Our Story

The Spirit of Adventure Trust was established to provide the youth of New Zealand access to a character development programme through sail training. During the course of each voyage, the Trust aims to give young New Zealanders an equal opportunity to learn and develop from each other qualities of independence, understanding and community spirit through the medium of the sea.

Although the Trust is described as a "sail training organisation", the focus of learning for 'Trainees' (what all participants are called onboard) is on personal skills such as team work and communication. Learning to sail a Tall Ship is a means to an end, rather than a specific objective.

Each year between 1000 and 1200 young people aged  15 - 19,  from a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds throughout the country participate in the Youth Development programme. In the past 30 years, fifty thousand young people have taken part.

The Trust ensures that every trainee on either Youth Development 10 - Day programmes, or during specially designed voyages for young people with disabilities or those that are disadvantaged, are given every opportunity to achieve personal goals.