Jubilee Sailing Trust flagship “Tenacious” supported by GAC Pindar Superyacht Services every stop of the way from Southampton

Sydney, Australia – A warm welcome awaited the tall ship Tenacious when she docked at Sydney last week, after completing her 17,000 NM voyage from Southampton. Among those waiting portside to greet her and her crew were representatives of GAC, which has supported the vessel since she set off from the UK in November last year.

Throughout her travels, the GAC global network provided the Tenacious with a range of support services including port agency, fuel supplies, Panama Canal transit coordination and spare parts logistics, coordinated through GAC Pindar Superyacht Services.

The three-masted square rigged 586 GT tall ship is one of two specially designed sailing vessels owned and operated by the Jubilee Sailing Trust, which was set up in 1978 to give people of all physical abilities the chance to experience sailing first hand. The Trust’s mission is to empower both able-bodied and disabled individuals to focus on what they can do, rather than what they can’t, and to correct misconceptions about disability. It works to build bridges of awareness and break down barriers for a better, more inclusive world.

Upon her arrival, two other sailing ships and a fire tug were waiting to escort the Tenacious under the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge to Darling Harbour, where a large crowd was waiting at her berth at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

“It was a fantastic welcome to our final destination,” says Simon Catterson, Master of the Tenacious. “We’d been through gales, fog, thunderstorms, tropical downpours and some really great sailing under blue, sunny skies. Since coming through the Panama Canal in January, we’ve visited ten different countries. GAC have organised agency services in each and have looked after us very well indeed, ensuring that clearing-in to Australia was as painless as possible.” 

It had been a voyage of firsts: the first time in her 16-year history that the Tenacious had transited the Panama Canal; and the first time she crossed the equator, west of the Galapagos Islands, to enter the southern hemisphere in March.

Andy Spark, the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Ship Operations Manager, says: “It was great to know we had the support of the GAC Pindar Superyacht Services team and GAC’s global network throughout Tenacious’s latest adventure. The practical and moral support from a reliable partner like GAC, with the resources and reach to help meet our needs wherever we go, cannot be overstated. It played a key role in our mission to overcome preconceived ideas about disabilities and help our crew members win confidence, new friends and real team spirit.”

Murray Bishop, GAC Pindar Superyacht Services Manager, adds: “We are strong advocates of the fantastic work of the Jubilee Sailing Trust to open up the world of sailing to people with disabilities, and we are proud to have supported the Tenacious. We look forward to continuing to look after her during her time in and around Australia, and beyond.”