Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT), has officially welcomed a fifth Challenge 72 yacht to its iconic fleet, enhancing its reach and impact across the UK. 

The 72ft yacht, formerly Challenge Wales | Wales’ Tall Ship, was officially transferred into TSYT ownership on 1 October 2025, from the Penarth-based charity Challenge Wales, following its closure. The vessel has now joined TSYT’s nationwide fleet under her new name, Challenger 5.

This milestone builds on a period of close collaboration between the two charities and guarantees that young people across Wales and the wider UK will continue to benefit from life-changing experiences at sea. 

Challenger 5 will operate alongside TSYT’s existing fleet of four 72ft Challenger yachts, all originally built for the renowned BT Global Challenge. Since 2008, these 22-metre, steel-hulled vessels have served as TSYT’s unique youth development ‘classrooms,’ providing young people with immersive, hands-on environments for adventure and personal growth, even in the toughest conditions at sea.

Each year, more than 1,000 young people aged 12-25 sail with TSYT through its innovative three-voyage programme of Exploration, Empowerment and Leadership. Many come from disadvantaged backgrounds and describe their voyage as a turning point that helped them see a positive future for themselves. TSYT empowers young people to develop essential life and employability skills, build confidence, and realise their true potential.

The addition of this fifth Challenge 72 yacht to its iconic fleet will enable TSYT to reach even more young people annually, broadening its nationwide impact and strengthening its presence in Wales as a key regional hub.

Commenting on this exciting development, Ali Renn, Head of Fundraising and Marketing at Tall Ships Youth Trust, said:

“We are incredibly proud to welcome this iconic vessel into the TSYT family. Challenger 5 represents so much more than a boat, it is a continuation of a legacy built on changing young lives at sea. Thanks to the generosity of our funders, we can now reach hundreds more young people each year, helping them to build resilience, leadership, and confidence that lasts a lifetime.”

The acquisition of Challenger 5 has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and The Gosling Foundation, whose joint funding has enabled TSYT to expand its sea-going capacity at a time of growing demand for its services.

To honour their invaluable support, Challenger 5 will carry a tribute to these funders on her hull, mesh stay sail, and an award plaque – a visible recognition of their partnership and the legacy they are helping to create.

Admiral Sir George Zambellas GCB DSC DL, Prime Warden of The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, said: 

“The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights is thrilled that its co-venture with The Gosling Foundation has resulted in such a rapid and visibly successful outcome.  The Company very much looks forward to seeing Challenger 5 add to the Tall Ships Youth Trust’s creative output of inspired and developed young people who benefit so greatly from their amazing experiences at sea.” 

Chairman of The Gosling Foundation, Honorary Captain Adam Gosling OStJ Royal Naval Reserve, commented:  

“Our co-venture with The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and Tall Ships Youth Trust reflects the importance that I and my fellow Trustees place on the principle of unlocking potential in young people through learning and experience, inspiring them to be adventurous and courageous. Our founder, my father Sir Donald Gosling, would have thoroughly approved!”

Thanks to the generous funding, the vessel Challenger 5 will undergo a refit to meet Category 0 (Cat 0) ocean-going standards. This refit will prepare the vessel for her first youth voyages from Wales in March 2026, followed by subsequent journeys across the UK, where countless young people will continue to be inspired and transformed by the challenges, joys, and triumphs of life at sea. 

For the charity, its funders, supporters and above all the young people whose lives will be shaped by these voyages, the future is full of exciting possibilities.  

For more information, please contact us at info@tallships.org / 02392 832055

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