Writes Davena Scott, Head of Raphael House
Over the break, we sailed from Southampton Universal Marina to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, then to Poole, then to West Cowes on the Isle of Wight, before returning to Southampton. We were impacted by not one, but two named storms (Austen & Boelo), so we had the benefit of some conditions which are rarely experienced, and as Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ‘A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor’.
Amazingly there was less swell than during the July sailing trip and on our October trip only a very few crew were seasick, for a very short space of time.
As well as board games and cards, we played some brilliant games like Murder, where pre-planning paid off (Ms Scott was murdered with a fork in the cockpit, someone else was murdered in the sail locker with an oven glove)! Some of the crew made and decorated a huge cake which they named Jolene. We played the cereal box game where the box gets shorter and shorter & you have to retrieve it with only your feet touching the floor. We also had a scavenger hunt around Poole, as well as a relay of moving a square of chocolate from our foreheads to our mouths. Whilst sailing, we played a lot of That’s Not a Winch Handle, and word games like Harry the Happy Hippo and I Went to the Isle of Nod. We had a tug of war competition and a competition of knowing the sailing jargon & being able to get to it first. If all that wasn’t enough, we traversed the saloon attached by our strops and got very good at knots from all of the practice putting the sails up & down.
Everyone gained their Start Yachting qualification and logged a 90-mile voyage in their RYA Yachting Handbook.
This October’s trip was five days, but next October we have already planned a seven-day voyage so we can go further, gain more experience, and acquire more yacht sailing qualifications.
We have a very limited number of places available on the 2027 October trip for pupils who will be at least 14 years old by 16th October 2027. If interested, please see the recent letter to parents about the 2027 sailing trips and contact Ms Scott.
Parents said:
Ed B. (Divs)
Thank you for taking Ed on this trip – he absolutely loved it. You put a huge amount of effort and energy in to making the trip happen, and for navigating some uncertain weather this week – and we are very grateful to you for it. Ed has come away walking a little taller, having experienced something totally new but feeling happy that he coped and really enjoyed his time with the crew and the other boys. We couldn’t ask for more from a school trip – thank you so much.
Ethan V. (Divs)
Ethan enjoyed his sailing trip a lot and he has been talking about it non-stop ever since he came back. He has been doing dinghy sailing for the past 2-3 yrs and he now wants to take up yacht sailing!
Jonah R-S. (5ths)
From his very short text on Monday, we realised that he had not settled in yet and was not in the best of spirits. But then he got back on Friday happy, full of stories to share and explaining to us how much fun he had during the trip. I am sure he will cherish the experiences and learnings from this trip.
Pupils said:
Writes Rian S. (4ths)
The sailing trip in the Isle of Wight is one that I will never forget. It enabled me to grow so much as a person, watching the waves go by, or just meeting and talking to new people. At the start of the trip – in Southampton – I was quite excited to get out on the water after a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride and see what sailing was like. We spent a lot of time learning how to sail the boat, putting the sails up and steering.
We visited places such as Poole and Cowes, which are famous for sailing. The views were amazing, especially when we were out in the open sea with the wind blowing and the waves splashing against the boat. It was a bit cold though! Sometimes the sea was quite rough, which made a lot of people quite seasick!
In the evenings, we stopped in harbours where we could explore, shop and eat after a busy day. My favourite parts were being out on the water, exploring Poole, and playing games with the crew. By the end of the five days, I had learnt lots of new skills and become more confident on the boat. Overall, it was an amazing trip, and I would recommend signing up next year.
Writes Rohan N. (5ths)
From Monday 19th October to Friday 23rd, twelve boys from Fourths, Divs and Fifths experienced life at sea on a voyage along the south coast of England.
We set off at 7am on Monday for Southampton, where we boarded our 78-foot yacht, the Donald Searle. We were quickly introduced to the afterguard team, including the skipper, mate (second-in-command), watch officers and watch leaders. We then got stuck into learning how to move around the boat and carry out key tasks, including hoisting and securing the sails. We were also split into two watches – starboard and port – to share responsibilities throughout the trip.
Before long, we were out at sea, enjoying the horizon and the good weather that the first day brought us. That evening, we moored in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.
Tuesday brought more extreme weather. With heavy rain and significantly bigger waves than the previous day, the conditions were more challenging, but satisfying to sail through nonetheless. We moored up in Poole, Dorset.
On Wednesday, the conditions proved too harsh to set off, so we got engrossed in adventures ashore, including a scavenger hunt across Poole. This led to the very popular discovery of a sweet shop which, according to one of the questions, had 250 jars of different sweets to choose from.
Thursday brought conditions that were still harsh but sailable, with the intense waves making for an exciting journey. We moored in West Cowes, another port on the Isle of Wight.
Throughout the trip, we had the opportunity to make delicious and varied meals using the boat’s kitchen, known as the galley, and the plentiful ingredients we had on board. Some highlights included a deep-dish pizza, two delicious cakes, a roast dinner and a chickpea curry on the final night.
On the final day, we made the short journey back to Southampton, where our adventure had started. The conditions were the coldest and wettest of the week, so we kept our spirits up in the pouring rain with sailing-inspired games. For the final leg of the adventure, I was lucky enough to take the helm, steering the 78-foot yacht through the port and into position so that we could moor it.
A massive thanks to Ms Scott and Mr Cummings for organising the trip and making this experience possible. Thank you also to the afterguard team for expertly showing us the ropes and helping us quickly become sailors. It was a great opportunity to experience a sailor’s life, and I am sure that every student who came on the trip will agree that we made lasting memories.
