The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage set sail from Cowes at the weekend (Sunday 3 May) on a four month ‘voyage of discovery’.

On-board for leg one of the voyage was Trust patron Dame Ellen MacArthur and five young people, all who have sailed with the Trust before and are in recovery from cancer and leukaemia. Ellen was just 19 herself when she first sailed solo around Britain on the her 21ft sailing boat “Iduna” and will be sailing on a number of legs of the Voyage;

“I’m absolutely over the moon to be off and to be sharing this moment with the five young people – Harriet, Joseph, Jack, Rachel and Chloë – who will be sailing on the first leg of this trip.

At the end of the day, their enjoyment is the most important element and it is lovely that that has now begun. The work and generosity that has gone into The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Voyage of Discovery project is second to none, the team at the Trust have been tireless in their preparation and a big thanks to everyone who has helped to get us to the start line.”

The Ellen MacArthur Trust Skandia Round Britain Voyage involves 85 young people across 17 legs, sailing the 48 foot yacht Scarlet Oyster the 2000 nautical miles around Britain on a four month voyage stopping at 17 ports around Great Britain including; Brighton, Dover, London, Ipswich, Hull, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Belfast, Douglas, Liverpool, Cardiff, Torquay and Southampton finishing in Cowes on 13 September. As with all of the Trust’s activities, it will focus on rebuilding their confidence and most importantly, having fun.

Follow the progress of the voyage online at www.roundbritain.org where an interactive tracking map will update the boat’s position. You can also show your support for the Trust by donating £10 and ‘buying a mile’ through the website or by calling 0870 0636774.