For fifty years, the Ocean Youth Club and Ocean Youth Trust have delivered adventure under sail to thousands of young people. It’s aims and ideals and the impact they have on those young crew members are essentially unchanged since the early days.
Laurent Giles connection with the then Ocean Youth Club commenced in the late 1970’s when we were approached to provide a replacement design for their successful but aged 72’ Robert Clark yachts.
In 1988 construction of North East vessel, 70’ steel ketch, began on Tyneside using Manpower Services Commission/Youth Training Scheme manpower, while on the other side of the Pennines Greater Manchester Challenge (see design number 0944) was under construction by the Greater Manchester Maritime Trust which was set up by Mick Rawcliffe and Melvin Magnall.
The Sailing Programme for the year 1985 proudly stated that over 65,000 young people had sailed with OYC since 1960, and a national appeal was launched with a target of £2.5 million to replace the ketches with fleet of 10 new steel Shipwright 70 class ketches to be built on Tyneside by AMARC (TES) Ltd
1986 Greater Manchester Challenge was completed to be operated out of Liverpool from 1987. James Cook, the first of the Shipwright 70 class, was near completion for the North East, and a second, John Laing (see design number 1056) was already under construction for the South.
1990 John Laing the second vessel of the Shipwright 70 class, was launched and named by Lady Laing in a ceremony in Poole in May. John Laing was funded by an extremely generous donation from Sir Maurice Laing
In 1995 John Laing and James Cook departed on their 30,000 sea miles World Voyage, a prestigious project to circumnavigate with young people and a world first.
The Shipwright 70 was designed to be sailed by young people, many of whom come from non-sailing backgrounds. They are immensely safe and strong. And have sailed round the world; John Laing was specially chosen by the British Army for an expedition to Antarctica in 2001-2; They have completed many seasons of UK-based sail training, but what makes these yachts unique is their versatility – catering for crew both young and old, and crew with disabilities. All groups can be fully involved in sailing the boat. They also sail well, are safe and offer really exciting sailing and a proper challenge for older or more experienced crew members.
If you have shipped aboard one of these yachts as crew or officer we would love to hear from you and learn of your experiences.
If you have yet to do so then why not read ‘A Week in the Life of James Cook’.
Or check out http://www.oytnorth.org.uk/about/james-cook
We wish the staff and crew members of all of the OYT training yachts fair winds and a bright future