Twelve Buckinghamshire pupils will be taking to the open seas this week, as part of a new outdoor-education programme.

The six boys and six girls will form the crew of two 42-foot yachts, which will spend a week navigating around the Solent.

Under the guidance of two experienced sailors the teenagers, from Alfriston School in Beaconsfield and Stony Dean School in Amersham, will plot their own course, determining their route according to weather conditions. They will also cook for themselves, and keep the yacht ship-shape.

Steve Adams, cabinet member for education at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “This sailing trip will do a great deal to help our young people develop their physical abilities, and encourage them to take ownership of their actions.” AB.