Swan wins flagship award
The restored herring drifter Swan as been awarded the National Historic Ships’ flagship award for this year which carries a prize of £1,000.
In reaching their decision the adjudicating panel was impressed by the boat’s “extensive sailing and visiting programme for 2011” and were “particularly impressed with the emphasis on engagement with young people”.
The highlight of this year’s season for the Swan will be her participation in all four legs of the Tall Ships Races from Waterford in Ireland to Halmstad in Sweden, calling at Greenock, Lerwick and Stavanger. During the “Cruise in Company” from Greenock to Shetland, ports in the Hebrides and Orkney will be visited.
Throughout the race series the Swan will be crewed by young people from Shetland. On the leg from Waterford to Greenock three Irish teenagers will join her, while from Greenock to Lerwick four young Orcadians will join their Shetland counterparts.
In the race from Lerwick to Stavanger the Swan will be crewed by youngsters from across Shetland and finally on the leg from Stavanger to Halmstad, four young Swedes will join four Shetland teenagers as crew.
The season begins in Orkney on Monday with a series of short cruises for school pupils and then the Swan returns to Shetland at the end of the month, continuing to work with youngsters from schools.
On 1st June she sets sail for St Kilda on a cruise, that weather permitting, will include some of the other Hebridean outliers. In late June she sails for Waterford and the Tall Ships Races.
Swan Trust chairman Allister Rendall said: “I am delighted that the Swan has won such a prestigious award. It is particularly appropriate in the year when the Tall Ships visits Shetland for the Swan to be selected.
“As the flagship for 2011 of the UK’s National Historic Ships Fleet, the <i>Swan</i> will be seen by approximately two million people in Britain and Europe and be ideally placed to promote the work of National Historic Ships. In addition, in the Tall Ships Races, young Shetlanders will have the opportunity to be ambassadors for the islands.”
Dr Rodney Pell BSc (Hons). ARINA.
Hello ‘Swan’ and Skipper and Crew,
I am the owner and restorer of ‘Sheemaun’ – Flagship 2010 of the United Kingdom Historic Fleet 2010.
I am delighted to learn that ‘Swan’ and therefore also all who love her and work so hard to support her have won the prestigious accolade of ‘Flagship 2011 of the United Kingdom Historic Fleet’. I have looked at photos of ‘Swan’ and she is indeed a splendid and proud little vessel.
Welll done!
‘Swan’ is a long way North of ‘Sheemaun’ who is now berthed in Ramsgate, but ‘Sheemaun’ was built in Fraserburgh at the yard of J Noble & Co and so shares the solid heavy sea-going qualities and massive hull characteristics of ‘Swan’. Maybe our historic vessels can meet sometime.
Your 2011 program sounds exciting and exacting, do keep me informed.
‘Sheemaun’ extends a warm welcome to ‘Swan’ and her crew and the hope that one day our courses will cross.
By the way, you will find plenty of pictures of ‘Sheemaun’ on Google.
Best wishes for a splendid Flagship year, enjoy, and beat the drum for National Historic ships.
Yours Aye,
Rodney Pell