Member Article

World-famous race comes to college

Mariners from across the globe will be visiting South Tyneside College this summer to train for the most extreme professional yacht race. The College has won the contract to host training sessions for Ocean Safety Ltd, for the Volvo Ocean Round the World Race - a competition known as ‘the Formula One of yachting’.

To win the contract, the College beat off competition from other specialist centres in Spain and the South of England. Teams from Russia, Spain and the UK will visit the College’s Marine Safety Training Centre in August and September for specialist Ocean Safety sea survival training to prepare them for the race, which starts on 4 October 2008.

Alistair Hackett, General Manager of Ocean Safety, said: “We chose the College because of its outstanding facilities and ability to respond to our specialist needs.

“The race organisers required that the training be made far more realistic this year to ensure that the competitors are fully prepared to face whatever the race may throw at them. These sessions will be an essential part of their competition preparations and will allow them to train with the same equipment they will have onboard their yachts.

“We will have a number of experts on hand to deliver our specialist training but South Tyneside College will have an important role to play in making sure the sessions go smoothly.”

Tushar Bijur, Head of the Marine Safety Training Centre, said: “Winning this contract is testament to the fantastic facilities we have here at South Tyneside and shows our ability to compete on a world-class stage. “We are now looking forward to welcoming some of the world’s most talented yachtsmen and women and giving them a taste of our famous North East hospitality.”

For more information visit www.stc.ac.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .