The teenagers scheduled to crew on Gipsy Moth IV from Tahiti will still get a chance to sail, despite the next two legs of the circumnavigation being cancelled.

There were fears the youngsters would miss out on the opportunity to do a leg on Chichester’s famous yacht, after it hit a reef on 29 April, sustaining serious damage to the starboard side.

The ketch was towed 200 miles to Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, where she was assessed by a team of marine surveyors. Given the extent of the damage, the team decided New Zealand would be the best place for repairs, and the yacht will be shipped there on Saturday.

It’s disappointing that the legs from Tahiti to Tonga and Tonga to Auckland have been scrapped, but David Green, head of UKSA, who owns the boat, says the youngsters have been very understanding. ‘We’ve been able to relocate all participants with a delay of no more than three months,’ he told PBO. ‘They’ve been sending emails and texts offering support, and it’s their messages that have kept me going through the darker days.’