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 Daily news from the Canaries and the islands' biggest English language newspaper on-line By Barbara Belt Tenacious sailing Cycling along beside the sea in Valle Gran Rey one evening after sunset, I noticed the tops of three enormous masts twinkling with lights above the harbour wall and went to have a look.  It turned out to be the Tenacious, one of two tall ships owned and operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust, the U.K. charity started in 1978 to “promote the integration of people of all physical abilities...through the challenge of tall ship sailing...”. The ship had stopped off in La Gomera for the day whilst sailing the Canaries. The biggest surprise, once aboard, was that this beautiful square-rigged tall ship was no ghost, but a youngster, launched in 2000 after a four year build financed by National Lottery money. The Tenacious is the largest ship of her type built since the nineteenth century and the largest wooden tall ship of her kind in the world. As far as those of us who saw her on her visit to La Gomera are concerned, she must be a strong contender for 'most beautiful vessel afloat' title too. “The Golden Age of Sail may be gone, but the Millennium Age of Sail is beginning”, says Tony Castro, who designed the ship, a process requiring two and a half years and twenty-five people, working from four offices, to complete all the drawings. These are no ordinary tall ships. They have been specifically designed and built to enable people with a wide range of physical abilities to sail side-by-side as equals. Captain Barbara Campbell has skippered the Tenacious since its launch. “This voyage started in Tenerife. Our voyagers flew in from the UK and met us at the port. Then we sailed over here to La Gomera. We've enjoyed being here and would like to visit again …tomorrow we'll leave for La Palma, visit there and then sail back to Tenerife. Like most of our voyages, this one's of a week's duration”, she explained. Barbara's use of the word voyager was deliberate. Nobody is a passenger on the Tenacious. There are nine permanent crew members on each voyage and forty voyagers, twenty of whom are able bodied and twenty disabled. “We operate a buddy system which pairs able-bodied and disabled voyagers. It works well both ways. The disabled buddies sometimes have better sea legs than their able bodied companions and give them support whilst they adjust”, says nurse Ronan Ging, who is one of the nine crew. Asked if he was kept busy, given the high number of disabled voyagers, Ronan pointed out that the ship is superbly adapted for all needs. “You can be blind and enjoy steering her into port. There's an audio helm that makes this possible. There's a sound loop to assist deaf voyagers and wheelchair access everywhere to make life easy for everyone. There are sometimes problems when seasickness interferes with medication for underlying medical conditions, but it's nothing that can't be regulated with proper supervision”. When asked about any increased risk on board Ronan told me, “accidents can happen on any vessel. We did have a helicopter evacuation when a chap fell and cracked a rib. It was potentially dangerous, but he was fine. That incident had little to do with the special nature of our voyagers. On this voyage, for example, we've got three wheelchair users, a post stroke patient and various other disabled people on board and they're all having a marvellous time. People generally do”. This was easy to confirm. During the half hour I spent chatting on the bridge to Captain Barbara and Ronan, the sound of laughter, the chink of glasses and snatches of animated conversation drifted across the wooden decks. Comments from voyagers leave no room for doubt about the value and, equally importantly, the pleasure, derived by everyone aboard the Tenacious. “The brochure said 'no passengers', but I never imagined I'd be allowed to steer the ship across the channel, in total darkness, on day two of my first voyage!”, said Chris. It's clear that everyone finds something different to enjoy. “One of the most enjoyable aspects of the voyage has been the camaraderie on board ship. The crew are so competent, helpful, and very funny. I love people and the mix on board has made me smile a lot,” says Susie. Dru spoke about his experiences with the night skies. “I had an experience of a lifetime. On the midnight to 4am watch, I saw shooting stars in the clear sky above and I watched plankton sparkling and dancing in calm waters below. It couldn't get any better!”. The last word goes to patron Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. “Sailing is often seen as an elitist pastime, but the Jubilee Sailing Trust proves that point of view is so very wrong. This wonderful charity enables everyone, whatever their physical ability or financial means, to sail as part of a team and know what it's like to work together to harness the wind and cut through the waves”.
| Canary Islands - 17.05.2012 - Today sees a return to the weather normally associated with the month of May in the Canaries, following the week-long heatwave. more... Tenerife - 17.05.2012 - The cancellation yesterday of the massive Rock Coast Festival in Tenerife just a week before it was due to begin has sparked a furious public outcry. more... Las Palmas - 16.05.2012 - Rock legend Bruce Springsteen delighted almost 30,000 fans at his concert last night in the football stadium in Las Palmas. more... Masca - 16.05.2012 - Criticism of foolhardy tourists dominate the media again today after another dramatic rescue, this time in the Barranco de Masca area. more... Tenerife - 16.05.2012 - Two earthquakes felt yesterday evening in several parts of Tenerife and Gran Canaria have surprised geologists, who had not detected any unusual movements in the hours leading up to them. more...    The launch of international fashion heavyweight Zara’s three-storey Fifth Avenue store in New York recently also saw the unveiling of the brand’s new architectural and interior concept. more...   | E-Zigarette Die E-Zigarette Classic ist das robuste Modell für den täglichen Gebrauch. www.elektrische-zigarette.eu Rent a car Tenerife We have been in the rent a car business since 1976 in Tenerife. Our experience - your advantage. www.hermanns-cars.com Electronic Cigarette The Electronic Cigarette SLIM is recommended for smokers with few consume, occasional smokers and to go. www.liquid-shop.eu Real Estate Tenerife Tenerife Real Estate is your partner on Tenerife for penthouses, properties, fincas or business-pubs for the purchase and sale of villas, chalets, houses, appartements. www.teneriffa-immobilien.es ic media group |
