The 2026 Sailing Plan

2026 Sailing Plan

A challenging and exciting season afloat

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Remaining Places Available: 12

Departure Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom

Arrival location: Ipswich, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom

Cost of trip: £300 age 26 and over, £250 age 25 and under

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DAY SAILS FROM IPSWICH

Day sails and short trips from Ipswich in May

Excelsior is a training vessel, and everyone is encouraged to take part as much as possible in the sailing and running of her. On overnight trips. this includes assisting below decks with meal prep and taking part in the watch system. Each of the 3 4-hour watches is overseen by a member of the professional crew. A full safety briefing is given at the beginning of the trip with additional training for specific tasks given when required. All meals and refreshments are provided. For day sails, this is lunch and refreshments.

Leaving from Ipswich Beacon Marina at approximately 10am, take a leisurely sail down the Orwell and out into the North Sea where, depending on the wind direction, you’ll take some time to sail along the coast before returning to Ipswich for approximately 4pm.

We have life jackets and wet weather gear for everyone on board. Due to a limited number of small life jackets, we are unable to take children younger than 10 years of age.

Overnight: 3rd-4th May and 31st May-1st June £300 age 26 and over, £250 age 25 and under

3rd June-4th June £350 age 26 and over, £300 ager 25 and under

Half-term day sails down the Orwell: Sunday 24th, Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 28th May £175 age 26 and over, £150 age 25 and under

3-day Ipswich-Lowestoft 6th-8th June £525 age 26 and over, £450 age 25 and under

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Harbouring Potential

'Harbouring Potential' is our exciting maritime industries recruitment community development project. We aim to bring local young and unemployed people together with the principle marine employers in the area, to raise awareness and reinvigorate enthusiasm for the employment opportunities all these companies represent. We recognise that locally there is both a high unemployment rate and a high staff shortage in the maritime sector. We are working with our marine industry partners to offer young people in the region the opportunity to voyage aboard Excelsior and learn about the varied roles open to them.

Since her commissioning by HRH the Princess Royal in 1988, Excelsior has touched over 11,000 trainees, many of whom have returned decades later to reminisce about the impact the boat has had on them. Inspired by their introduction to life at sea, a number of her former trainees and volunteers have gone on to forge careers in the marine industry (both in sail training and the commercial sector).

Through this initiative, we take young and unemployed people out to sea, demonstrating how the maritime industry is vast and diverse and can offer a range of job opportunities for people with different skill sets and education levels. Participants experience first-hand life on board, inspired by fun, hard work and stories of work at sea. This is an important step in understanding whether this career is right for you.

In collaboration with Njord Offshore, North Star Shipping, Safety Boat Services, Caudwell Marine, Associated British Ports and HM Coastguard, a pilot project was launched in September 2023.

"As an employer of over 150 seafarers, Njord Offshore was honoured to receive an invitation to The Excelsior Trust's 'Harbouring Potential' event. Hearing the infectious enthusiasm of all the participants as they recounted their experiences was truly inspiring. We have every confidence that this event will not only remain a cherished and unforgettable memory for them all but may also mark the beginning of a more extended journey into the maritime world where future jobs await as the offshore renewable sector continues to grow."

Tom Mehew, Managing Director, Njord Offshore

Many Lowestoft residents are descended from former fishermen and have a direct connection to the town’s past major industry (many left unemployed since its decline). With our project, we aim to use Lowestoft’s own piece of working history (one of the last remnents of the former fishing industry) to inspire a sense of pride in our own maritime heritage, and get people excited about following in the footsteps of past generations to consider a career at sea.