Rye Harbour RNLI lifeboat crew to take part in Tall Ships Youth Trust Voyage
Rye Harbour RNLI lifeboat crew to take part in Tall Ships Youth Trust Voyage
Lifeboats News Release
Alissia Matthews and Isobel Sharpe, two crew volunteers from Rye Harbour lifeboat station, have been selected to take part in the Tall Ships Youth Trust Voyage 2016.
The girls, both aged 18, are two of the youngest RNLI lifeboat crew volunteers in the UK.
They will be sailing on the sail training vessel Stavros S Niarchos from Brixham on Sunday 4 September, spending 6 days on board honing their nautical skills and learning some new ones.
The Tall Ships Youth Trust voyages have proved to be a unique and valuable experience for RNLI lifeboat crew who have been fortunate enough to receive a place. Alissia and Isobel have never sailed on a Tall Ship before and they are determined to outshine the men on this exciting adventure.
As lifeboat crew volunteers they are used to hands on situations and enjoy a challenge. After all this is the stuff that lifeboat crew volunteers are made of!
The voyage will cross the channel and explore the Channel Islands before heading home to Portsmouth. Alissia said: ‘We intend to make the most of this opportunity to learn new skills, enjoy the voyage and promote the RNLI’s 2016 Respect the Water campaign. Respect the Water is the RNLI’s national drowning prevention campaign, and a major part of its work is to halve the number of accidental coastal deaths by 2024.’
The Stavros S Niarchos is a 200ft Brig (a ship with two square-rigged masts) designed to sail anywhere in the world. Stavros carries a traditional eighteenth century style rig on a modern hull, making her both great fun to sail and more comfortable below decks than in days gone by.
Richard Tollett, lifeboat operations manager at Rye Harbour said ‘I am really pleased that two of our most recent recruits are going to benefit from this experience. It will give them a wider appreciation of different seagoing vessels and the safety aspects of being afloat. They are enthusiastic members of our crew and I am sure their exploits will encourage more young people to volunteer as lifeboat crew.’
Rye Harbour lifeboat is currently recruiting crew and shore based volunteers. Why not come along to our open day on 23 July and find out more?
Notes to editors
Rye Harbour lifeboat station has over 200 years history of saving lives at sea. We are currently asking for help to buy a much needed new inshore lifeboat. If you can help us by making a donation or give your time to help our fund raising team please contact us.
Tim Ash, RNLI Public Relations Manager (London/South East/East)
0207 6207426 / 07785 296252 / [email protected]
For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789
RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit www.rnli.org.uk. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI Press Centre.
Key facts about the RNLI: The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 230 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and has more than 140 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824 its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 137,000 lives.
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A charity registered in England and Wales (209603) and Scotland (SC037736). Charity number CHY 2678 in the Republic of Ireland.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
