Opposite: Jolie Brise rounds the Fastnet Rock during the 2013 race. If there is one vessel in the world that could find its own way from Cowes to the Fastnet Rock, then safely back to Plymouth, or more recently to Cherbourg, then surely this is she? Left: a safe pair of hands. Toby Marris, ex-roofer, gardener, ski instructor and the current curator of the Jolie Brise story – still introducing youngsters to sailing 112 or so years after she first went afloat


children from disadvantaged areas, or those living with disabilities. Such activities are packed into the time between her Dauntsey’s duties. Toby says sailing is a great leveller; even know-it-all teenagers are quickly silenced by the need to listen carefully to avoid being clobbered by a 300kg boom swinging towards them. ‘The boat does all the work’ of gaining


Maritime Museum and the school, as a result of the tireless efforts of maths teacher Bill Parish. She was later taken over entirely by the school when the museum called in the receivers. Her first modern ‘refit’ had involved no


refit at all, and everything, sails, rigging, engine – you name it – was in poor condi- tion. He remembers his job interview largely because he thought one of Head- master’s questions (whether he knew IT) was asking if he spoke Italian… This was 1995, but the school, as ever, was punch- ing ahead of the trend. Having secured the post Toby and Jolie


Brise headed out for a two week shake- down. He quickly became aware, despite Jolie Brise’s rundown condition, how beautifully she sailed compared to other working boats he knew. But it was defi- nitely ‘not love at first sight’. There was too much that desperately needed fixing, and no real budget to fix it; plus the school was a 90-minute drive away from the boat. He took the huge job in hand himself, getting stuck in straightaway. Once back afloat, and with the backing


of the headmaster, Toby was granted per- mission for the entire fourth year to experi- ence 24 hours on Jolie Brise – cooking meals, sleeping aboard and of course sail- ing. The same system is in operation today, plus new formats for different year groups. But back then the effect was immediate


– the sailing club swelled to 250 members, from 30. Step by step, year after year, the boat was brought up to its current ‘0 Coding’, licensed to sail anywhere across the globe where it is safe to do so. Both parents and pupils were roped in to help with maintenance and renovation projects. Soon Jolie Brise was ready to spread her wide sails and take on the world. There were certain pivotal moments.


One was the appointment of Sue Stone to run the Jolie Brise office, a task she only recently relinquished. The volume of paperwork required to take youngsters to sea in 2025 is almost unbelievable and Sue had to be efficient, flexible and unflap- pable, as my own experience working with her richly proved. Sue took on everything asked, including driving minibuses around


Europe for crew changeovers. With such support, superbly organised professional systems soon evolved, which allowed Jolie Brise to traverse the oceans and gain her now worldwide reputation. Another shift came when a wise repre-


sentative of the Tall Ships organisation rang Toby to suggest his proposed voyage to the Norwegian Lofoten islands might include their Race Leg from Aberdeen to Trondheim. Toby says this opened his eyes to the excitement and the sheer scale of that operation, including the events laid on for the young sailors in port, particularly in big cities with a shipbuilding heritage. Soon everyone at Dauntsey’s was, like


Toby, completely and utterly sold on Jolie Brise’s participation, since when she has had blistering success, overall winner of the Tall Ships Race on several occasions, including the 2000 transatlantic race which required a costly upgrade in communica- tions equipment. Toby himself went on to chair the Tall Ships Council for seven years. Alongside her Fastnet victories, and Blue Water Medals, Jolie Brise carries her Tall Ships triumphs with special pride. Soon after the turn of the century revised


safety regulations required the appoint- ment of a fully qualified First Mate. Adam Seger took on the role 22 years ago and never looked back; Toby says people stick around because Dauntsey’s is ‘a brilliant employer’. Covid was another watershed, but they managed to include Jolie Brise as a part of the ‘school grounds’; pupils attended in their social bubbles and great fun was had by all, despite the restrictions. Looking to the future is challenging


when you are so immersed in the present. Jolie Brise is more than a national icon – an antique boat in top condition, equipped for speed as well as safety. With the back- ing of Dauntsey’s and its ever-supportive parents, Toby’s management has ensured she is equally as famous for modern competitive, ocean-crossing adventures and her reputation of always considering a new challenge, as for her glittering past. Over 580 pupils sailed on Jolie Brise last


year alone. But she is also shared with many other communities, both here and abroad, and offers regular outreach to


and maintaining their attention. He cannot predict who will be seasick: one shy youngster gained the permanent respect of her classmates, up the mast, confidently astride the crosstrees in a choppy Channel crossing, while the rest were simply trying to avoid vomiting over the side. Younger pupils at Dauntsey’s, who


have not yet gained the strength to handle a heavy vessel without winches or modern aids, instead camp and sail dinghies at Bembridge during summer holidays. I suggest to Toby that it feels like coming full circle to offer those youngsters the very experience that started him on his mar- itime career, so many decades ago. Unlike his father he is 100 per cent hands-on, safety wise, but the physics of sailing has not changed since he was a boy. There is also excitement when Jolie Brise herself visits Bembridge… where she is about the deepest draught of boat that can get in. When sailing with Jolie Brise I noticed


how skilled Toby is at breaking difficult concepts down into smaller ideas – the hallmark of a great teacher. He referred me to his own mentor when he worked at Square Sails, John Goode, later editor of Sailing Today, whose great gift was the simplification of complex ideas. Toby gained his commonsense seagoing instincts by observing good sailing practice all around him and absorbing skills from others. He is not alone. Dauntsey’s pupils absorb far more than sailing techniques and seamanship when they cast off with the Jolie Brise professional crew. So what can people of all ages learn


from sailing this boat? They will surely understand that heritage needs protecting, and that each of us needs to play our part in preserving treasures the past has gifted to us. Left to herself in some mud berth, Jolie Brise would quickly disappear. Like all wooden boats of her vintage, she needs to be used, often, and sailed hard, but not beyond her limits. Being stuck in a museum would destroy rather than save her. Thanks to Toby and his team, with the wise, steady backing of the school, Jolie Brise is being given her wings to carry her famous red sails across the world’s seas. We all owe them a huge debt.


q SEAHORSE 55


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