May. 22, 2007
Amica Insurance Tall Ships® Rhode Island 2007
Offers Teens the Trip of a Lifetime
Students from Schools Throughout the State to Embark
on 10-day Voyage Aboard Historic Tall Ships
NEWPORT, R.I., May 22, 2007 – When 20 majestic Tall Ships converge on the Newport and Fort Adams waterfronts at the end of June, a few will carry teenagers from all over Rhode Island, many of whom have never stepped foot on a boat. Amica Insurance Tall Ships® Rhode Island 2007 and the American Sail Training Association are offering area teens the trip of a lifetime — ten days aboard a tall ship as it sails to Newport for New England’s only Tall Ships festival this summer.
For more than a year, John Corbishley and his wife Lori have been traveling the state, meeting with students at Classical High and the Met School in Providence, the Met School in Newport, and a host of nonprofit organizations in every corner of Rhode Island, such as R.I. Educational Talent Search and Volunteers in Providence Schools. The Corbishleys have recruited participants from the Narragansett Indian Tribe, Chariho High School, Child & Family, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the Martin Luther King Center in Newport, just to name a few.
The teens will board a tall ship in Baltimore on June 16 and arrive in Newport June 26 for the festival, which will be June 27-July 1. The sailing opportunities are free and available before, during, and after the festival to area teens, ages 14 to 19, with an emphasis on participants who would not have the financial resources for this type of journey.
“Many of the teenagers we are speaking with have never been sailing, never stepped foot on a boat,” said Corbishley, who started sailing at age 10 and is Past Commodore of the Newport Yacht Club. “Sail training programs around the country have consistently shown that a prolonged experience offshore can provide a permanent shift in perspective among the participants. They see the results of team work immediately as the ship they are sailing on responds to the efforts they contribute.”
When Don Mays, the coordinator at the Martin Luther King Center, learned about this opportunity, he immediately garnered spots aboard the tall ship VIRGINIA for teens at the popular Newport center.
“It will be a powerful, life-altering experience,” said Mays, who will be aboard the VIRGINIA with eight teens including his fourteen-year-old son. “The children will be living in a small space with each other. They will bond and grow and learn from each other. I look forward to seeing them become a crew, working together, and supporting each other to make this trip happen.”
In addition to the voyage before the start of the festival, there are 10-hour day sails on the Bay during the festival and longer trips when the ships depart Newport for various destinations. The skills introduced by these sail training programs, which will be supervised by trained crews, include: mechanics behind a ship’s operation, how a ship sails, line handling, navigation, shipboard maintenance, and the important of teamwork. Given the nature of the journey and the dedication required, candidates should have a desire to learn from new experiences as well as to be able to follow directions and work in close quarters with others, Corbishley said. Parental or guardian approval is required.
“For many years, ships such as these have been used to provide sailors in navies around the world the training to work together and develop a sense of self-confidence that cannot be duplicated in other environments,” said Festival Co-Chairman Vice Admiral Tom Weschler. “I encourage all parents to seriously consider these journeys as a tremendous opportunity for their children.”
Don Mays at the Martin Luther King Center could not agree more. “I’ve been involved with leadership training programs and without exception you see how it changes people for the better. It removes them from their environment and gives them the opportunity to get a new perspective on the world and what’s going to happen after high school.”
Nicole Beede, an eighth grader at Thompson Middle School and member of the Martin Luther King Teen Center for three years, said she couldn’t wait for the voyage.
“I’ll get to experience something many people never get a chance to do,” Beede said. “I’ll get to travel and learn more about working on a ship.”
Participants are nominated through non-profit organizations around the state. For more information, contact the Amica Insurance Tall Ships Rhode Island 2007 office at 401.841.0080.
Amica Insurance Tall Ships Rhode Island 2007 will be the largest display of ships in Newport since the bicentennial celebration. Ship visiting will be free to the public. The festival will feature extensive special events, including an International Village, fireworks, crew and cadet parade, integrated tot and teen programs, and black tie ball. It will be capped by a Parade of Sail on Sunday, July 1. For the latest information visit www.tallshipsrhodeisland.org.
