FIVE years on from Sailing for a fiver, Portland’s Adam Greaves has developed an action-packed life on the water.

The Royal Manor Arts College pupil will be holding a presentation for members of the Westham Community Group about his Tall Ship Pelican Sailing experience this Tuesday.

The 15-year-old undertook the voyage with his school in April after the Westham Community Group kindly contributed to his costs of the trip.

The evening commences at 7pm at Weymouth Fire Station and everyone is welcome.

Greaves, who developed a love of the sport through the Sail for a Fiver scheme run at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) by SailLaser and The Chesil Trust charity, will also be competing in next month’s National Schools Sailing Regatta.

He will be racing on Portland Harbour during the week-long event held at the WPNSA.

His mum Mandy Greaves, of Southwell, said: “SailLaser have very kindly said that they will loan him a boat for the duration of this regatta and he has been lucky enough to secure funding from the Isle of Portland Rotary Club for the £140 entry fee.

“He is very grateful as without either of these, it was unlikely that he could take part in the event.

“He is very much looking forward to the event, which takes place just before the Olympics.”

The week after the sailing regatta, Year 10 student Greaves will be undertaking a week’s work experience at SailLaser at the WPNSA. Despite already amassing more than 500 hours volunteering time at the Olympic sailing venue, he believes it is ‘not cheating’ as his friends claim but instead ‘sensible’ as he can practice his instructor skills.

When he is 16 in October, Greaves hopes to be in a position to take the dinghy instructor course and ‘do it for real’.

He said: “Sail for a Fiver seems so long ago now but in actual fact it is exactly five years since I did that.

“It doesn’t seem possible that the one afternoon sailing has led to all it has.

“I am enjoying every moment as much in the dinghies as with the yachting.

“I have particularly enjoyed the Castle Cove sailing in association with SailLaser because it has enabled me to race with others that I would not usually get a chance to sail with.

“I have been pretty pleased with the results too – over the last seven races, I have come second four times, fourth twice and sixth once out of a racing fleet of approximately 20.”

He added: “Yachting with Weymouth Sailing Club out in the bay is great fun too especially when it’s blowing a bit.

“And I am really looking forward to the Round the Island Race later this month when I will be bowman on the yacht Farr Out.

“I would urge any of the participants of this year’s Sail for a Fiver, which is going on at the moment, to really enjoy their session and make the most of it as you really don’t know where it’s going to lead.

“And to be sailing on the same waters that the 2012 Olympians will race on in a few weeks’ time is a real privilege.”