The Final Day : Ellen MacArthur Trust Residential Dinghy Week
The week was planned to give children who had previously sailed yachts with the Trust the chance to test their skills on smaller, more responsive boats.
But as the summer of 2007 will go down as one of the most meteorologically miserable in living memory, it was no surprise the weather had a significant hand in the way the week panned out.
The dinghies may have stayed on land a bit more than was planned but there was no compromising on the fun though.
And with Bradwell able to offer canoeing, high ropes, mountain biking, RIB rides and archery amongst their array of activities the kids were able to do things many of them would never have had the chance to try before.
Meanwhile whereas when they arrived they were small groups of children who knew each other and initially stuck together by the time they left they were groups within groups within groups, new friends made, existing friendships strengthened.
Every morning started the same, groans at 7.30am as the EMT volunteers had the unenviable task of trying to convince teenagers it was actually a good idea to get up at that time in the morning when the wind was howling and rain pouring outside.
But by the time everyone assembled at 9.30am for the daily what’s-in-store meeting, the cooked breakfasts had kicked in and everyone was ready for the day ahead. Well most days anyway!!
The 28 were split into three groups loosely based on age and enabled the Bradwell staff to rotate activities accordingly.
With Ellen MacArthur mucking in until Tuesday evening the kids had the added bonus of getting expert sailing advice from someone who really knows what she’s talking about. Who would have known she was so good at canoeing as well though!?
There is no doubting the kids love having Ellen about and she clearly enjoys being around them just as much. Even Ellen’s dog Flossie seemed to have the time of her life bounding around the Bradwell site and getting her first taste of canoeing!
With getting wet the theme of the week, everyone looked forward to getting back to toasty Bradwell for hot showers and dry clothes before tea each evening at 6pm.
But that was never the end of the fun as the evenings were just as action-packed as the days!
Bradwell boasts a massive high ropes structure that dominates its front lawn and every night kids were hoisted up to the top and dangled upside down on a single bit of rope all in the name of enjoyment obviously!
Not everyone made it to the top but most people made it some way up and when that is someone who five minutes beforehand had been white and swearing they were never, ever going to get up there every inch higher was an achievement.
It was the same with the archery, you may not have hit the target first time but if you had hit it by the end you had risen to the challenge and won.
Whether plunging down a weir in a canoe, balanced on a high wire 30ft above the ground or leaning out the side of a dinghy that was heeling ferociously, there was always screaming.
But when those same adrenaline-fuelled voices were sat in the bedrooms each night talking ten to the dozen about what had happened during the days, they were never talking about how terrifying and awful it was; it was all about how funny something was or how pleased they were they had done it.
It has been a brilliant week, run by brilliant Bradwell staff and enjoyed by brilliant kids.
And most of it was captured on video, which can be been seen by clicking on ‘Watch EMT videos’ on the left on the homepage.
Next year has got a lot to live up to.
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