Youthful crew set sail nine young crew members from around the RnLi will step aboard a tall ship for a very different seafaring experience this October, kindly sponsored by trinity House.

the 17–25-year-old volunteers are to sail from ipswich to Portsmouth. the 60m square-rigger Prince William will be their home for a week as they hone their skills in teamwork, communication, leadership and cooperation, all in a very confi ned space! RnLi staff Offi cer George Rawlinson, who coordinates the programme, says: ‘Being part of the RnLi is about so much more than just crewing the lifeboat.

Lifeboat stations promote a sense of community, respect and maturity, which sailing aboard a tall ship brings. We are grateful that trinity House has again given our younger crew this opportunity.’ Criccieth Crew member Katie Quaeck, who sailed on the programme in 2005, comments: ‘it was an amazing experience, and i know i’ll never, ever, forget the great time i had onboard.’ the Prince William is operated by the tall ships Youth trust, a charity dedicated to the personal development of young people through the crewing of these beautiful craft (see www.tallships.org). trinity House is the authority for england, Wales, the Channel islands and Gibraltar responsible for a range of ‘signs of the sea’, from lighthouses to radar beacons. it is also a charitable organisation dedicated to the safety, welfare and training of mariners and has a long-standing association with the RnLi..