Canadian exchange trainees enthralled
” fantastic sense of communityäó is how Canadian exchange trainee Trish Jannett (16) and her colleague Kate Van Welter (18) describe the Tall Ships Races experience. The girls are part of an exchange programme sponsored by the James Myatt Memorial Trust, in association with The Association of Sea Training Organisations (ASTO). äóìWe have made so many new friends and learnt about different types of ships that we didn’t even know existed!äó Each year one young person from UK is selected by ASTO to travel to Australia to sail on Young Endeavour, and two are selected to travel to Canada to sail on Toronto brigantines. Similar selections are made in Australia and Canada with the lucky trainees sailing on John Laing (UK).
Kate usually sails as mate on Bytown Brigantine (Canada) and looks forward to returning and putting into practice many of the skills and ideas she has picked up during her time on John Laing. Both were nominated for the exchange by their local sail training organisations.
The James Myatt Memorial Trust was set up in 1984 by friends in memory of a man who was instrumental in setting up various sail training organisations in the UK during the 1960s and a strong supporter of the Tall Ships Races.
“The Trust offers a fantastic opportunity for the young people to travel to areas they would otherwise not go to and further develop their skills and knowledge. I am delighted that Trish and Kate have got so much out of it.” said Paul Bishop, Race Director of The Tall Ships Races and also a trustee of the James Myatt Memorial Trust.
To learn more about the James Myatt Memorial Trust, please click here.
Pic: Janet Gauntlet (Hon Secretary of the James Myatt Memorial Trust), Trish Jannett, Kate Van Welter and captain of John Laing, James Boyce.
To download the final results of the first race, click here.
To see more images from The Tall Ships Races, click here.
The Tall Ships Races is presented by Szczecin and organised by Sail Training International.
