Schools Marine Challenge winners have a blast at Show

St Andrews CE High School for boys, category winners of the Schools Marine Challenge, came to the show for a VIP tour of some of the most exiting and advanced boats in order to help them further their understanding of maritime engineering (and have a great day out).

Organised by Blue Sheets Marine Directory, the aim of the trip was to show the differences in design and construction depending on the vessels use and requirements.

Their day started with a tour of the RNLI Severn Class lifeboat, guided by RNLI Head of Engineering Support, Steve Austen, who explained the design and construction of such a specialised vessel.

They then continued onto the Sunseeker 86 Yacht, the largest of the Sunseekers at the show, for a contrasting view on vessel design, with the design and build emphasis on aesthetics focusing on luxury and comfort.

Finally they visited the Tall Ship, Jeanie Johnston for a look at traditional construction techniques.

Their visit wasn’t complete without a ride in Southampton water on a Parker 900 Baltic RIB and a Ribcraft 7.8 RIB.

James Stone of Blue Sheets said of the visit “The students had a fantastic time at the show and learnt a great deal about the differences in each boat as well as all aspects of ship design some of which that haven’t changed in over a century”.

“I would like to say a huge thank you all the companies and individuals involved for their time and effort in making such a superb experience for the students”.

RNLI – Steve Austen – www.rnli.org.uk
Sunseeker Gemma Langridge – www.sunseeker.com
Jeanie Johnston – Helen Armour – www.redsky-sailing.com
UK Powerboats – Richard Ware – www.ukpowerboat.co.uk
Ribcraft – Jason Purvey – www.ribcraft.co.uk
Naval Architect - Stuart Roy – www.yacht-designer.co.uk
British Marine Federation – Nik Parker – www.britishmarine.co.uk

For more information and images, visit: www.bluesheets.co.uk

For more information on the Schools Marine Challenge, visit: www.britishmarine.co.uk