More than 100 young sailors finish Channel race

A total of 13 small sailing ships took part in the race which celebrates the 200th anniversary of the RNLI

More than 100 young people finished a sailing race across the English Channel on Friday.

The journey from Guernsey to Poole in Dorset was part of the 200th anniversary celebrations of the RNLI.

The youngsters, many who had never sailed before, took part in a week of training in Guernsey before setting off under the guidance of experienced crew.

Student Izzy Lynn, 19, from Bristol said she had "learned a lot about teamwork" from sharing a small cabin with 15 other people during the 40 hour race, adding "you really get to know each other".

"One of the best things has been meeting all the new people, it’s really helped prepare me for university - I’ve learned so much about sailing," she said.

Earlier in the week the Duchess of Edinburgh travelled to Guernsey to meet the crews, who had to set off early to avoid bad weather.

The race was organised by the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) and aimed to promote the benefits of sailing, including improving mental health.

Kerry McMillan, ASTO’s chief executive, said: "Rising rates of mental health challenges, including issues such as anxiety, have been compounded by the Covid pandemic which effectively resulted in a whole generation of young people who missed so many opportunities at key stages in their development."

"This week's activities have enabled the young people to learn practical and social skills at sea, and discover how the RNLI lifeboats are made while being inspired by the charity’s lifesaving work and opportunities it presents to young people."