The ceremony, taking place on Saturday, 5 September, aboard the tall ship Morgenster at Port Pendennis Marina, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Classic Sailing and formally mark its launch as a Community Interest Company (CIC).

The identity of the Cornish figure leading the ceremony is being kept under wraps until the event for security reasons, but organisers say they are ideally placed to highlight the importance of Cornwall’s maritime sector and its communities.

Classic Sailing was founded in St Mawes by Adam and Debbie Purser in 1996 and, over the past three decades, has introduced more than 12,000 people to the experience of traditional sailing.

The organisation has worked with more than 30 historic vessels in the UK and overseas, giving participants the opportunity to get involved in sailing working boats and tall ships alongside professional crews.

Importantly, no previous sailing experience is required.

Rather than simply preserving historic vessels as static exhibits, Classic Sailing focuses on keeping traditional boats working at sea and making them accessible to people who want to experience sailing them first-hand.

The move to become a Community Interest Company will give Classic Sailing a defined public purpose, with any surplus generated by the organisation being reinvested into sailing bursaries designed to help widen access to traditional sailing.

The new structure will also support working heritage vessels, professional crews and the continuation of valuable maritime skills.

Classic Sailing co-founder Adam Purser said the organisation's new direction reflected lessons learned during its first 30 years.

“I think if Community Interest Companies had existed thirty years ago, we’d have started that way,” he said.

“Now everything Debbie and I have learned can help more people discover traditional sailing.”

He added that the bell ringing would represent more than simply a change in company structure.

“It will signal our intention to widen access while helping traditional vessels continue working at sea.”

The formal bell ringing is expected to take place at approximately 6.45pm, with the evening also featuring music from local shanty group Bowside.

The event will bring together people from across Cornwall’s maritime community to celebrate three decades of Classic Sailing and look ahead to its next chapter.

For an organisation founded on the principle of keeping traditional vessels active and accessible, the ringing of a ship’s bell aboard Morgenster promises to be a fitting way to signal the start of that new era.

For more information visit classic-sailing.com/article/category/classic-sailing-cic/about-classic-sailing-cic