Exercise ADRIATIC LION was the University of Birmingham Air Squadron (UBAS) and the East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron’s (ESUAS) most recent international adventurous training sailing expedition to the Adriatic Sea, Croatia. Over the course of one week, 16 students from UBAS and ESUAS, as well as one day skipper from Bristol University Air Squadron (BUAS) and three staff members looked to develop and enhance their sailing expertise, with a varied mix of beginner sailors and those who had previous experience.
The vision of Ex. Adriatic Lion was to offer a unique Adventurous Personal Development Training (APDT) experience to a mix of Officer Cadets and Acting Pilot Officers to demonstrate both the planning difficulties in coordinating a major international expedition, but also to offer them the chance to see what Adriatic sailing is like, whether they have sailed before or not. Planning for Ex. Adriatic Lion started in March 2024, but final approval was delayed until the final few days preceding the expedition given some confusion around the command structure for international APDT trips like this expedition, something that future planning of a similar trip would absolutely look to prevent and overcome. However, in spite of that the initial levels of interest shown in the trip highlight a keen appetite amongst students to take part in something as exciting as this, both for the opportunity to experience UAS life when deployed overseas, but also as a major learning experience for those interested in pursuing future Joint Service Adventurous Training Scheme (JSAT) sailing courses. Overseen by Sqn Ldr Barnicoat and Flt Lt Hayman-Joyce, paired with the assistance of students with Royal Yacht Association (RYA) competent crew and day skipper sailing qualifications, two yachts – ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Tango’ – based out of Marina Kremik, Primosten were the vessels used for the week.
Initial transit to Croatia from the UK proved to be more difficult to arrange than initially thought. Given the inter-squadron nature of the trip, the participants were booked onto three separate flights. Off Cdt Prendergast, the ESUAS contingent of 5 students and Flt Lt Hayman-Joyce were booked onto a 0545 flight from London Gatwick, while the remaining students and staff were taken from RAF Cosford at 0100 via a Babcock MT coach to London Luton where they were split across two departing flights at 0620 and 1445 to Split, Croatia. The staggered arrival of all the participants did allow for some much needed time for planning and organisation before departure however, and allowed the Day Skippers and Competent Crew to do their initial and pre-departure checks of both of the yachts while the remaining students and Sgt. King commuted into the nearby town of Primosten to do the necessary food shopping for all the initial meals students would be required to cook whilst living and messing aboard the yachts. Both yachts contained excellent kitchen and self-catering facilities which allowed for a multivariate and filling culinary calendar for the week, something that paired brilliantly with our Adriatic setting. Future planning of a similar expedition would like to see all the participants and staff booked on to the same flight to avoid the logistical difficulties that come with splitting a large group for an international expedition, but all the participants overcame any difficulties and the logistics did not hinder the sailing itself – and so were just an inconvenience.
This was also another consideration when choosing both the Adriatic but more specifically the area around Split and Primosten for the expedition. There are plenty of sailing opportunities both in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, but Croatia was chosen for the excellent conditions it has to nurse beginner sailors into a more comfortable and competent helmsman. Given the climatic conditions it offered the ideal temperate setting for learning how to sail, with calm waters and spacious berthing options – unlike some comparable coastal areas around Greece or the UK. It also allowed for the students participating to experience the variation between berthing in a quay or at a marina, and dropping anchor in a cove without the facilities that are sometimes afforded by a port authority. This was particularly beneficial from a learning point of view as the skills and knowledge required to pull-off the different types of docking mean that different competencies and deckhand management is required – testing more than faculties and pushing the participants into more of a stretch mindset.
The development of these skills started on day one. Throughout the day, the boats remained near Primosten to allow the crews to practise essential boat handling skills and drills. Key elements of the RYA Competent Crew Syllabus were covered, beginning with the preparation of the yachts for sea, including comprehensive engine checks and ensuring all the provisions were properly stowed before transit. The focus then shifted to the initial learning that could be achieved while still at the marina, with primitive sailing techniques, such as selecting the appropriate sails, understanding points of sail and practising tacking and gybing manoeuvres. In addition to the standard sailing drills, the crews were instructed on emergency procedures, including handling man overboard situations and familiarisation with onboard emergency equipment.
This initial learning contributed massively to the effectiveness and rapport of those on board the yachts. Under the guidance of Flt Lt Hayman-Joyce and Sqn Ldr Barnicoat respectively, both ‘Tango’ and ‘Blue Moon’ were able to mesh the different skill sets of some students who had never met before to create a cohesive and jubilant environment aboard the yachts. The days would follow a similar pattern to ensure that this was possible, with an initial morning brief after breakfast taking place to guarantee that the whole crew knew what the days plan was, as well as any duties that they needed to fulfil while underway and how they were needed to ensure the yacht was ready and prepared for the days sailing. An alternating rota of non-sailing jobs was created in the galley of the yachts so that all participants knew what their responsibility for the day was, as well as how they could help their other crewmates achieve their targets.
This was supplemented at regular intervals throughout the day with teaching points on the more technical and specific sailing requirements. With a wealth of knowledge aboard both yachts, students were able to glean a better understanding of the technicalities associated with sailing under wind, as well as how the yachts handled in different conditions. This was discussed as part of a wider learning of the RYA Syllabus with a focus on weather forecasts and meteorology and how an understanding of them could be incorporated into pilotage plans. Although some days lacked the necessary wind to achieve the optimal sailing results, the fast thinking and adaptability of Flt Lt Hayman-Joyce and Sqn Ldr Barnicoat meant that there were still valuable lessons that could be learnt. This was expertly reflected in the way the crews behaved as the week went on, with more people getting involved in the navigation, skippering and sail management responsibilities as they understood more throughout the week.
After the successful recovery of all the participants and kit, the wheels are already in motion for the planning of Ex. Adriatic Lion ‘25 as this expedition has demonstrated both the value for money for APDT abroad from a skills perspective, but also in inspiring an appetite amongst participants to take part in future JSAT qualification courses to help facilitate more RAF-wide trips like Adriatic Lion. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the participants, the profound impact it has had will live with them throughout the rest of their RAF or civilian careers, and that is something that wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the Ulysses Trust. Some of the following comments were made:
“This experience was like no other. Having the opportunity to try something totally different made for both an educational and truly rewarding week at sea – all with some incredible people!”
Off Cdt Quinlan Prendergast
“After already taking part in a similar trip two years prior, I was worried that I would find I wouldn’t learn anything new. However, with more knowledge and practice, I was able to contribute to the teaching with those less experienced which enabled me to also learn and develop myself. An amazing trip with amazing people!”
APO Dani Ashwell
