Olympic boat sets sail for Littlehampton

As part of its maiden voyage to celebrate the Olympic Games, the Collective Spirit will be moored in the River Arun, between Sunday and Tuesday (July 3).

The vessel, which is part of the nationwide Boat Project, has been constructed from thousands of donated wooden items and features pieces from the Littlehampton area.

The Littlehampton Town Council donated its wooden progress shield during a special event in Arundel, while students from The Littlehampton Academy handed over old hand rails and parts of a felled oak tree from the school, each with their own, unique tale – many of which will feature in a special book marking the Olympiad.

The town council, working in partnership with Sara Hopkins, community liaison manager at the academy, was able to secure one of the limited visits from the vessel as part of her voyage along the south coast.

Chairman of the town council’s community resources committee, Alan Gammon, said: “The town council was thrilled to have been able to contribute towards such an interesting and unique project.

“To have also been chosen as one of the stop-over points is a huge honour, not only for us, but also for those who donated items and who will now have a chance to see the end product.

“This is Littlehampton’s opportunity to be part of 30th Olympiad that will be enjoyed by people worldwide.”

During their stay, the crew will attend school assemblies, giving presentations about the project and inviting children to visit the boat, which will be open to the public on Monday (July 2) from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, alongside the Harbour Office, in Pier Road.

An exhibition about the project will be on display in the Army Cadet Drill Hall from 11am-5pm.

The visit will end with a performance by the academy’s steel band outside the Harbour Office.

For more information about the click here or to find out more about the project and where the ship will go next, see here.