THE TALL ship Lord Nelson returned today after a two year voyage around the world which has seen it sail over fifty thousands nautical miles.
The 55-metre ship was the first to circle the world with disabled crew members and arrived on the Thames today accompanied by TS Tenacious, both of which are owned by the Jubilee Sailing Trust charity.
During Nellie's trip around the world on the Norton Rose Fulbright Sail the World Challenge, she crossed the equator six times and was crewed by a thousand people, including 350 with a physical disability.
She set off from Southampton in September 2012 and arrived back through Tower Bridge this morning at 10.30am, mooring alongside HMS Belfast while the Royal Marines Band gave her a rousing welcome.
Duncan Souster, Chief Executive of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said:
“This is a fantastic achievement by all those on board. They’ve travelled 51,000 miles and visited over 30 countries, all to promote the message of inclusion and in the process had a truly life-changing experience navigating the world’s oceans. The dedication of our expert team is helping to change the perception of what can be achieved by disabled people.”
Tim Marsden, deputy managing partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, said:
“We are immensely proud to have been involved in such a hugely ambitious project. We have supported disadvantaged and disabled communities, financially and voluntarily, through the Norton Rose Fulbright Sail the World Challenge, which has seen our people and our clients raise disability awareness and promote diversity on a global scale.”
Lord Nelson departs back through Tower Bridge on Monday (22nd) at 1.30pm. Tenacious will be at HMS President until Sunday lunchtime.
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