Despite the early morning drizzle thousands of school children from all over the country were in their element as the first school tours of the Let's Do It Schools Program visited the Galway Volvo Ocean Race village on Monday May 25th. As part of the Let's Do It Schools programme, over 10,000 school students from 20 counties in Ireland are booked into free school tours of the Galway Volvo Ocean Race village over the two weeks the festival from May23-June 6.

Over 15,000 Irish students nationwide are participating in the Let's Do It Schools programme which introduces students to areas of learning associated with the sport of sailing. Facilitated through the Let's Do It Schools website www.letsdoitschools.com thousands of students are eagerly following the Volvo Ocean Race online through a variety of podcasts and newsfeeds, crew blogs, and news updates, and they now have the opportunity to experience the Volvo Ocean Race first hand at the Galway Volvo Ocean Race Village through the school tour programme.

Dressed in their red HB rain ponchos the first group of visiting students were enthralled by the variety of boats that are currently docked in the Galway marina. PUMA'a ‘The White Mostro' drew a particularly large crowd as the children got a close up view of the mighty Volvo 70, their squeals of delight a clear indication of the success of the tour.

The highlight of the school tour is a Question & Answer session with sailors from the Volvo Ocean Race. Top Irish Sailors Damian Foxhall and Justin Slattery who are both enjoying the stopover in Galway before continuing their round the world race onboard the Green Dragon, have both stated that their inspiration to become sailors came from supporting NCB Ireland in the Whitbread Round the World Race when they were young. These Q&A sessions were developed with the intention of inspiring the Irish sailing heroes of the future and Let's Do It Schools Coordinator John Murphy said that seeing the students eagerly interact with the Volvo sailors makes his job all the more rewarding.

Aimed at teachers, parents and students in primary and secondary schools throughout Ireland the schools programme introduces students to areas associated with the ‘marine world' including climate, technology, geography, history and the marine environment. Chairman of Let's Do It Global, Enda O' Coineen said that he was confident that by introducing so many Irish children to the sport during the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/09, the schools programme would leave a lasting legacy for Irish sailing and with 4000 students having passed through the village and more than 6000 yet to visit this goal is well on its way to fruition.

The Ocean Adventure Schools Programme 2008-2009 is sponsored by HB, Irish Independent and Volvo Cars Ireland.