Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage

Finalised schedule and crew announced

With just six weeks to go before the start of The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage of Discovery, preparations for the voyage are now gathering pace. The stopover destinations, Skipper, Mate, funding and partners are all in place, but most importantly, the young people in recovery from cancer and leukaemia are ready to go.

Starting from Cowes on 3rd May, 85 young people will sail the 48 foot Scarlet Oyster the 2000 nautical miles around Britain on a four month voyage. Heading eastwards the voyage will stop at 17 ports around Great Britain. Main stopovers will be in Dover, London, Ipswich, Hull, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Belfast, Douglas, Liverpool, Cardiff and Torquay.

The Voyage will provide a unique opportunity for the young people sailing to return to the paediatric oncology wards of the hospitals they were treated in and communicate their experiences and recovery path to those currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

Trust patrons Dame Ellen MacArthur and Shirley Robertson will be taking part in the voyage, with Ellen already confirmed as sailing on three of the legs. For Ellen the trip has special significance;

"I have so many fond memories of my first trip sailing around Britain in Iduna in 1995 and this time round I’m delighted that we can give so many young people recovering from cancer and leukaemia the opportunity to experience it."

The Skipper and Mate for the voyage have been handpicked from an impressive line up of professional sailors who applied for the role.

Skipper Cath Vise is a qualified Ocean Yachtmaster with no less than five transatlantic crossings under her belt. There is no doubt that the voyage is in safe hands with Cath, but the young people are also sure to benefit from her wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Cath said; “I’m delighted to have been selected for this once in a lifetime voyage. Sailing around Britain is something I have always wanted to do, but to be able to do it as part of such a worthwhile project is fantastic. I can’t wait for the adventure to begin!”

Mate, Karen Fraser is also a qualified Yachtmaster and has over 30,000 miles experience including participation in the 2004 Challenge Business Round Britain and Ireland Race. Karen is passionate about the Trust’s work and is an ideal team member to ensure the voyage is a resounding success.

Skandia was announced as title partner last summer and the Round Britain voyage was the first announcement of a new sponsorship project for the company since the end of their 14 year sponsorship of Cowes Week. Skandia chose the Ellen MacArthur Trust as the official charity of Skandia Cowes week from 2006-2008 and their involvement in the Round Britain voyage reflects their continued support for the work of the Trust.

Both BT and the Energy Saving Trust have now been confirmed as partners for the voyage, bringing with them considerable knowledge and expertise. As well as raising awareness of the Trust’s work the voyage will have an environmental message which the Energy Saving Trust is helping to promote and will have an energy ‘doctor’ providing advice on energy saving measures. Similarly BT’s involvement in the voyage reflects their ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) by investing in young people to create a more inclusive society. BT already has a long established relationship with Ellen MacArthur, most recently as sponsor of BT Team Ellen including Ellen’s role as BT’s Global Ambassador for CSR.

The young people on each leg will learn about sustainable sources of energy and the carbon footprint of the voyage around Britain will be tracked. Environmental issues are close to the heart of Ellen MacArthur and the voyage provides the perfect opportunity to send a message about sustainable energy use.

The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage of Discovery is a unique and inspirational project. 2000 nautical miles, 132 days, 85 young people, 61 stops and 17 hospitals visited around Britain, with one cause; to inspire young people’s cancer recovery through sailing.