As they hit dry land and returned home to a heroes' reception of hugs and huge cheers, every member of the Spirit of Bermuda crew had an impressive tale to tell.

From chronic sea-sickness and battling ten-foot waves through to brief glimpses of humpback whales, it was clear this historic trip from Maine to Bermuda was far from plain sailing.

But everyone involved agreed the trans-Atlantic journey was a life-changing experience, with the team spirit and camaraderie generated on board second to none. Now organisers hope this maiden voyage will be the first in a long line of morale-boosting and life-affirming experiences for many more Bermudians ? with the challenges thrown up helping equip future generations of youngsters with crucial life skills.

The trip ? ten years in planning ? came at just the right time for 19-year-old Kanhai Woolridge, according to his mother Romel. Over the last few years the teenager had lost friends in bike crashes. More recently another pal, Jason Lightbourne, was gunned down on Ord Road, so the Spirit trip gave Kanhai a chance to reflect.

He's had a lot of time to think about things that he would not normally slow down to think about," said Romel, who was at the Albuoy's Point homecoming with proud grandparents Ruby Woolridge and Heather Darrell. He's seen a lot of his friends get caught up in drugs and a few have been locked up. So it's good to do something new and be around different people."

Kanhai later told The Royal Gazette that the experience was "mind-blowing". One of 24 student crew members, he said he had learnt about discipline, seamanship and the critical role the weather plays on the high seas.

Highlights included catching glimpses of varied marine life, including dolphins and porpoises. And despite about eight hours of sea sickness amid ten foot waves, he said he soon found his ocean legs on the 860-mile sail.

Meanwhile, Romel said her son, who works in banqueting for Fairmont Hotels, had never been on a sail boat before, but jumped at the chance to join the maiden journey.

She said the Spirit was a "great idea" and added: "It's reconnecting with our past. Bermuda has a long history of sailing. I would encourage any young person to take advantage."

The Smith's resident welcomed the news that Spirit would be available to help youngsters who left school without high-school diplomas gain vital qualifications.

Marcus Fox was Spirit's youngest crew member at 15. His parents Hubert Spence and Denise Tucker were beaming with pride when the Berkley Institute-bound pupil arrived back after his first taste of ocean life.

"It was a great experience," said Denise. "Yesterday he called me and said he was on Bermuda seas. He was really excited about coming home."

Hubert said the trip would teach his son to be a man. He added: "This has opened his mind up and widened his horizons.

"I wish we had the Spirit of Bermuda when I was growing up. I think it's going to help the youth of this country a great deal."

Marcus, who plans to become a mechanic, said the voyage helped him learn how to make key decisions.

Another young crew member, Rockal Evans, was given a huge hug by Education Minister Neletha Butterfield when he arrived home.

The 18-year-old, who was one of the Minister's students at the CARE learning base, said 40 knot winds made the first week "really rough". At one stage 13 people had their heads in sick bowls, he recalled.

But despite ordeal, and the shock of 5 a.m. daily starts, the Cable & Wireless intern said the week had been a "great experience", with rope work, navigating and hammock construction new skills now under his belt.

"Coping with other people in different situations is important," he said. "You have to get along."

Rockal clearly wasn't put off heading back on to the ocean, as he was due to take part in a dinghy world championship in Charleston, USA, yesterday. Fellow crew member Clint Smith, from the Department of Education, was on board to see how Spirit could be used for future pupils. And he was impressed with what he witnessed. "It's hard to tell behavioural changes right away, but it appears this is going to be a major success.

"If people can't learn from this I wonder what there is out there that they can learn from."

He said that with 32 people on the boat meant there was not much room to manoeuvre. "The camaraderie and team spirit was tremendous."

Navigator Mark Soares said: "We have really brought home a Bermuda icon."

He has a dozen years of navigating experience, but he had never before guided a vessel inspired by an early 19th Century sloop design.

He usually charters yachts with high-tech equipment. The 112-foot long Spirit, however, took a lot more manpower. Nine people alone were needed to raise each of the boat's three huge near-100 foot masts.

"Nobody's alive who has sailed something like this before. We were really trying to recreate what our ancestors used to do around the 1830s.

"It was very experimental. We had a lot of knowledgeable people in different fields to figure it all out and we certainly got the boat to perform very, very well."

With all the crew gathered on a podium at Albuoy's Point on Saturday afternoon, Giles Spurling, from St. George's, performed a reggae song with lyrics celebrating the trip.

The 23-year-old, who has completed the Newport-Bermuda race three times, said he had never sailed in winds as high as those encountered last week.

And after five days' sailing and about 20 hours sleep, he said he was glad to be home.

His highlight? Steering the vessel in 25 knot winds and driving rain. "It was kind of cool to be able to drive it like a steam engine through the waves in the dark," said Giles, who has just started working for a Hamilton re-insurance firm. "That was a real challenge."

Echoing the thoughts of all the crew, he said he had learnt a great deal about team work as a diverse crew grouped together.

"The boat was split into three watches. Everything we did we worked as a team ? nothing was done as individuals."