09/04/2013 00:00
TW
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By Staff Reporter SOME of the island's most disadvantaged youngsters made Palma proud last year by winning their class in the Ruta de la Sal sailing regatta and this week the Foundation of Joves Navegants (the local sail training association) announced that their team was trained and ready to sail in the 2009 edition of the famous race.

At a press conference held in the Club de Mar the local authorities expressed their wholehearted support of the island's sail training charity and of their participation in the Ruta de la Sal in particular.

Young people from a number of local entities including Intress, Amiticia, Ateneu Alcari and others have been taking part in trials aboard the Foundation's ketch Galaxie since last October.

Out of the 56 youngsters who have been participating, eight have now won places in the final crew with a further five in the reserve team. The complete crew will consist of the captain and five deckhands – some of whom will be young people who have trained with Joves Navegants in previous years and are now trying to get their professional qualifications -, there will also be two social workers aboard, one young cook from l'IES Son Ferrer de Calvia, a cameraman and journalist from the local TV station and the 8 young crew.

Galaxie will leave Palma on Sunday, 5th April bound for Barcelona. Once there, the crew will prepare the boat for the forthcoming regatta and enjoy cultural visits to the maritime museum and the aquarium. The race starts early on the 9th, Maundy Thursday, with the fleet of over 100 yachts setting sail for Ibiza town. On Sunday morning following prize giving on Saturday evening, Galaxie will head back to Palma crewed by any of the reserve crew who had not had the opportunity to take part in the race itself.

A local TV crew will be aboard throughout the week making a half hour documentary on the work of the foundation and the way that life at sea helps those from disadvantaged backgrounds to not only secure future job offers, but to integrate into society more easily following the experience of a life on the ocean waves.

Last year Galaxie and her young crew battled through a ferrocious gale to gain first place in their class with Majorca's adolescents refusing to give up and put into port when many other yachts dropped out. You can be sure that this year's crew will have just as much grit and determination to do the island proud in this internationally renowned regatta.