Take a look at our 2023 adventures with the Bristol Cutters. A huge thanks as always to our sponsors.
Bristol Pilot Cutters Week, a scheme that helps get children out on the water, returns to Guernsey waters this June, thanks to the support of the Set Sail Trust.
The week is one of the Set Sail Trust’s key initiatives which has brought the replica pilot cutters to Guernsey since it was established in 2006. Throughout the week primary school, underprivileged, disadvantaged children and youth groups will head out on the water for a unique nautical experience.
This year, the trust along with its corporate ambassadors aims to welcome over 750 children aboard the three specialised sailing boats “Amelie Rose, Merlin & Polly Agatha” the style and design of which comes from the single-masted cutter.
The Bristol Pilot Cutter’s purpose was to quickly ferry sailors to and from large ships with their speed and manoeuvrability needing only a minimal crew to operate the ship in any weather.
It’s not just about spending time on the water; the Trust is also committed to raising awareness of Guernsey’s rich nautical history.
Nick Beck, Skipper of the Pilot Cutters, says; ‘We love coming over and taking youngsters out exploring the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s beautiful waters. We run these initiatives across the UK, however, this is the largest sailing youth participation in Britain, which is fantastic.’
The corporate and individual ambassadors for this year are; Arolla, Appleby, Brooks MacDonald, Butterfield Bank, Carey Olsen, Cazenove Capital, IAM Advisory, KPMG, Margaret Grisley, Levanto, Ravenscroft, Roy Bisson & TPA.
Ahead of their trip, each child will be given an educational booklet with activities that they can complete before they get out on the water.
The booklet includes a section detailing the parts of the yacht, from the keel to the mainsail, so that the youngsters are able to help during their thrilling experience sailing a cutter ship. Next up is learning the weather, tides and the waters surrounding Guernsey, Herm and Sark such as landmarks to look out for.
Andreas J Tautscher, Chairman of the Trust’s Advisory Committee, comments; ‘We are delighted to have the Pilot Cutters returning to our shores this year. Sailing is a big sport on the island and taking part in such nautical activities is a hugely rewarding experience that can teach invaluable life skills.
‘We’re proud to be able to give young people the opportunity to get out on the water as it’s something they might not otherwise experience. It’s important to educate the younger generation about the ocean and the impact that we are having on it, which is why the focus this year is on plastic pollution.’
D’Arcy Brimson, States of Guernsey Outdoor Education Officer, concludes; ‘To be able to provide youngsters with the opportunity to get out exploring and learning about our seas is fantastic. Teaching them early about the impact we’re having on the planet is crucial in helping to ease the situation.
‘Setting sail on a Pilot Cutter will be an incredible experience that the youngsters won’t forget in a hurry.’
Picture by Sophie Rabey. 14-06-23. Vauvert School out sailing with Bristol Pilot Cutters.
Picture by Sophie Rabey. 14-06-23. Vauvert School out sailing with Bristol Pilot Cutters.
Picture by Sophie Rabey. 14-06-23. Vauvert School out sailing with Bristol Pilot Cutters.
Picture by Sophie Rabey. 14-06-23. Vauvert School out sailing with Bristol Pilot Cutters.
Picture by Sophie Rabey. 14-06-23. Vauvert School out sailing with Bristol Pilot Cutters.
The Pilot Cutters Week
13th – 23rd June 2022
By supporting Set Sail Trust you will be helping others in the local community who wouldn’t normally get access to a range of nautical activities.
For a donation of £1,500 the Corporate Ambassadors will:
If you are interested in becoming a Corporate Ambassador, please email us enquiries@setsailtrust.com or download our application form here and email it to enquiries@setsailtrust.com
The last event due to Covid was in 2019 where the Pilot Cutters programme completed over 70 round trips carrying 600 children and young adults from 11 schools and 12 youth groups.
THE Set Sail Trust is pushing ahead with its plans to bring three pilot cutter boats back to the island next year for its flagship event.
The trust, which was established in 2006, provides water-based activities for local school children. Over two weeks in July 2019, more than 700 youngsters took to the seas on three pilot cutters and learnt about nautical history and the effect of plastic pollution.
‘We have to book the boats months in advance and our 2020 plans were well underway when lockdown happened and we sadly had to cancel. It was obviously disappointing but we immediately rebooked the boats for 2021 and are now making plans, liaising with the schools and youth organisations and inviting local companies to get involved by sponsoring a day’s sailing and using the boats in the evening for corporate hospitality or team building,’ said Andreas Tautscher, chairman of the trust’s advisory committee.
The Pilot Cutter event, which will run from 14th – 25th June 2021, receives funding from trustees Butterfield, IAM Advisory and TPA and corporate ambassadors Ravenscroft and Carey OIsen. Additional funding is required to ensure that as many children as possible can take part in the experience.
‘The crews are fantastic and work incredibly hard to ensure we can offer two sessions a day for 10 of the 12 days they are in the island as this means we can invite all of the primary schools to send their Year 6 pupils and then offer it to youth groups and charities during the weekend. We then use the evenings as a thank you to those companies who provide the financial support we need.’
Corporate sponsors contribute £1,500 but can then use the boat in the evening before enjoying a meal at the Yacht Club.
‘We have some extremely loyal supporters who like the idea of combining a CSR activity with corporate hospitality or staff entertainment and as we head into 2021, we are hoping that some new companies will become involved,’ said Mr Tautscher.
Each year, the trust also provides trips to Herm for disadvantaged families. For more information on the trust and becoming involved in the 2021 pilot cutter event please email us enquiries@setsailtrust.com
This years Set Sail event is going full steam ahead and over 700 children will be taking to the seas to learn all about our nautical history. This year they will also be learning about plastics and the effects of plastic pollution.
Thank you to our sponsors who have enabled this to happen this year.
Butterfield UK Channel Islands, IAM Advisory, Altair, Ravenscroft Group, Appleby, Brooks Macdonald, Carey Olsen, RBSI, Rocq Capital and KPMG Channel Islands.
Also thanks to our Trustees – Butterfield, IAM Advisory and TPA.
Watch our latest video here!
Butterfield Bank has been announced as Set Sail Trust’s new trustee and core sponsor and will support the charity’s work in the Bailiwick.
The new partnership will help to ensure the continued delivery of a programme of water-based initiatives for local school children and more underprivileged members of the community.
It’s not just about spending time on the water; the Trust is also committed to raising awareness of Guernsey’s rich nautical history.
The Charity’s patron is the Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey, Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder, who said: ‘Guernsey’s unique maritime history and stunning island location are privileges everyone should be able to enjoy. The charity’s work helps to make these privileges accessible to the widest possible audience, and it is always wonderful to witness the children’s enjoyment of the water and our coastline. It is only through the generosity of the trustees and corporate ambassadors that this work can continue, so it is pleasing to see a new trustee come on board.’
A key date in the Trust’s calendar is the Pilot Cutter event, which has been enjoyed by islanders for the past 10 years and is considered one of the highlights in the Channel Islands summer calendar.
Last year was the most successful event to date with 700 Year-6 pupils and youth group members experiencing the thrill of sailing cutter ships first-hand.
The news of the new appointment comes as the Trust has confirmed that 2018 will be a rest year for the popular fixture. However, summer 2019 will see the return of the event to coincide with the primary schools’ investigation and discovery week.
Andreas J Tautscher, Chairman of the Trust’s Advisory Committee, said: ‘We are so pleased to announce Butterfield Bank as our new trustee and sponsor. Participating in nautical activities is a hugely rewarding experience and can teach invaluable life skills. We’re proud to bring the joy of sailing to every sector of society, but this is only possible with the right funding and support in place.
‘With Butterfield Bank’s support, we look forward to continuing to bring our popular programme of nautical activities and events to the local community while educating islanders on Guernsey’s rich marine history.’
Richard Saunders, Managing Director of Butterfield Bank, said: ‘We are delighted to be a new trustee and core sponsor for Set Sail Trust. It’s important that Guernsey’s nautical activities and rich maritime heritage are accessible for all to participate in and learn about. The charity does extraordinary work by giving all members within the local community this opportunity. It’s very rewarding to be a part of this special initiative which brings a lot of joy and new life skills to islanders.’
The charity’s other long-term trustees are TPA, IAM Advisory and The Channel Islands Co-operative Society.
if you would like to sign up to the 2019 Pilot Cutters event please email enquiries@setsailtrust.com
The ever-popular pilot cutter ships returned to Guernsey’s waters again in 2017 thanks to the ongoing success of the Bristol Cutters Week. Local children were given the opportunity to experience the thrill of sailing, enjoy some rich maritime history and learn new skills.
A massive thank you to the sponsors this year which enabled the children to Set Sail. Guernsey Harbours, The Guernsey Emergency Services, Appleby, Bank of Butterfield, IAM Advisory, Ravenscroft, Canaccord, RBSI, Generali, Odey Wealth, Brooks MacDonald, Rocq Capital and Deutsche Bank.
We were very humbled to receive the below letter and thank you card from The Sunflower Project after The Set Sail Trust treated a group of five families with ten children to a weekend in Herm. All of the children who attended have all experienced the death of a parent so it is a much needed getaway for them.
A scheme which helps get primary school children, underprivileged and disadvantaged children and youth groups out on the water is expanding, allowing more young people to take part in Guernsey this summer.
Pilot Cutters Week is one of the Set Sail Trust’s major initiatives and has brought a number of replica pilot cutters to Guernsey since it was established in 2006, giving local primary school children, youth and special needs groups a unique nautical experience. This year, the Set Sail Trust, with the help of 12 corporate ambassadors, aims to get 800 children aboard.
This years corporate ambassadors are; Appleby, Bank of Butterfield, Brooks Macdonald, Canaccord Genuity, Deutsche Bank International, Generali Worldwide, Guernsey Harbours, IAM Advisory, Odey Wealth, Ravenscroft Stockbroking and Investment Management, RBS International, and Rocq Capital.
The project, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, means young people can sail the local waters and are given an opportunity to be actively involved in crewing the ships. They also learn about maritime history and safety at sea, while at the same time build their confidence.
As a result of the high level of demand to participate in the special week, the Set Sail Trust has extended the duration of the ships’ visit with three vessels set to be in Guernsey from 12th to 23rd June, which will also enable more children to enjoy the waters and more businesses to become corporate ambassadors.
For a donation of £1,500, each corporate ambassador funds a sailing experience for the day for school children or special needs groups and also takes part in the pilot cutters evening challenge, a great opportunity for team building, corporate hospitality or social club activity.
Last year, thirty-six primary school groups and seventeen other youth groups took to the high seas thanks to the generosity of local businesses that sponsored the ships.
Andreas Tautscher, Chairman, Set Sail Trust, said: ‘Pilot Cutters Week has always been a great success of the Set Sail Trust, and it is very exciting that we can expand the week this year and give even more children the opportunity to benefit from the scheme. Not only does the initiative make full use of the natural environment we are blessed with in Guernsey by giving young people a taste of sailing, but it also helps them build some real self-confidence which can be invaluable.
‘Based on feedback from previous years, we also expect there to be significant interest from potential corporate and personal ambassadors, so in its 11th year, this is shaping up to be a particularly impressive turnout for one of the Trust’s flagship events.’
Trustees of the Set Sail Trust include Deutsche Bank, TPA and IAM Advisory.
We have received a lovely letter from The Sunflower Project @ The Hub and some beautiful thank you cards from the children to thank us for another thoroughly enjoyable Herm Weekend. We are so glad you have a lovely memorable weekend.
