Sometimes doing good is its own reward. And sometimes doing good can bring rewards with rewards -- like sailing on a 72-foot race boat in Great Britain and the Mediterranean this summer. For free.

The British organization Tall Ships Youth Trust is looking for experienced sailors to sail as Volunteer Crew on board their new fleet of 72ft Challenger Yachts. The Trust purchased the four steel-hulled yachts -- which previously took part in the Round the World Challenge races -- at the end of 2007 to bolster their sail training fleet.

"Crewing our Challenger yachts is fantastic fun, and with a busy program of voyages throughout the summer we need more Volunteer Crew to help us on board," said Tim Law, Operations Director for the Trust. "We are looking for people aged 18-65 with a good level of experience of sailing large yachts, who enjoy calmly and patiently sharing their sailing knowledge."

Volunteers sail as Watch Leaders, Mates and Skippers, depending on level of experience, and voyages can last from 5 - 10 days over weekends and during the week. The Trust takes over 4,000 young people a year to sea.

“Sail training is a well recognized and powerful tool for developing young people," according to Martin Jay, Chairman of the Trust. "Increased self esteem, better communication skills and a healthier, outdoor lifestyle are just a few of the benefits."

For more information, and an application, see www.tallships.org.

Photo: Courtesy of Tall Ships Youth Trust.