A BASINGSTOKE teenager is back on dry land after he won a chance to be all at sea on a training yacht for six days.

Callum Archibald, 14, from Hatch Warren, was one of just six youngsters from Hampshire who won a chance to board the John Laing yacht after they won a place on this year’s Marina Developments Limited’s Sail Training Awards.

The MDL-sponsored awards, which have been running for more than 20 years, offer young people – carefully selected due to their exceptional accomplishments, or for overcoming adverse personal circumstances – the opportunity of a lifetime aboard a training yacht operated by Ocean Youth Trust South.

Callum and the five other teenagers took part in the 230-nautical-mile, six-day trip, which took in Studland, Poole and various locations in the Isle of Wight, including Haslar and Cowes, before returning to Southampton.

As well as taking part in the trip, Callum and the five other participants were awarded a Start Yachting certificate from the Royal Yachting Association and have been invited to attend the Southampton Boat Show, where they will be presented with a trophy by the owner of MDL, Lord Iliffe.

Callum said: “I was quite nervous about taking part in the Sail Training Awards because I have not sailed before, so I didn’t really know what to expect.

“But, it was a great experience and I had a lot of fun meeting new people and even got a chance to do some cooking. The trip has given me a lot more confidence, and I now know I can achieve something if I put my mind to it.”