Lyme Regis: Boat building academy fleet to take to the water (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Lyme Regis: Boat building academy fleet to take to the water

10:30am Friday 25th May 2012 in Lyme Regis

THE Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy will be launching its latest fleet of student boats on June 13 at Lyme Regis harbour.

The 13 students came from all over Europe for the 38-week course in Lyme Regis, among them are three people retraining after leaving the forces, a graphic designer from Switzerland and two people who have been working on super yachts cruising in exotic places but who now want to settle down.

Emma Brice, administration manager said: “The boats are as diverse as the students and include one described as the equivalent of a marine ‘hot rod’, a restoration of a 1950s Looe hire boat, traditional clinkers, glued clinkers, strip planked sailing boats, and one very exciting and unique coastal rowing boat.”

The boats will be taken from the academy to the harbour at 1.30pm where they will be launched one by one into the sea.

The Boat Building Academy welcomes everyone who would like to help them celebrate their students’ achievements.

The academy is a not-for-profit company aimed at providing education and skills training for the marine sector.

It was founded in 1997 by Commander Tim Gedge, who is a director and still plays an active role in its running.

The academy takes a maximum of 18 people on the long boat building course, eight on the woodworking skills course and up to 10 on short courses.