Ten young people to sail 2,000 miles around Britain in an extraordinary 38-day challenge. Cornwall’s Morvargh Sailing Project will launch ASPIRE360 at the Southampton International Boat Show on Friday 18 September, opening applications for ten young people to become the crew of a Round Britain adventure.
Ten young people aged 14 to 18 will become the crew of a 57-foot sailing vessel next spring as they take on an extraordinary 2,000-mile voyage around the UK. Leaving Fowey, Cornwall, on 28 March 2027, the young crew will spend 38 days living and sailing aboard Helen Mary R as part of ASPIRE360, an ambitious Sail Training expedition organised by Cornwall-based Morvargh Sailing Project.
ASPIRE360 will officially launch at the Southampton International Boat Show on Friday 18 September, when applications will open for young people interested in joining the crew.
Members of Morvargh’s Afterguard, its volunteer sea staff, will be aboard for the launch to meet prospective applicants and their families, answer questions and show visitors around the vessel. Helen Mary R will remain open to visitors throughout the Southampton International Boat Show, giving people the opportunity to step aboard, explore the vessel and learn more about ASPIRE360 and Morvargh’s wider Sail Training work.
ASPIRE360 is the only Sail Training expedition of its kind in the UK. The same ten young people will undertake the entire circumnavigation together, leaving Fowey as one crew and remaining aboard throughout the 38-day expedition before sailing home again.
No previous sailing experience is required.
During more than five weeks at sea, the young people will learn to steer, help navigate, handle sails, keep lookout and help plan the passages. They will work in watches through day and night, prepare meals, look after the vessel and gradually take greater responsibility as their skills and confidence develop.
The planned route will take Helen Mary R from Cornwall to the Welsh coast, across the Irish Sea to Ireland and the Isle of Man, before continuing to Scotland’s west coast. The crew will explore islands, lochs and remote coastal communities before travelling through the Caledonian Canal to Inverness.
From there, they will begin the long journey south along Britain’s east coast, towards London and the Solent, before turning west for the final passages home to Fowey.
As with any genuine sailing expedition, the exact route will be shaped by weather, sea conditions and the needs of the crew. Learning to adapt, make decisions and deal with the unexpected will form an important part of the experience.
For Morvargh Sailing Project, the purpose of ASPIRE360 reaches far beyond completing a circumnavigation. The volunteer-led organisation uses Sail Training to give young people opportunities to develop confidence, resilience, independence, belonging and self-belief through adventure, challenge and real responsibility at sea.
Matt Barraud, Director at Morvargh Sailing Project, said: “We want ASPIRE360 to give ten young people the opportunity to discover just how much they’re capable of. For 38 days, Helen Mary R becomes their home, and they become her crew. They’ll sail through the night, navigate unfamiliar waters, cook for one another, deal with changing weather, explore extraordinary places and learn to rely on each other. There will be amazing days and difficult ones. That’s important. When a young person takes the helm in the middle of the night, keeps going when they’re tired, or realises that the rest of the crew genuinely depends on them, the achievement belongs to them. We’ve seen through our previous Round Britain expeditions what can happen when young people are given this level of opportunity and responsibility. Some have come back to sail with us, become leaders themselves and gone on to maritime careers. We want this crew to return to Fowey knowing they’ve achieved something remarkable, but more importantly with greater confidence in themselves and a stronger belief in what they’re capable of.”
Young people who have completed Morvargh’s previous Round Britain expeditions have returned to Sail Training, taken on greater responsibility, progressed into leadership roles and gone on to maritime careers.
Morvargh is committed to making ASPIRE360 accessible to young people regardless of their financial circumstances. The expedition will be heavily subsidised through grants, sponsorship, donations and fundraising, so that families are asked to contribute only a small proportion of the true cost of taking part.
Young people and families are encouraged not to rule themselves out because of cost. Where finance presents a genuine barrier, Morvargh will work with families to help make participation possible.
The organisation is now seeking support from charitable trusts and foundations, businesses, community organisations and individuals who share its belief that opportunities of this scale should be open to young people from all backgrounds.
