On the anniversary of commissioning their two new 60 metre Tall Ships,Stavros S Niarchos and Prince William, the Sail Training Association, the UK’s biggest and oldest Tall Ships’ Youth Charity, is reporting excellent progress on all fronts.

“Our cutting edge work with young people is well recognised but this year’s new product range has been hugely popular. We have introduced short youth voyages to tie in better with the new exam structure and one day taster experiences for adults, particularly parents and teachers. This summer we will see record numbers of people sailing on our ships,” said Chris Law, Chief Executive. “Full utilisation of the ships is key to going forward. We are extending our Tall Ships Days right through the year and we are already receiving a wealth of inquiries about our exciting Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean voyages planned for this winter. Linked with a constant review of operating costs, we are well on track for one of our most successful years ever”.

In less than two years, the STA has replaced their 30-year old schooners Malcolm Miller and Sir Winston Churchill with the largest brigs built in the UK for many years. This £11.5 million capital build project has been completed on time and on budget. The STA’s professional management team are now turning their attention to developing new youth programmes, to delivering further efficiency gains and to building on their already loyal membership base.