13 brilliant ways yachts are used for charity

The Sarasota, Florida-based charity SailFuture rehabilitates kids by taking them out of the juvenile penitentiary system and putting them onto sailing yachts. So far, the organisation has transformed more than 150 lives, working with advocacy groups, judges and attorneys to get high-risk youths out onto the water instead of locked up behind bars.

In 2015, five juvenile offenders sailed in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers as part of the charity's Sail For Justice program. The five young men – who had never stepped on a boat before –  were put through an Olympic style training course before sailing 2,700 nautical miles from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia.

Founder of SailFuture, Michael Long, said the program's goal is to use sailing to demonstrate there are "more effective and cost-efficient ways to rehabilitate at-risk youths than sending them into a broken juvenile justice system that fails more kids than it saves."

"Sailing is the basis of everything we do. Through it, we teach responsibility, inspire confidence and build the foundation of lifelong friendships," Long added.

There is no better sight than that of two beautiful classic sailing yachts battling it out on the water. Unless, perhaps, it's for a noble cause. In 2015, the 104 year old, 38 metre classic yacht Mariquita arranged a match race against the equally iconic 49.5 metre Eleonora and raised a whopping £67,000 for the disabled charity Wetwheels. The money was earned by auctioning off places on board the yachts during the regattas, with the 25 top bidders earning a spot on board.

Wetwheels gives disabled and disadvantaged people the chance to get on the water on board accessible yachts. The funds raised went to helping the Hamble-based charity buy their third boat, a new motorised catamaran that will based at the Royal Southern Yacht Club.

When Cyclone Pam tore through the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific last year, the 73 metre Silver Yachts Dragonfly was there to help. In just one of the ways that yachts could help the cyclone-ravaged region, Dragonfly was quick to respond by transporting medical aid and doctors to the remote areas that were in dire need of care.

It helped that some of the crew were medically trained as well. A stewardess on board Dragonfly is a doctor, the yacht's captain Mike Gregory said, and five more of the crew were trained medical technicians. Between this and a shoreside security team and ex-Navy seals joining the mission, the locals were in good hands as this superyacht came to the rescue.