Thanks to our partners at Andrew Simpson Yachting (ASY) PSTT students have had the opportunity in 2023 to take part in taster sessions on board a 39ft sailing yacht. For those young people that particularly connected with yachting they were then able to go on to develop this interest into an RYA Start Yachting Course during the summer holidays!

Throughout August ten young people (across several weekends) took part in this heavily subsidised course, paying just £25 each for the two-day course (normally £295pp). Students were fully immersed into life on board – not only learning the ropes with passage planning, steering, sail setting and work on deck, but learning how to live in a small space with others, cooking, cleaning and managing other duties on board.

There is no doubt that students gain enormous benefits from an experience like this. Some of them (before starting the PSTT programme) have never stepped on a boat before. Learning to adapt to life on a yacht with others requires teamwork, good communication, decision making, independence and resilience. These are skills that students develop at sea and will carry with them, transferring into other areas of their life.

“M” said “I thought this was an amazing experience learning to yacht and getting to stay onboard overnight” and “J” said “I really enjoyed it when we heeled over lots on the sail back”