day of sailing aboard heritage boats this May, giving them a chance to connect with Plymouth Sound National Marine Park in a unique way.

The ‘Spirit of Adventure’ programme was crowdfunded by Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, with support from Plymouth City Council and Cattewater Harbour Commissioners in 2020, with the first wave of activity taking place last yearand the second part of the project running from the 2nd-6th May 2022.

During the week, 150 children enjoyed a day of hands-on sailing adventure with one of four sailing organisations: The Island Trust, The Bounty Project, Sailing Tectona and The Lynher Barge CIC. The organisations have seven traditional wooden sailing vessels between them, which undertook daily voyages in Plymouth Sound.

Professional Yachtsman, Conrad Humphreys who founded the Bounty Project in 2017 said “We are thrilled to be back in our second year taking young people sailing through the Spirit of Adventure project. Many of the children that sail with us have not been on the water in Plymouth Sound before. There is so much heritage within the Sound, it’s brilliant to open their young minds to the history and sights that are here on our doorstep.”

The schools involved are located in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the city, with the aim being to work with children that have not been given these opportunities before, particularly those living in poverty, young carers and children in care.

Each day, groups of children will be encouraged to work together as a team, hoisting the sails and sailing the boats themselves with support from expert staff. This will help to build communication, social and cooperation skills and give them a sense of responsibility and achievement, giving a much-needed confidence boost and memories to last a lifetime.