The British accessible tall ship, Lord Nelson, will be setting sail for the shores of Brazil in April and will be arriving in to Rio de Janeiro just a few weeks before the start of the much anticipated 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The 55-metre tall ship, which is operated by the British charity – the Jubilee Sailing Trust, will be spending 5 weeks exploring the Brazilian coastline. With the crew getting the chance to be involved in the nations ‘football fever’ and their pre-tournament festivities, she’ll be calling in to various seaside towns and cities along the way. She’ll arrive in her final destination, Recife, on the 12th June – where it’s first international game between Cote d’Ivoire vs. Japan will be held just a couple of days later.
Lord Nelson is one of only two fully accessible tall ships in the world and is sailed by disabled and able-bodied crew. Features such as braille signage, wheelchair lifts between decks and hearing loops, hand rails and a bowsprit wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair mean a large variety of physical disabilities can be accommodated on board.
Football and sailing fans alike will be impressed to learn that in February this year, Lord Nelson was the first mixed ability vessel to sail around the infamous Cape Horn, in southern Chile. Having embarked from her home port of Southampton in October 2012, on her first ever global circumnavigation – the Norton Rose Fulbright Sail the World Challenge – she is sailing a massive 50,000-miles and calling in to more than 30 ports, all to promote the messages of inclusion and equality.
The ethos of the Jubilee Sailing Trust is to focus on what people are able to do, rather than what they can’t, and a buddy system on board pairs able bodied and disabled crew during a voyage so they can provide each other with mutual support.
There are still spaces for both disabled and able bodied voyage crew on all of our World Cup voyages:
Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro – 19th April to 9th May
Rio de Janeiro island tour – 10th May to 23rd May
Rio de Janeiro to Recife – 27th May to 12th June
With three fantastic voyages available, it’s a brilliant opportunity for any football and sailing fanatic to get themselves to one of the most important sports event of the year – the FIFA World Cup! A range of physical disabilities can be accommodated and no previous sailing experience is required.
To book a voyage please visit www.jst.org.uk or call +44 (0)23 8042 6849