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Juvenile offenders will be re-educated by yachting

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Eight juvenile offenders will be taught yachting as part of the Sail For Justice programme.

Offenders aged 15 to 21, who have been charged with everything from petty theft to manslaughter, will be taught the basics of sailing.

They will train with instructors on small dinghies for several weeks. The training program includes a month and a half of training in Spain.

At the end of their training, the young offenders will move from the dinghy to a 65-foot Macgregor yacht named «Defy the Odds» («Defy the Odds»).

The boat's name symbolizes what juvenile delinquents strive to achieve by proving to themselves and society that they are capable of creation.

Mark Hunter, co-founder of SailFuture, the nonprofit organization that developed the program for the Justice Department, admits that not everything about the program goes smoothly.

For example, in the first week of training, a team member stole a car from a crew member and another stole $80 from Hunter's own pocket.

Next month, the team will compete in the Atlantic Cruiser Rally, a 2,700 nautical mile transatlantic sailing race.

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