Young sailors battle strong winds to complete Mayflower 401 Race
After two days of beating into a strong westerly headwind, 12 UK sail training vessels, crewed by young people, arrived safely in Dartmouth on Thursday morning last week to mark the end of ASTO’s Mayflower 401 Small Ships Race.
The event, which began on 15 August, saw a fleet of UK Sail Training youth charities take part in a race to commemorate the 401-year anniversary of the Mayflower. Originally scheduled as the Mayflower 400 SSR last year, the event was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The race began at MDL Marina’s Ocean Village Marina in Southampton, and saw the vessels round the eastern end of the Isle of Wight before making their way west again towards Dartmouth. Strong winds and rough seas battered the fleet, but the crews’ spirits remained high.
The first vessel to cross the finish line just south of the Mew Stone was Challenge Wales’ 72ft yacht, Challenge Wales. She was shortly followed by Morning Star Trust’s Sigma 38, Eastern Star.
Much like the Mayflower in 1620, a few vessels in the fleet were forced to stop for rest and repairs, with Ocean Youth Trust South’s Prolific anchoring in Studland Bay in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, other vessels including Boleh Trust’s junk yacht, Boleh, and The Island Trust’s topsail Schooner, Johanna Lucretia, decided to retire early due to the strong westerly winds making sailing very difficult.
After the race was an on-the-water prize-giving ceremony, with a highlights video on Facebook.
Below are the prize winners:
- Seven Seas Trophy (Line honours) – Challenge Wales, Challenge Wales
- Aurora Trophy (First after corrected time) – Jolie Brise, Dauntsey’s School
- Richard Langhorn Trophy (Spirit of the race) – Olga, Sailing Tectona CiC
- Bloodhound Cup (Youngest average age crew) – Jolie Brise, Dauntsey’s School
Many of the young people had not sailed before, let alone through the night in difficult conditions.
Mark Todd, Chair of the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO), said to the young crews: “You were probably challenged on that race, worried whether you could do it, and you did, so next time life throws a challenge at you, remember this experience and know you can get through it. Your first night at sea was boating to windward in big seas and big winds, and you should feel immensely proud of yourselves. Teamwork, determination, resilience, and communication skills is what Sail Training is all about and they’re skills that will help you get through life.”
OYT Prolific. Image courtesy of Max Murdie.
Sail Training vessels use the experience of being at sea to teach young people about resilience and overcoming challenges, while having fun and making new friends, and this event was the first opportunity for these vessels and young people to gather since the lockdown. Since mid-July, over 30 Sail Training charities are finally able again to provide life-changing, positive experiences for young people and disabled people.
