Southampton students to support exciting restoration project
Two Ship Science students from the University of Southampton are working with the Portsmouth-based charity, The Boleh Trust, on an exciting restoration project, which has received half a million pounds from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
The grant will enable the Trust to employ apprentices to restore a historic junk yacht called Boleh. Local young people will be able to learn heritage skills and make Boleh fit to sail again, while gaining credits at Portsmouth's Highbury College towards their professional shipwright qualifications.
The restoration will be supported by the design expertise of third-year Ship Science students Jonathan Happs and Matthew Slater, under the guidance of Philip Wilson, Professor of Ship Dynamics. Professor Wilson says:
"The University of Southampton is delighted to be part of the successful HLF bid. Our involvement will be delivered in the main through the work of Jonathan and Matthew. Their own individual projects will help define the powering required for the new engines, aided by ship resistance estimates made on a model of the Boleh in our Lamont Tow Tank, and also give sail drive forces, through tests in the RJ Mitchell wind tunnel, of the sail configuration."
Once restored, Boleh - whose name means "Can Do" in Malay - will be used to help those facing challenges in their lives by giving them the chance to experience sailing this unique vessel and so build confidence, leadership and team working skills.
Boleh, a remarkable 40ft wooden junk yacht, was built after WWII in Singapore by a Naval Officer, Commander Robin Kilroy, DSC, who then sailed her back to Salcombe, Devon in 1950. She is constructed from traditional materials to a mixed junk/Bermudan rig design with many novel features - such as portholes made from the windscreens of Japanese fighter aircraft.
Notes for editors
Notes to editors:
1. The Boleh Trust is a Portsmouth-based registered charity (No. 1135117) formed with the twin aims of preserving the unique historic junk yacht ‘Boleh’ (National Historic Vessel No. 2281) and giving young people the opportunities to develop practical and life skills. More details of the Boleh Trust can be found at
www.bolehproject.com
.
Facebook: facebook.com/BolehProject
Twitter: @BolehProject
2. Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, the Fund invests in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 33,000 projects, allocating £4.9billion across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk
3. The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.
With over 23,000 students, around 5000 staff, and an annual turnover well in excess of £435 million, the University of Southampton is acknowledged as one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.
The University is also home to a number of world-leading research centres including the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Institute for Life Sciences, the Web Science Trust and Doctoral training Centre, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute and is a partner of the National Oceanography Centre at the Southampton waterfront campus.
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