A hundred young people in recovery from cancer are to sail into Dover as part of a round Britain Voyage of Discovery.

The Ellen MacArthur Trust and Skandia have announced details of the project which will start in May, 2009, at Cowes on the Isle of Wight, and stop at 20 ports, including Dover.

They will arrive back in Cowes in September, 2009.

The young people will visit hospitals and young people’s treatment centres across the UK which have helped them recover from cancer and leukaemia.

The Ellen MacArthur Trust has been running four-day sailing trips from its base in Cowes since 2003 and over the last three years it has quadrupled the number of young people that it works with all over the UK.

"This is a unique voyage, in that it gives young people in recovery from cancer and leukaemia the chance to share their own experiences with other young people in treatment," said trust spokesman Frank Fletcher.

The crew will be selected from the young people who have sailed with them over the last six years.

Both trust patrons Ellen MacArthur and Shirley Robertson are hoping to join the young people for some part of the voyage.

"This is an amazing project for the trust," said Ellen.

"I cannot fully express the impact that the four-day sailing trips have on these young people.

"So I can only imagine the effects that a voyage around Britain will have.

"In 1995, I sailed around Britain and it is fantastic to see them follow in my footsteps.

"The opportunity for these young people to share their experiences with others in treatment, and show them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel is very, very special."