Sail Training

The London to Portland Small Ships Race 2012 will take place from the 9th to the 17th June 2012. A fleet of 25 Sail Training vessels will take part, with up to 300 young crew from the ages of 12 upwards.  Vessel Entry now open

Places are available for young people to take part in this fantastic adventure. No previous sailing experience is needed as the staff on board will teach you everything you need to know.

To find out more, contact ASTO on 02392 503 222 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A list of participating boats and their contact details will appear on this site in due course.

More information - A large fleet of Sail Training vessels will race to Portland in the summer of 2012. On the second weekend in June, 300 young people from Dorset and London will gather in West India Docks on 9th June to prepare for the London to Portland Small Ships Race. 25 vessels ranging from 100 year old pilot cutters to modern ocean racing yachts are due to take part in an offshore race from London to Portland, and each boat will be crewed by young people from 12 years upwards.

The charities running the vessels use Sail Training to provide life changing opportunities for young and disabled people from across the UK. Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) is working together with the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) to organise this spectacular youth event.

The ships will depart London on 11th June, 2012 and race to Weymouth and Portland, arriving on 15th June, 2012. On the 16th June, HM The Queen's representative in Dorset, the Lord Lieutenant, Val Pitt-Rivers will start another race within Weymouth Bay by firing a cannon from the Nothe Fort. The races will be followed with a prize-giving at the Academy in the evening of the 16th.

John Tweed, Chief Executive at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, commented, "This is a first class opportunity to link young people from Dorset with London in such a positive youth adventure. The sailing will be just a small part of the overall experience; the young people involved will also gain valuable life-skills to benefit them for a long time afterwards. It's a very exciting project and one we're very pleased to be on board with.

The event has been strongly supported not only by the Sailing Academy working closely with ASTO; we have also received enormous help from Portland Marina and Portland Harbour Authority.

The spectacle provided by these remarkable vessels will be a great opportunity for people in Weymouth and Portland to come and enjoy – and start to build excitement for the very special sailing events taking place a few weeks later."

Places are available for young people to take part in this Adventure. Contact ASTO on 02392 503 222 for more information. Regular updates will be available on this website under 'Events' .

The 8th ASTO Small Ships Race in Cowes was a great success, with 29 vessels taking part and perfect conditions. A more detailed report on the racing is now available. There is a full list of results, and a list of prizes and trophies awarded. Photos of the prize giving are courtesy of MAX, as are photos of the race.

ASTO would like to thank everyone that took part, and everyone who helped to make this great event happen, not least the Cowes Organising Committee, the ASTO volunteers in the race office, the Scrutineers and the Committee/Press boat.

For information on the ASTO Small Ships Races and the aims and objectives of the race please read more ...

The Tall Ships Races are organised every year by Sail Training International, whose members offer the Sail Training experience world-wide.  ASTO is the national UK Sail Training organisation and is a member of Sail Training International.

The 2012 UK Conference date is confirmed as Friday 27th January 2012, starting at 0900 and ending at approx 1700. The full conference schedule is available here.

Please note there is no Training Day on Saturday 28th January. 

Soft Skills Training may be arranged through ASTO at a later date, subject to demand.

The event will be once again kindly hosted by Southampton Solent University Conference Centre. Places are limited and will be on a first come, first served basis.

Registration for the conference is now closed.  Contact ASTO if you want to take part as there may be cancellations.

Morning Sessions

Session A - Safety Management Systems in Practice. Looking at organisations that have a Safety Management System in place, how it works, how do they update it and keep it current.

Session B - Using Social Media to Recruit Trainees. A workshop by Tony Treacy of eConsulting, first presented at the Sail Training International Conference this year. Keeping up to date with the latest developments in social media "If I had a vessel and no Marketing budget, what would I do?"

Afternoon Sessions

Session D - Discussion Forum - Corporate Management of operations and safety.

A number of well-publicised incidents over the last few years, including fatalities and loss of vessels, have drawn the wrong kind of attention to the sail training industry. This session is not so much about technical safety management on board, but more on organisational and structural issues for Trustees and shore-side management. Jonathan Cheshire will facilitate an open discussion on issues such as:

· Trustee and corporate responsibility for operational issues

· Informal observation/audit of ship/shore communication and management

· Sharing of knowledge and experience across ASTO, eg. no fault reporting of near misses

Session E - Child Protection, safety and awareness - Workshop with Paul O'Beirne, Chief Executive, Community Action Fareham on recognising child protection issues, your organisations policies and awareness (more details to follow).

The Green/Blue Initiative and Topsail Insurance will be available in the coffee area all day to answer any questions.

If you have any queries or comments regarding anything to do with the Conference please do not hesitate to contact ASTO.