Tri-Services' round-the-world yacht expedition sets sail

An open ocean event, Exercise Transglobe is a major Adventurous Sail Training expedition open to members of all three Armed Forces (regular and reserve) which will run from July 2009 to July 2010.

It is split into 13 stages and uses three identical yachts operated out of the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre at Gosport, Hampshire.

A total of 546 members of all three Armed Services will take it in turns to sail the three 67-foot (20.4m) steel-hulled yachts as they attempt to circumnavigate the world.

The crews will reflect the mixed ages, gender and ranks of the forces community and, significantly, include disabled Service people from the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court.

Starting the event with a 'cannon shot' on Saturday 10 July 2009, TV presenter Nick Knowles, whose father served in the Armed Forces, expressed his belief that the participants would be ambassadors for Britain:

"They will be great representatives for us abroad," he said, "as well as being a reminder of the amazing job that our young men and women are doing for us around the world today."

The event can be followed on the Exercise Transglobe website which features regular updates from the crews and an interactive map detailing the latest positions of the yachts, which have each been assigned to one of the three Services. See Related Links >>>

Her Majesty's Sail Training Vessel (HMSTV) Adventure has been assigned to the Royal Navy (which includes the Royal Marines), HMSTV Challenger is assigned to the Army and HMSTV Discoverer to the Royal Air Force.

Despite the Services' division and the long and healthy tradition of inter-Service competitive rivalry, only two stages of Exercise Transglobe are being conducted as offshore race events - the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 2009 and Antigua Race Week in 2010.

In these events the crews will be pitting themselves against each other and the cream of the world's professional race teams.

The remaining 11 ocean-crossing passages are Adventurous Training stages being conducted as 'cruises in company in the true spirit of Corinthian competition' with the emphasis on sailing the yachts efficiently and maintaining the highest standards of seamanship and leadership.

Significantly, there has been a major change to Tri-Service Adventurous Training (AT) policy in the last year that now permits, and actively encourages, injured Service personnel to participate in all forms of AT.

An initiative called Battle Back supports the integration of personnel recovering from severe injuries irrespective of being received on operations or in accidents into all forms of AT activities.

As part of this initiative 12 Headley Court patients will be crew members on all three yachts during the Antigua to Charleston stage in May 2010, including Service personnel recovering from wounds received in recent operations abroad. The teams will also include medical support staff, all of whom will join together with the US Forces' 'Wounded Warrior' programme upon their arrival in Charleston, West Virginia.

The aim of the exercise is to reaffirm to members of the Amed Forces and the wider public that the forces are committed to the development of every sailor, soldier and airman regardless of their rank, gender or ability to reach their fullest potential.

Squadron Leader Neil Cottrell, who heads up the project team, commented:

"Confidence, stamina and determination, along with physical and mental toughness are key personal attributes that we seek to develop in everybody serving in the Armed Forces along with their ability to work effectively within a team.

"Transglobe will provide a once-in-a-lifetime challenge when all these individual and team attributes will be strengthened during long, sometimes arduous, ocean crossings and in the heat of competition."