UKSA Ambassadors

As a charity, UKSA's work in introducing young people to adventurous activities afloat and developing their passion for sailing and watersports is supported by a number of well known sailing personalities. Dame Ellen MacArthur knows first hand how influential your first sailing experience can be in shaping your future and is right behind UKSA's work in providing watersports and yachting activities to suit a range of ages and abilities.

UKSA works with the Ellen MacArthur Trust, Ellen's charity for children recovering from leukaemia and other serious illnesses, by providing facilities, craft and operational support for the Trust's sailing trips.

A word from Ellen MacArthur

"I have been working with UKSA as one of their Ambassadors for a number of years now. I really enjoy visiting the Academy to meet the children and students immersed in their activities and studies, it's great to see so many people as passionate about sailing as I am.

"UKSA's work is really varied, ranging from introducing children to the water for the first time  to coaching youth racing teams, from providing training to the local lifeboat crews to working with schools from some of the poorest parts of the UK. But in all of UKSA's activities I can see one common thread - the charity's passion for enhancing people's lives through sailing and watersports.

"As an Ambassador I am lucky to be involved in many of UKSA's projects, most recently Gipsy Moth IV. As a child I was inspired by Sir Francis Chichester's yacht and it's great to now see the yacht restored to her former glory and being used to take young people on sailing adventures, including young people from my own charity, The Ellen MacArthur Trust.

"I'm really proud to be an Ambassador for UKSA and am looking forward to continuing my support for a charity which inspires, develops and promotes sail training and seamanship to young people."

Shirley Robertson

British double Olympic gold medal winner Shirley Robertson is another great sailor who has chosen to support UKSA as an Ambassador.

Living on the Isle of Wight, Shirley is a regular visitor to the Academy and is particularly passionate about providing sailing opportunities for young people.

Shirley is working with UKSA on an initiative to give all the school children on the Isle of Wight a chance to get out on the water and try dinghy sailing. It is hoped that the scheme will be launched in Spring 2008.

As a UKSA Ambassador, Shirley has offered her support to the UKSA's Gipsy Moth IV Project by becoming a Patron. She spent a lot of time at UKSA in 2005 inspiring students from the five Isle of Wight High Schools to put a campaign together to compete in the 'Make Your Mark Round the Island Race' programme. UKSA provided all the training facilities for the event, which was sponsored by SEEDA and the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership.