Earlier this year over 160 young people from the Portsmouth area were interviewed for an opportunity to join the Cutty Sark Tall Ships fleet for the final leg from Santander in Spain to Portsmouth Harbour.
 | | A good head for heights is needed |
From these, 60 young people were selected to make up the 50 for the final crew of the Stavros S Niarchos, with the others acting as reserves.
The final crew was selected at an activity weekend in April.
The organisers were looking for a good mixture of people on board that would work well under pressure and be team players.
Have a look through the photo gallery of life at sea onboard the Stavros S Niarchos.
All the crew members had to 'muck in', doing cleaning and cooking as well as working in the riggings as the ship crossed what are potentially some of Europe's roughest seas.
 | | Gemma keeping watch |
The selected crew came from different areas, had vastly different backgrounds but all wanted the challenge of a lifetime that sailing a Tall Ship would bring.
During the 10 days, the crew faced various weather conditions - from being becalmed to storms in the Bay of Biscay - to thick fog.
The new crew had to learn fast - the ship's resident crew and instructors on board made sure that the new recruits had plenty to do.
Being on a Tall Ship in the height of storms on the Bay of Biscay can be a dangerous place - as well as bouts of sea-sickness the crew took their fair share of knocks - Rob Mcgarrity twisted his knee getting out of his bunk and their were plenty of bumps and bruises on deck.
After 10 days, the young crew made it back to Portsmouth in a creditable eighth position in their class. They had all grown in themselves and experienced something they would never forget.
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