A big welcome aboard (again!) to Colonel JBS

Colonel John Blashford-Snell – founder of Operation Drake and Operation Raleigh – is one of the world’s most renowned and highly respected explorers and we are very proud to announce he has agreed to be an Honorary Patron for Tall Ship Zebu.  JBS has mounted numerous expeditions over the past 50 years all over the world, concentrating on scientific research and community aid, and continues to do so with expeditions to Bolivia and Mongolia announced for 2020.

JBS supports and works with numerous charities working with underprivileged youth in the UK, as well as undertaking countless community aid projects in remote parts of the world.

In the 2019 New Year Honours list JBS was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to scientific research abroad and to young people in the UK.

JBS said of Operations Drake and Raleigh at the time “<The expeditions> are the ”ultimate challenge for young people” – especially underprivileged youngsters who might never have the chance otherwise.” The aim of Raleigh, ”is to inspire the young, so that they may develop their leadership, and thus communicate with others – and inspire them with the same pioneer spirit that men like Drake and Raleigh possessed…The most positive result of such an expedition, is that you can get one good leader with the good sense to use his leadership properly to inspire other young people, to communicate with his or her contemporaries after returning home.”

Between 1984 and 1988, Zebu successfully sailed around the globe as the Operation Raleigh sail training expedition vessel, teaching traditional sailing skills to an internationally diverse group of nearly 500 young people throughout the voyage.

https://www.johnblashfordsnell.org.uk/