News

Our flagship brig, TS Royalist, has returned to the South Coast for a series of voyages. On arrrival in Poole yesterday, just before midday, she had to cope with a South Westerly 24 wind boosting to 36. The swell outside the harbour was a sea state of 2.5m. In Beaufort terms this was somewhere between a Strong Breeze and a Near Gale. No wonder she was not under sail on her approach up the  second largest natural harbour in the world. She attracted many onlookers as she passed Brownsea Castle at the entrance to Poole Harbour.

TS Jack Petchey is pictured alongside in Poole Quay Marina on 3rd April having arrived from Gosport and on her way to Weymouth early in her 2022 schedule of Offshore Voyages.

She was built in 2010, having benefited from a £1m investment from the Jack Petchey Foundation. As many of our Cadets will know she is designed to take 12 Sea Cadets to sea for week-long residentials giving them a variety of experiences. These range from navigation to cooking to hands-on sailing.

For many cadets she takes them to sea for the very first time.

Whilst on board ship the Cadets are able to earn Royal Yachting Association qualifications up to Watch Leader, as well as receiving practical seamanship training.

The MSCC, parent charity of the Sea Cadets, appointed Mr Jack Petchey OBE as an Honorary Commodore of the Sea Cadet Corps for having been such a great supporter.

It is 40 years since a task force sent from the UK liberated the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic from an Argentine invasion.

This is personal to Poole as Royal Marines based locally joined the Royal Navy, Army and RAF in that task force.

This is commemorated by the town’s Falkland Square.

Many now live in and around Poole and some are valued volunteer instructors with the Sea Cadet Corps, amongst other cadet organisations.

We thank them all for their service both then and now, whilst also humbly remembering the sacrifices that were made.

For further information please go to: https://www.falklands.gov.fk/londonoffice/falklands40th

Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry applauds our approach to International Women's Day.

A century-old ‘glass ceiling’ in the Royal Navy has been shattered as Jude Terry becomes the first female admiral in its history.

After nearly 25 years’ service around the globe and at home in the UK, the 48-year-old from Jersey has taken  the helm as Director of People and Training and Naval Secretary.

That makes the rear admiral responsible not only for more than 40,000 regular and reservist sailors and Royal Marines, but also the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – who operate the Navy’s crucial support ships – plus civil servants and contractors, all part of the gigantic jigsaw which allows the Royal Navy to operate around the globe 24/7/365.

Women have served in the Royal Navy since the Wrens in World War 1 and have been going to sea since 1990. Today there is no position or branch of the Service not open to women.

Admiral Terry says that the fact that she is a woman is irrelevant to her post and rank – simply that “someone has to be first” and she most definitely will not be the last; there are currently four female commodores (the next rank down) and 20 female captains.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key says Admiral Terry is “a great example of all the amazing women serving today – and a role model for all who serve and those who follow.”