National icon must be salvaged urgently

WHY is the process of raising Asgard II from the bed of the Bay of Biscay so painfully slow?

We are drip-fed slightly upbeat news items at irregular intervals, while every month that passes increases the danger of irreparable damage to this wonderful vessel.

It will be a tragedy for sail training as well as our maritime heritage if the vessel is not saved. Jack Tyrrell’s Asgard II is a proper sailing vessel whose design and construction was firmly rooted in the tradition of sail.