Portuguese Navy’s Navio Scola NRP Sagres, departing the port of Cadiz during the 50th Aniversary Tall Ships’ Races

The findings of the biggest ever international study into the value and effectiveness of sail training for young people are announced today. The study concludes that sail training does exactly what its proponents claim it does.

The independent worldwide research project was commissioned and funded by Sail Training International and its member national sail training organisations. It was carried out by the prestigious University of Edinburgh, highly respected internationally for research on education in non-formal settings including the outdoors.

The study reveals four important findings:

· Young trainees who participate in off-shore sail training programmes show measurable improvements in social confidence and their ability to work with others … and the benefits are sustained over time after the voyage experience.

· The most common reasons for young people wanting to participate in a sail training voyage are the anticipation of adventure, making new friends, seeing new places and conquering their fear of heights … with seasickness, a fear of heights, and a concern about being among strangers in a confined space the main anxieties.

· The positive value of the sail training experience transcends national and cultural boundaries and is not much influenced by the size or rig of the vessel.

· The most effective sail training experience in developing social confidence and teamwork skills is delivered by vessel operators who offer well structured educational programmes … the more emphasis there is on defined and purposeful activity relating to these goals, the more successful the programme is in those terms.

The full report is available to sail training operators from their national organisation, or by special arrangement from Sail Training International.

ABOUT THE STUDY

Fieldwork for the study was conducted in the middle months of 2006 with follow-up interviews towards the end of the year and early 2007. The participating vessels were selected by the University of Edinburgh. The study involved observations and interviews with more than 300 young trainees (aged 15-25) on 34 voyages of 5-15 days duration on 17 sail training vessels of different sizes and rigs from 13 countries around the world. Observations and interviews were conducted before, during and up to six months after the voyage. Field work was conducted by ‘indigenous researchers’ from each of the participating countries following an intensive training programme organised by the University of Edinburgh. Analysis of more than 1,000 field-work reports was conducted by five of the University’s Moray House School of Education faculty.

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