We are only weeks away from The Tall Ships Challenge which I first posted about back in February but apparently according to The Royal Gazette there are still places on board for intrepid whipper-snappers:

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 still has trainee berths available for persons aged 15-30 wanting to take part in a historic 7,000 nautical mile journey across the North Atlantic.

I’m gob-smacked. I would have thought all the positions would have been snapped up ages ago. Desn’t it seem like a wild and romantic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity to you? Setting off across the Atlantic with the wind in your hair and your heart a-pumping. Sigh.

Kate Winslett would have had nothing on me 15 years ago let me tell you.

Should anyone feel the urge to throw caution to the wind and get to grips with some rigging, then Tall Ships Bermuda is the place to apply.

Imagine dozens of tall sailing ships gracing the coastline of Tenerife as they arrive from Vigo, Spain, the starting point of The Tall Ship Atlantic Challenge 2009. These beautiful vessels will be in Tenerife from 14th to 17th of May preparatory to setting off on a 26 day sail to Bermuda. There, they will help celebrate and mark the 400th year anniversary of the settlement of Bermuda before heading off to Charleston, Boston and Halifax before setting sail across the great Atlantic again for the final leg of their journey which will see them make port at Belfast, Ireland in August 2009.

At the time of writing 23 sailing ships have entered the race from countries as diverse as UK, Uruguay, Netherlands, Bermuda, Russia, France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Those on the liked page that still have active email links are looking for trainee crew members. Wow. That could be you.