THE ultimate sailing adventure beckons for 13 intrepid young Hertfordshire people with the chance to take part in this summer's Tall Ships' Race.

The Chiltern branch of the Sail Training Association (STA) has commandeered 13 places for two Atlantic legs of the race in July and August.

And now STA is inviting young hopefuls to put themselves forward for a chance-of-a-lifetime berth in this most historic of ocean races.

Applicants must be aged between 16 and 24. No experience of sailing is necessary; enthusiasm is the watchword here.

This year's Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race starts at Falmouth, Cornwall in July and the first leg finishes in Lisbon, Portugal, at the end of that month.

The lucky 13 will then join the race for a parade along the Iberian coast to Vigo in northern Spain, where the ships will depart for the third and final leg to Dublin.

For the Hertfordshire hopefuls, the trail to Lisbon begins on Wednesday, January 28, when the STA will hold an initial briefing meeting in St Albans from 6pm to 9pm, at Hertfordshire Business Link in Grosvenor Road. For more details about the race, contact Colin Tregear of the STA on 01923 227068.

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