R. Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust

The R. Tucker Thompson changes lives! Our 7-day youth development voyages build teamwork, create confidence and develop leadership skills.

Northland

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The R. Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust is a Northland charity with a simple kaupapa: every young person deserves the chance to step aboard a tall ship and discover what they’re truly capable of.

Each winter, we offer 7-day youth development voyages for rangatahi aged 14–18 from across Te Tai Tokerau. On board, young people learn teamwork, leadership, and resilience while sailing a traditional gaff-rigged schooner. For many, it’s a life-changing experience that builds confidence, friendships, and a deeper connection to the moana.

We empower Northland rangatahi to live rewarding lives. While there is a cost to take part, we work hard to minimise it so that finance is never an obstacle to participation. Our summer tourism season helps subsidise the programme, but we also rely on generous donors and supporters like you to keep it equitable and accessible.

Why Your Support Matters

- 200+ young people each year gain hands-on sailing, leadership, and teamwork experience.

- Costs are kept as low as possible thanks to fundraising, tourism income, and community support.

- Positive outcomes last well beyond the voyage — increased confidence, stronger connections, and a sense of belonging.

More about us

The R. Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust empowers Northland rangatahi through tall ship sailing. Our kaupapa “Learning for Life through the Sea” builds confidence, teamwork, and resilience on youth development voyages.

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All Hands on Deck! – Inclusive Youth Voyage 12 September 2025

This October 2025, the R. Tucker Thompson Sail Training Trust will host our first inclusive youth development voyage for rangatahi aged 16–21 with intellectual disabilities.

In partnership with Blomfield Special School, this 4-day sailing adventure will see young people, too often excluded from outdoor opportunities, step aboard our tall ship, hoist the sails, and enjoy the freedom of ship life. It’s an unforgettable chance to build teamwork, confidence, and connection through the magic of the moana.

We’ve called it All Hands on Deck! to reflect the power of collective effort to achieve big goals.

Thanks to Sport Northland’s Tū Manawa fund and the mahi of the Blomfield team, we’ve already secured about 80% of the costs. Now we’re asking our community to help raise the final balance — and longer term, to turn this pilot into an annual fixture for inclusive youth development in Te Tai Tokerau.

Your support will:

- Back a student’s place on this pioneering voyage

- Help remove barriers to outdoor education for young people with intellectual disabilities

- Lay the foundation for a yearly programme that empowers rangatahi to live rewarding lives.

Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to hoisting the sails for this very special crew.

Together, let’s make All Hands on Deck! a reality.

#outdooreducation #tallshipsailing #youthdevelopment #InclusiveEducation

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