"Sailor exchange"….Zarene Dallas from Manly and Chris Gordon from Scotland, with the Prime Minister at Fleet Base East. Picture : ABPH Yuri Ramsey, NIU/E

The RAN-supported sail training ship Young Endeavour has made an early start in taking the Federation of Australia message to all parts of the nation.

The yacht, with her ship's company of permanent Naval officers and groups of 24 youngsters, is well into a voyage to circumnavigate Australia calling at dozens of ports on the way.

The voyage will take 364 days and see the youth crew changed 17 times, thereby providing a sea going experience for hundreds of young Australians.
Four crew changes have already occurred.

Under the command of LCDR Andrew Davis, the vessel called at Fleet Base East last week to take two special guests for a sail around Sydney Harbour.

The ship welcomed the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard and Mrs Howard for a 90 minute voyage '

Back ashore, Mr Howard announced two initiatives which will extend the experience for some Australians and provide added financial sponsorship for the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme.

The first is an exchange program which will see a young person from an earlier sailing adventure on Young Endeavour travelling to the United Kingdom by Qantas and sailing on Sail Training Association of the United Kingdom's yacht Stavros S Niarchos.

In return a young person from the UK will sail on Young Endeavour.

Scotsman Chris Gordon has just completed his journey on the Australian vessel, while Zarene Dallas, a town planner from Manly and a member of the Manly Council staff, left Sydney last week to sail from the Canary Islands on the UK yacht.

The Prime Minister also threw his support behind an appeal by the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme for 24 corporate "crewmembers" ( ie companies) to contribute $10,000 each to assist the scheme with its work.

Mr Marcus Blackmore, chairman of the scheme praised the RAN for its support of Young Endeavour and singled out the Maritime Commander, RADM Geoff Smith for a special word of thanks.

"Without the Navy's help this ship goes nowhere," Mr Blackmore said.

It was revealed it costs $3 million annually to operate the yacht, gifted to Australia by Britain in 1988.

As well as praising the scheme and the experience it provides to young Australians, the Prime Minister presented certificates to each of the 24 young people who had sailed most recently in her.

Young Endeavour will be in Sydney for the Fleet Review in October.