Physically handicapped persons will be given the chance next week to join a cruise round Grand Harbour organised by the Malta branch of the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

The physically handicapped persons will be assisted by able-bodied seamen and will be able to get a feel of cruising, David Caruana, public relations officer of the JST Malta branch, said.

Physically handicapped persons who want to join the trip, which will be free of charge, should phone Mr Caruana on 21245014 or on fax 21238738, or else contact JST Malta chairman Albert Felice on 21632019.

Mr Felice is a former headmaster of a school for the disabled and a sailing instructor.

The trip will be made possible with the help of Captain George Zammit and Captain Morgan cruises. Requests to join the trip have to be made by November 12.

The Malta branch set up this year is the first JST branch outside the UK.

Accompanying the crew and guests will be John Marshall and Carol Stokes from the UK branch who were responsible for setting the ball rolling for the setting-up of the branch in Malta. Mr Marshall will be sponsoring two Maltese handicapped persons to join a cruise on the JST tall ships.

Mr Felice said the sea gives one self-confidence even if one were to steer a canoe, let alone be on board a sailing boat.

"This trip is meant to give a taste to physically handicapped people what an exhilarating experience the sea can be.

"The JST Malta branch will be raising money to buy a second-hand yacht in order to take physically handicapped persons on sailing trips," Mr Felice said.

Established in 1978 in the UK with a donation from the Queen's Silver Jubilee Fund, the Jubilee Sailing Trust promotes integration between able-bodied and physically disabled adults by sailing tall ships.

The Jubilee Sailing Trust of the UK owns and runs the tall ships Lord Nelson and Tenacious.

Close to 7,000 persons, 3,000 of them in wheelchairs have so far joined the Lord Nelson and Tenacious.

Each of the vessels takes a permanent crew of 10 and 40 passengers with 20 persons with physical disability and the rest being able-bodied persons.

The Trust founded by Christopher Rudd is a registered charity with its own business company promoting the tours and selling promotional material.

The first of the JST tall ships, the Lord Nelson, is made of steel. She has a displacement of 75 tonnes and an overall length of 42 metres. She first sailed in 1986 and cost £2.5 million.

Tenacious has a displacement of 675 tonnes and the overall length of the hull is 50 metres. Made of wood, she cost £14.3 million and sailed on her maiden voyage two years ago.

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