Saltus graduates heard that, like the tall ships, they were setting sail on a new leg of their journey, when guest speaker Larry Mussenden spoke at their graduation ceremony in the Hamilton Anglican Cathedral yesterday.

"Then I envisioned that each of you was a tall ship. You were the Libertads , Kruzenshterns , Mirs , Juan Sebastians , Lord Nelsons , and Amerigo Vespuccis ,'' Mr. Mussenden told the students.

"I thought of the flotilla of hundreds of boats that took to the water to say farewell to the tall ships and I thought of all your teachers, parents and friends that are out to support you today,'' continued the Crown counsel, "that we will go so far with you but there is a point when we wave goodbye to you and you go on without us.

"When you got off St. David's, I saw you letting your sails down heading into the world.

"I realised that like tall ships you had a lot of internal components to make you work, like discipline, commitment and endurance.'' The graduating class also heard from Saltus Headmaster Nigel Kermode.

"How about a final quiz?'' he offered the graduates.

Mr. Kermode asked graduates to remember the five most wealthy people in the world, five Heisman trophy winners, five Ms America Pageant winners, ten Nobel or Pulitzer prize holders and half a dozen Academy Award winners.

"No one remembers those headliners of yesterday. The applause soon subsides,'' he said -- before challenging graduates with another quiz.

He asked them to remember a few teachers who really helped them, name three friends who helped them get past a hard time, five people who taught them worthwhile lessons and half a dozen people who inspired them.

"It's the people, not the headliners, that count. The ones that care,'' said Mr. Kermode.