If you wish to receive press releases from Pete Goss, would like to set up an interview or have any questions for the team, please contact Stuart Elford on +44 (0) 7796 957677 or email stuartelford@btinternet.com.

Thanks for your continued interest and support.

Girlings invites tenants to ‘Discover the Freedom’ - following Pete Goss’s adventures and getting young people on board

Girlings Retirement Options is launching a new initiative for its tenants ‘Discover the Freedom - bridging the generation gap,’ an international sailing project that will bring together the older and younger generation.

As part of the project Girlings is sponsoring Concise 2, a new Class 40 Yacht that will be sailed by the world famous sailor, Pete Goss, in the Route de Rhum 2010 race on 31st October 2010, and Team Concise, the young World Champion sailing team which will compete in the Seven Stars Round Britain and Ireland race this summer.

Girlings’ tenants will be able to get involved in the sailing and follow the daily progress of Pete Goss and Team Concise through Girlings’ website, as well as through regular company news bulletins.

Racing a Class 40 singlehandedly from St Malo to Guadalupe will be very different from Pete’s last challenge, sailing ‘Spirit of Mystery’, a 37-foot wooden lugger weighing 16-tonnes, to Australia at an average speed of about 4 knots. A Class 40 weighs a quarter of that and can sail at speeds in excess of 25 knots.

As well as following the adventure of Pete Goss and Team Concise, the ‘Discover the Freedom’ project will enable Girlings’ tenants to help young people get involved with sail training by raising funds to secure places for them to take part in the internationally acclaimed Tall Ships Races next year.

The Tall Ships races, run by Sail Training International, take place in European waters every year, with fifty percent of the crew made up of young novice sailors from around the world. The experience of taking part in these races can be life changing for young people, as they develop new skills, gain a different perspective on life and forge international friendships.

Girlings will launch a competition to give tenants the chance to win a free place on the ship for someone they have nominated.

Peter Girling, Chairman of Girlings said, “The aims of our Discover the Freedom project are twofold; Pete Goss is an inspirational sailor who is renowned for his interesting and challenging adventures, and we think our tenants will get really excited and passionate about following him in the Route de Rhum and the young world championship team in the Seven Stars race. Equally important is our desire to connect our tenants with young people – and sailing is a great opportunity to do this. Through the project, tenants will be able to help young people - who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity - to learn to sail and take part in the Tall Ship Races. These young people will have the experience of a lifetime and be able to share their experiences with the tenants – we see this as a great way fostering meaningful relationships and bridging the gap between the younger and older generations,” he added.

Pete Goss said, “I am delighted that Girlings is one of the silver sponsors for the Route de Rhum and the Seven Stars Round Britain and Ireland races. I look forward to meeting some of the tenants over the next few months and getting them enthused and passionate about the races. The ‘Discover the Freedom’ project will bring together two different generations in a shared interest and give young people from different walks of life the chance to experience the joys of sailing and enjoy a life changing adventure.”

For more information, or to interview Pete Goss and Peter Girling about the project, please contact: Email: emma.wardhunt@foundation-pr.co.uk
Telephone: 020 8542 7400 / 07989 979 693

About Girlings Retirement Options
- Girlings Retirement Options Limited is a privately owned company which deals exclusively with renting private retirement property to the 55+ market throughout the UK
- Girlings has over 2,000 properties in 500 developments across the UK
- Girlings lets the majority of its units on life long (assured) tenancy agreements, which allow tenants to stay in properties for as long as they wish, providing security of tenure.
- Service charges and maintenance costs are included in the monthly payments.
- Girlings properties are predominantly one bedroom apartments. Two bedroom apartments, studios, and a small number of bungalows and cottages are also available, all within purpose built retirement developments.
- Girlings is a member of the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM), the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) and a licensed member of the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS). For more information visit www.girlings.co.uk

SPIRIT OF MYSTERY ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

Pete Goss and the crew of Spirit of Mystery have arrived in Melbourne Australia after an epic five-month and 11,800-mile journey.

A flotilla of small boats and hundreds of onlookers welcomed the 37-foot wooden lugger into Williamstown, Melbourne at 1.30 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time today, Monday 9th March 2009 (0230 hours GMT).

The crew had an emotional reunion with Mark Maidment, the 44 year-old crew [...] more...

SPIRIT OF MYSTERY NEWS UPDATE – 1800 AEST - 08/03/09

This is a news update concerning the Spirit of Mystery, the 11 metre wooden lugger that was knocked over in the Southern Ocean on Tuesday morning injuring crewman Mark Maidment.

Mark was taken off the boat at Portland yesterday and airlifted to the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, where he underwent an operation to his broken right leg. He is now resting comfortably in hospital after a rod and pins were atta [...] more...

SPIRIT OF MYSTERY NEWS UPDATE 0100 GMT 060309

This is a news update concerning the ongoing situation with the Spirit of Mystery, which was knocked over by a large wave at about 23.30 hours GMT on Tuesday 3rd March (0930 hours boat time Wednesday 4th March) about 300 Nautical Miles South South-West of Kangaroo Island off Adelaide, South Australia.

Spirit of Mystery is currently making her way towards Portland on the South Coast of Australia. It has been decided n [...] more...

SPIRIT OF MYSTERY NEWS UPDATE – 0600 GMT Thursday 5th March 2009

This is a news update concerning the ongoing situation with the Spirit of Mystery, which was knocked over by a large wave at about 23.30 hours GMT on Tuesday 3rd March (0930 hours boat time Wednesday 4th March) about 300 Nautical Miles South South-West of Kangaroo Island off Adelaide, South Australia.

At about 2300 hours GMT on Wednesday 4th March the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMS [...] more...

At about 23.30 hours GMT on Tuesday 3rd March (0930 hours boat time Wednesday 4th March), Spirit of Mystery was sailing in strong winds and high seas about 300 Nautical Miles South South-West of Kangaroo Island off Adelaide, South Australia, when she was struck by a large wave.

The vessel was knocked over and an injury sustained by one of the crew, Mark Maidment, who has broken his right leg between knee and ankle. Mark was taken below and treated by the crew who administered m [...] more...

LAST PUSH FOR PETE GOSS AND SPIRIT OF MYSTERY

Pete Goss and the intrepid family crew of Spirit of Mystery have less than 900 nautical miles to go as they make their way towards Melbourne from the UK, but another storm is brewing as they prepare for the last big push.

154 years ago, a small wooden Mounts Bay lugger called Mystery rounded the headland and passed almost unnoticed into Port Philip bay, Australia. A pilot came on board and was amazed at the story the [...] more...