Lively Lady will sail from Portsmouth this July with a crew of disadvantaged young adults as part of a 27-stop voyage around the world. She will be the second veteran yacht, after the Yachting Monthly inspired voyage of Gipsy Moth IV, to sail around the world again.

Lively Lady is the historic wooden sailing boat that took Portsmouth greengrocer Sir Alec Rose to Australia and back in 1968. Believing that anybody can and should realise their dreams, Sir Alec Rose bequeathed Lively Lady to the City of Portsmouth, intending that she should be used to help disadvantaged young adults realise their potential.

The Raymarine Lively Lady Project is headed up by British ocean adventurer Alan Priddy, another entrepreneurial Portsmouth businessman, who was inspired by Sir Alec Rose as a child. With The Raymarine Lively Lady Project, Alan Priddy is continuing this legacy, creating an exciting challenge, which will take 54 young people from the Portsmouth area around the world on board this 36 foot (11m) sailing yacht. The expedition will depart from Portsmouth in July 2006, and makes 27 stops – including Portsmouth, USA – before returning one year later.

Each of the 27 legs of the trip will have a crew of four on board; Alan Priddy, a co-skipper, and two young adults. From a shortlist of 100, a crew of 54 teenagers or young adults will take part in the sailing, with the rest providing key shore-based support. The co-skippers are chosen from experienced adult sailors, and include two members of staff from Raymarine, who won their places in an internal company competition.