(Photos: Barry Pickthall/PPL )
After a few setbacks that delayed her departure last year,Lively Ladyis set to leave on the start of her circumnavigation on July 30 backed by major sponsor Raymarine. The yacht made history in 1968, when her skipper, sir Alec Rose, sailed single-handed around the world in his sixties, making just two brief stops along the way.
Lively Ladyhas been given a facelift, courtesy of International Paint, and will now carry a relay of 54 disadvantaged young adults over the 27 legs of the round-the-world trip. The crews, along with the various co-skippers, will be constantly rotated to give as many young people a chance to try ocean sailing for themselves.
‘It won’t be easy for them,’ says organiser and permanent skipper Alan Priddy. ‘They have to work as a team, from fundraising, to provisioning, to navigating and sailing the boat. They’ll have to victual in each port, and pull their weight. It should be a life-changing experience.’
Two of the co-skippers are Raymarine staff, and local dealers in the various ports of call around the world will be assisting the project with logistics. The yacht’s first stop will be Newfoundland, where Sir Alec Rose had farming links, and then on to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where Raymarine has its head office. The boat will stay in New York for the hurricane season before carrying on towards the Panama Canal.
The official launch of the sponsorship deal with Raymarine took place at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth, and the crewmembers that turned out were mostly girls. ‘It could be the Ellen McArthur effect,’ Alan said. ‘But the final compliment will be a 50/50 split.’
Further details can be found at www.offshore-expeditions.com