In November 1959 Lord Amory established the London Sailing Project with the aim of providing opportunities for young men to develop a range of interpersonal and leadership skills through Sail Training. Over the past 60 years the Project has become a world-renowned Sail Training organisation taking a wide range of people to sea each year on our purpose built yachts with volunteer crews.
Where is Donald Searle now?
Donald Searle competed in the international Tall Ships Race each year between 1980 and 1991, and successfully completed the 1984 Transatlantic race. This racing role within the Project was then taken over by Rona II, and since then Donald Searle has concentrated on Sail Training Voyages nearer to home. While her crew are mainly young people between the ages of 14-25, Donald Searle has taken on a very special role of being the primary vessel for a programme of therapeutic voyages run by the Project. These therapeutic voyages include sailing for adults with diagnosed mental health issues, as well as adults with mild to severe learning disabilities on our ‘Gemini Sailing’ voyages. These therapeutic voyages have been running for more than 20 years and continue to be a very important element of our annual programmes. The Searle Family Trust continue to contribute to Donald Searle’s running maintenance and refit costs with a generous annual donation.
Rona II
Rona is an Oyster 68, was built in 1991, and can take 23 people on board at a time. Rona has been one of the hardest working and most resilient of Oyster yachts in the world and a mainstay in the UK’s Sail Training Fleet. She has taken more than 7,200 young people sailing, has completed 21 International and 5 Transatlantic Tall Ships Campaigns. As our flagship, Rona II is central to the operation of the Rona Sailing Project, taking young people primarily from the age of 16 to sea on Sail Training Voyages.
Where is Rona II now?
Since she was launched, Rona has been the main racing vessel of the RSP. While all four vessels participate in the ASTO Small Ships Race every year, Rona II also participates in the International Tall Ships Race (TSR) annually. The TSR ports change from year to year and every decade or so Sail Training International organise a Transatlantic race. In 2017 Rona II participated in a Transatlantic Race from England to France, via Portugal, Bermuda, America and Canada. Rona II won the overall series in that year. Before she embarked on the Voyage she had a major refit which included new masts and rigging. She received the MCA/ASTO vessel of the year award in 2018 for ‘fulfilling both the Sail Training aspirations of ASTO and the seamanship and safety requirements of the MCA – the highest possible accolade in UK Sail Training.
Merrilyn
Merrilyn is an Ocean 62, was launched September 2008, and can take 16 people in total on board. While all of the RSP vessels are suitable for all ages and abilities, the younger age group of Crew tend to be on Merrilyn. Merrilyn is also used for deaf and visually impaired Crew as she has special adaptations such as a hearing loop, a speaking compass and tactile features so that visually impaired people know where they are on the boat, and can distinguish between different lines.
Lady Shona
Lady Shona is a Moody 35 bilge keel and is used almost exclusively for RSP Volunteer training. Volunteer training consists of both RYA courses and exams such as Day Skipper and Yachtmaster, but also RSP retraining relating to Skipper validation, revalidation, navigation and boat handling. Active sailing Volunteers who have demonstrated a commitment to the RSP can avail of the training resource in order to equip them to volunteer on the larger vessels and facilitate their promotion through the ranks of the Project.
