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I’ve never sailed before. This is my first time and it’s an amazing feeling.’ Sandra, 16, is on The Stavros S Niarchos, a 200 ft (70 metre) sailing ship, with 40 other young sailors. The Stavros is an exact copy of the ships that pirates sailed two or three hundred years ago. It belongs to the Tall Ships Youth Trust. The Trust offers sailing trips for teenagers and young adults. Every year, thousands of young people get their first taste of the sea. Up to 70% of them are disabled or disadvantaged. For everyone, it’s a once in a lifetime experience!

Sandra is on a trip from the Azores, in the North Atlantic, to Spain. The trip lasts a week and they have already been at sea for three days. ‘We do everything,’ she explained, ‘We take the wheel, we cook, we clean and we take it in turns to keep watch at night. I never knew there was so much work on a ship!

Her friend, Emma, 15, has never been on a boat before either. ‘I still haven’t adjusted to life at sea.’ ‘We’ve done some cool stuff,’ says James, 17. I’ve just climbed up and down the mast. It’s 30 metres tall and the views are incredible! We’ve seen dolphins and turtles. We haven’t seen any whales yet, but the captain says there are whales near the Spanish coast. This is definitely the best thing I’ve ever done!

If you want to know more about the Tall Ships Youth Trust, visit their website at www.tallships. org