Kiwi sailing legend Lion New Zealand is about to become part of a unique project to inspire young New Zealanders with untapped potential.

Lion New Zealand, Sir Peter Blake's boat in the 1985 Whitbread race, will this weekend add a sailing element to the Project K programme's "Wilderness Adventure".

Twelve Year 10 students from Birkenhead College will board Lion New Zealand in Tauranga this weekend and will learn how to sail, navigate, and cook on board as they lead themselves north to Great Barrier Island.

Guided by instructors from the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre, the students will start their 19-day journey in kayaks, switching to bikes before sailing on Lion New Zealand.  At Great Barrier, they will spend three days tramping, before sailing back to Auckland's Viaduct.

The Project K programme, founded by Graeme Dingle and Jo-anne Wilkinson under the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD), is designed to inspire Year 10 students with untapped potential.

This pilot programme with the Lion New Zealand Trust and the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre may lead to more cooperative ventures around the country. 

"Both trusts look forward to taking the opportunity to teach the students the legacy and philosophies of Sir Peter Blake as they journey," a statement says.

- © Fairfax NZ News