In 2014 Ullman Sails’ ambassador, Skip Novak, was invited on board the Jubilee Trust’s vessel Lord Nelson, a 55m steel barquentine, for their 30 day cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula as an adjunct on their around the world tour. “My job was helping the captain pilot the vessel in icy waters and also to manage the shore landings for the Voyage Crew, many of which had physical disabilities. This was a very satisfying expedition and ranks right up there at the top of my sailing career. I met many extraordinary people having extraordinary life’s experiences,” says Skip. Now, four years later, Skip has recently returned from a leg onboard the Tenacious, another mighty vessel and the sister ship to the Lord Nelson.

From the Falklands to Cape Town

“For this voyage on the Tenacious, that was scheduled to stop at the sub Antarctic island of South Georgia, I had the same role on board. I spent 40 days on Tenacious beginning in the Falkland Islands in late February and ending in Cape Town on April 5th,” says Skip.

Tenacious, the second of the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s fleet of two ‘tall ships’ was first launched on the 3rd of February 2000. She features a timber frame hull and structure and was built in large part by volunteer labor. Thousands lent a helping hand during the three year build. Like Lord Nelson, she is a barquentine, meaning square rigged on the fore and main mast and fore and aft rigged on the aft mast. The distinction of both of these ‘tall ships’ is that they are designed and constructed in such a way to allow ease of use by disabled people, some of whom are wheel chair bound and others are visually impaired. They are unique in the world of ‘tall ship’ sailing.

The trust aims to break down barriers for a better, more inclusive world in this exciting adventure activity. They do this by taking both disabled and able-bodied men and women to sea, to not only teach them how to crew a ‘tall ship,’ but to promote equality and sharing. Since the establishment of the trust in 1978 over 40,000 people have sailed with them. Approximately 15,000 people were disabled and of those 5,000 were wheelchair users. It is with great pleasure that Ullman Sails was able to assist the Tenacious during their recent stay in Cape Town by sponsoring repairs for a number of their sails.

For more information about what they do, join one of their adventures or show your support, visit www.jst.org.uk.