Gordonstoun has taken to the seas for the World famous Tall Ships Race
Monday 18 August 2025
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Two crews, consisting of 22 students, sailed on Gordonstoun’s 80ft long Ocean Spirt of Moray yacht, along with 49 other vessels. Vessels from Oman, the Uruguayan navy and Peru were among those who took part in the challenging route, beginning in Le Havre, France, and finishing in Esberg, Denmark. For the first time since 1997, the race stop at Aberdeen, with organisers reckoning the four-day stop was one of the biggest tourist events in Scotland this year. Having left Largs, on the West cost of Scotland, undertaken the four legs of the race and then returned to Inverness, the Gordonstoun crews covered over 1,500 nautical miles in 50 days. |
Gordonstoun students have taken part in this year’s Tall Ships Races – as one of only two UK schools taking part in the world-famous event.A fully-equipped ocean-going yacht
The Ocean Spirit of Moray, with two masts, is a fully equipped ocean-going yacht used as a sail training vessel for Gordonstoun students to introduce and prepare them for sea expeditions in all weathers.
Twelve girls and ten boys from Gordonstoun - aged between 14 and 18 years - took part in the race with the event being a major endurance challenge. Every student was part of a 24-hour “watch system” on the vessel to ensure the Ocean Spirit continued sailing night and day.
The first crew took part in the first half of the race from Le Havre, sailing via Dunkirk, and arriving in Aberdeen on 19 July. The second crew set sail from the Granite City arriving in Esbjerg in Denmark on 6 August, via Kristiansand in Norway
The races are designed to encourage international friendship and training for young people in the art of sailing, with half the Gordonstoun crew enjoying the social interaction of swapping with other crews for up to half a day each.
Robin Baker, Sail Training Operations & Training Manager at Gordonstoun, said:
“It’s a hugely challenging race. For each leg we don’t stop until we reach the finish, sailing during the day and overnight. We have a watch system with students taking a turn to be three hours on and three hours off, followed by three hours on standby. The students must fit in some sleep when they can. This teaches the students that the boat comes first followed by the crew, then the individual.
“The students don’t have a lot of personal space, they have their own bunk and that’s about it. After 24 hours they get used to working in such a confined space and you can see in the camaraderie how they look out for each other.
“This event is perfect for Gordonstoun students, with its diverse international participation and challenging programme. Ocean Spirit of Moray was alongside vessels from as far as Uruguay and Oman. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students.”
Open ocean sailing is part of the curriculum at Gordonstoun, beginning with three days in prep school and up to seven days in senior school. The students competing in the Tall Ships Race were accompanied by up to five staff, including a Skipper, First Mate and two or three watch leaders.
The vessels competed in four classes with prizes for each leg, an overall winner and a ‘Friendship Trophy’, given to the crew who “contributed most towards international friendship and understanding” during the event.
Before the race Erika Procter, First Mate, commented:
“The advantage of doing Tall Ships with a school group is that they all know each other before the set off, which isn’t the case for many other crews. Because all Gordonstoun students get ocean open sailing experience on ‘Ocean Spirit of Moray’ as part of the school curriculum, they also know the boat which helps.
“This is my first time competing in the Tall Ships and I’m really excited to take part. Going down the Channel will be a challenge, there is so much more traffic on that stretch of water, which will be interesting.
“The staff are there but we are just facilitating, it is the students that sail the boat. It’s that sense of responsibility that gives them confidence and a real sense of accomplishment at the end.”
Student William Adam, 17, added:
'I am hugely appreciative of the school for providing me with the opportunity to represent Gordonstoun and compete in the Tall Ships this year. When I joined the school in September, I never would have thought that I would have this experience over the summer holidays. I am looking forward to the skills, friendships, and experiences that I will gain along the way.”
The students, aged 14-18 sailed Ocean Spirit over two legs; 10 students on leg one and 12 students on leg two, with a crew change in the only UK host port, Aberdeen.
The schedule - Leg One
Collecting Ocean Spirit from Largs on the West coast of Scotland, the crew set sail to Le Havre, via Bangor in Northern Ireland and Alderney.
Once in Le Havre, the crew started their real experience of Tall Ships 2025, with Race One consisting of Le Havre to Dunkirk. The subsequent three day stay at Dunkirk, who were hosting Tall Ships for the first time, was notable for an impressive light show from drones one evening and the first sight of so many ships in one port for many of our crew.
Leaving Dunkirk, heading 'home' to Aberdeen, Race Two consisted of a six day sail with a notable podium finish. The Ocean Spirit crew achieved second in class C.
While moored at Aberdeen, Ocean Spirit and crew enjoyed hosted 140 guests from the wider Gordonstoun community. Old Gordonstonian (OG) alumni enjoyed wandering down memory lane and reminiscing about their past Sail Training Voyages (STVs). Parents commented on how lovely it was to see the yacht their children had sailed on, as they had heard so much about STVs over the years.
One OG, who came on board at Aberdeen, was an 89 year old former Aberdeen ship’s pilot who left Gordonstoun in 1953/4 and remembered Kurt Hahn. There is a photograph of his uncle in Ocean Spirit's galley, taken during a service on board Sea Spirit led by Cdr Godwin.
The schedule - Leg Two
Leg two started in Aberdeen, after three days of activities and celebrations with international crews, and ended back in Inverness.
One highlight for Leg 2 was the 'Cruise in Company' after Race Three. The route being along the south coast of Norway from Baly to Kristiansand, via Helgoya, Lillesand and Arendal. The latter part included a 40 nm passage through the inner leads from Arendal to Kristainsand, led by a Norwegian pilot from Arendal.
Race Four then took our crew from Kristiansand to Esbjerg in Denmark, a sail of four days, where Tall Ships 2025 officially ended. That wasn't the end for the crew though, who then took the next week to sail Ocean Spirit back to Inverness via Cromarty.
Part of the ethos of The Tall Ship Races is to ensure;
- A fun, outdoor adventure activity.
- A voyage of self-discovery, teamwork and acceptance of others.
- A way to promote diversity, international friendship and understanding.
These were fostered at every port of call when both the Gordonstoun crews took part in host port sporting and cultural activities. Some were fortunate enough to experience a traditional Omani breakfast on board Shabab Oman, the Omani Navy Tall Ship. Others competed as individuals in padel, and as a team in beach volleyball and Tug of War. Additioanlly, half the Ocean Spirit crew swapped for half a day each, with the Jolie Brise from Dauntsey’s School between Arendal and Krisitiansand.
For two students it was their first days with school before joining in the Autumn term, for six their final days at school, with four receiving their A-level results alongside in Inverness.
For all, this was a formative experience that epitimised Plus Est En Vous.
To find out more about our community, sail training opportunities and the uniquely broad range of activities available to our students, join us on our next Virtual Taste of Gordonstoun Webinar.
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