Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre

In 1956 the Royal Navy disbanded the Coastal Forces Command and centres such as HMS Hornet located at the world famous Portsmouth Naval base was allowed to gradually fall into disrepair.

However, such was the interest by senior Navy officers in yachting that in the early 1960s an overture was made to the commander-in-chief, Portsmouth, that the old Hornet facility be turned into a yacht club with money spent on restoring facilities. The proposal was agreed and in May 1964 the Club was formally opened in Gosport supported by a full committee.

By the next decade the Joint Services Adventurous Sailing Centre (JSASTC) was established at Gosport, the intention being to provide service personnel with a chance to do something different to their normal roles by learning how to sail, with a rare cross-services chance of working together, learning about the different skills across the armed forces.

To equip the centre the MoD supplied ten Nicholson 55’s, nine Contessa 32’s and nine Halcyon 27’s, the yachts being berthed in a newly restored area of Hornet with new piles and new pontoons.

Since those early days the Contessas and Nicholsons have been sold off and bought by private enthusiasts like Les Ballard.

Forty years on the JSASTC now delivers RYA training and UK and worldwide sailing exercises to about 5,500 service personnel annually, through its fleet of 30 yachts from 72ft Challenge boats to 34ft training yachts, including the last one of the original Nicholson 55s.

Many involved with JSASTC have been around the world taking in destinations such as the Caribbean, the Canary Islands, Australia, Brazil, the United States, the Falkland Islands, Greenland and Iceland as well as taking part in thrilling events such as the Rolex Whitbread races – challenges to test the most ardent adventurer.