Yachts & Yachting — February 2018

standard needed across the industry

• from teaching watersports in the
  Mediterranean to skippering some of the
  most famous superyachts in the world.
  It’s thanks to UKSA’s donors and
  partners that these training courses are
  available to both self-funding students
  and young people in more dicult
  circumstances. Long-term supporter,
  Martin Gilbert, CEO of Aberdeen
  Standard Investments said: “We are
  all very proud. UKSA has been a great
  charity for us to get behind. ey
  take people from all walks of life, all
  backgrounds, and help them develop
  into rounded individuals in the industry.”

RACING AHEAD

UKSA’s graduates include some of

the world’s best-known sailors many

of who are competing at the top of

the sport. Graduates are working

throughout the yacht racing industry,

including as crew in the Volvo

Ocean Race and Americas Cup.

Training at UKSA led to a varied

career for professional sailor, Susie

Goodall; “e skills and experience I

learnt at UKSA denitely got me o to

a good start in the industry.” at good

start included working on a superyacht

and being employed by a sailing

expedition company. Now Goodall is

living the solo sailing dream, training

for one of the sport’s most demanding

events – the Golden Globe Race.

Last year, UKSA trained members of

Dee Caari’s Volvo Ocean Race Turn

the Tide on Plastic team. Given Dee’s

commitment to entering a young team,

excellent training for the inexperienced

sailors was essential – this, she says,

is what led her to choose UKSA.

NEXT GENERATION

Looking forward, UKSA has ambitious

plans, far beyond the expectation of

maintaining their reputation and status.

Willows explains: “We have the potential

to do even more to increase access

to sailing and watersports for young

people. To make that possible, we have

plans to oer new youth development

programmes, and make signicant

changes to our training facilities.”

e majority of UKSA’s site is

congured as dormitories, built to

accommodate large school groups.

However, safeguarding regulations mean

that rooms are oen le empty as groups

require self-contained accommodation.

is reduces the number of young

people UKSA can involve in their

programmes. A major fundraising

campaign was launched in October 2017

to create modular accommodation on

the site. e campaign is progressing

well, with commitments for a third

of the funds raised already.

Yachts & Yachting is asking readers to

support UKSA’s new youth development

programme. Opportunities Aoat is a

nationwide campaign to provide funded

places on four/ve day residential

training programmes for children and

schools from disadvantaged areas. UKSA

hopes to raise in excess of £40,000, which

would allow them to oer residential

training programmes to 100 children.

Teachers from schools and city

academies testify to the benets of the

programmes. One teacher said: “An

issue for many of our students is low

condence and self-esteem, which oen

manifests in poor behaviour. Without

doubt, UKSA has enhanced personal

development in so many ways. Our

students have improved their behaviour

and are more likely to volunteer to lead,

or at least take part in, group activities.”

To nd out more about UKSA head

online to uksa.org

UKSA IN NUMBERS

35

the amount (£) it costs

for a child to try dinghy

sailing for the first time

per cent of those training

for a maritime career are

young people getting

financial help from UKSA

donors and partners

young people benefitted

at UKSA in 2017 skills programmes from funded life

30

is the fundraising

target (£) for UKSA’s

capital fundraising

campaign

of the students at

UKSA are young

people under

25 years old

3.1m

85%

3,618

3 WAYS YOU

CAN HELP...

nnShare your story! If you trained

at UKSA, the team would love

to hear your story. Contact

[email protected] or use

#seachangestories on social

media. See also uksa.org/blog

nnSupport a child to train at

UKSA through Opportunities

Afloat. To donate, text UKSA03

followed by £5 or £10 to

70070, or get in touch with

the team on 01983 294941

or [email protected]

nnCome to a UKSA open day for

people interested in a career

in the maritime industry. Visit

uksa.org/about-us/open-days/

Fun is a major focus

Dee Ca€ari trained at UKSA

and is now an Ambassador

The current UKSA base

on the Isle of Wight

FEATURE CHARITY OF THE YEAR

February 2018 Yachts & Yachting 73

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