23 January 2020

Six BISP students working towards their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (IA) camped on local islands off Phuket over the weekend as part of a three-day dinghy sailing practice expedition.

The Year 11 students built on their skills learnt in their first expedition off Ao Yon beach, Cape Panwa, back in October, where they were introduced to dinghy sailing and taught the basics of rigging, launching and landing, and manoeuvres like tacking and gybing. Students also received expert instruction on safety procedures and how to assess wind direction and points of sail.

This time, the students were asked to put their skills into action and plan three 7-hour days of “purposeful journeying” to nearby islands. The young sailors were required to plan their own routes, make camp, cook their own food and produce a detailed report of their journey.

The Silver IA group is now looking ahead to its final sailing expedition from 31 January – 2 February. For their final expedition, the students will also devise their own project which they will present to the rest of the IA students.

BISP teacher and IA instructor Chris Dilts, said: “The students showed a strong understanding of the skills learnt at their initial sailing training weekend and coped well with the extra challenges of a longer journey. 

“They had a lot of fun and it was a positive experience for all the teachers and students that joined the expedition.” 

For more information on the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, please contact [email protected].