"A perfect experience!"

Mette Jørgensen is 25 years old. She was one of the trainees, who sailed from Bergen to Esbjerg during The Tall Ships Races 2014. Mette comes from a family who has been sailing ever since she was a child. Her biggest wish is to sail around the world. 

Where did you get the idea to participate as a trainee during The Tall Ships Races? 

News on the internet gave me the idea. I was reading that Esbjerg Municipality was looking for trainees to sail from Bergen to Esbjerg during The Tall Ships Races. I applied for one of the seats immediately. In February I received an email that I got one of the seats as trainee. 

Three years ago I met my boyfriend who is very interested in sailing. I knew that he was going to sail with a full-rigged ship for eight months, so I wanted to get a lot of exciting experiences during my summer holiday. The stay on board as trainee would also give me a different holiday experience and teach me about how a ship works and the life on board. 

How was it to participate in The Tall Ships Races?

I can describe it very briefly: fantastic! The stay as trainee has made me very interested in the sailing life, and I hope that I can participate in The Tall Ships Races 2015 in Aalborg as a trainee on board LOA. 

How were the days on board? 

The days on board went very well. And fast. We spent six days at sea. We had a time-table so everyone tried all duties; cooking, setting sail, observation, cleaning and steering the ship. Often I was confused about which day of the week it was because I was awake and slept odd hours of the day. So it was not about whether it was Tuesday og Sunday but if you were able to sleep eight hours or had to get up for a night shift. 

We were 32 people on board. The group solidarity was very good and we had a lot of fun. We were six people who participated from Bergen to Esbjerg. The other 26 people had been sailling together for 14 days - but they were good at integrating us in the community on board. 

Do you have any special experiences from the trip?

The night shifts were very special to me. At night shifts we got the opportunity to know each other because it was only your own team who was awake. 

One of the night shifts also featured a visit from three pilot whales. 

Why do you want to participate during The Tall Ships Races 2015?

The experience is incredible. To see the world from sea is amazing. To meet new people. To learn more about something you are interested in. You get the opportunity to push your limits and test your boundaries. 

Freedom. When you are sitting in the head of the ship - that is great! The freedom of being where there is no calls og mails. You are never disturbed by Facebook, Instagram etc. 

My boyfriend and I hope to participate as trainees during The Tall Ships Races 2015 from Kristiansand to Aalborg. I will look forward to a different holiday with funny experiences, new friendships and to learn more about the life on board a ship. 

If the life as trainee has caught your interest, please contact Mette Pejstrup Kjær, by e-mail: mpk@aalborg.dk or by phone: +45 9931 1514 for further information.