Jersey Clipper Bursary goes to one of Britain’s top young sailors

Sunday 21 May 2017

Tom Pollard, a St Catherine’s Sailing Club assistant instructor, has been awarded the 2017 Jersey Clipper Bursary, worth £1,000.

The award, made in association with the Jersey branch of Swiss bank UBS, will help to fund the 16-year-old’s participation representing Great Britain in the Laser 4.7 World Championships in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, in July.

Mr Pollard said: “I feel very honoured and proud to be selected as the winner of the Jersey Clipper Bursary and I look forward to the opportunities it will provide.”

“Since my application I have also been selected to represent Great Britain in the Laser Radial Youth World Championships taking place in Medemblik, Holland, in August, and with these international experiences I hope to inspire the younger members of St Catherine’s Sailing Club and help to improve the standard of sailing.”

Pictured: Tom Pollard, a Victoria College student, has been awarded the 2017 Jersey Clipper Bursary

In addition, thanks to an anonymous donation, the Jersey Clipper Bursary trustees have been able to present a runner’s up award of £500 to 17-year-old Hobie Cat sailor Ollie Voak who is travelling to Noordwijk in Holland to race in the European Multihull Championships.

Ollie Voak, who goes to Victoria College along with Mr Pollard, has been racing Hobie Cats since he was ten and has recently been busy training for the European Championships in July.

Pictured: Ollie Voak, the recipient of the runner-up 2017 Jersey Clipper Bursary

Mr Voak said: “I have gained first position in the local Spring Series Hobie Spinnaker class and, with upcoming training days with top UK multihull coach Brian Phipps, I believe I have a great chance of successfully representing Jersey at this event.”

“Competing in the Europeans against world-class sailors of many different nationalities has long been a personal goal, and the award will make a big difference to me in funding this exciting challenge.”

The annual Jersey Clipper Bursary, a legacy from the three Jersey campaigns in the Clipper Round-the-World Race, was established in 2007 through the generosity of Dandara, Les Pas Holdings and UBS.

Further funding has since been provided by local boat-owner Nigel Philpott, the Island’s three former Harbourmasters – Capt Roy Bullen, Capt Brian Nibbs and Capt Howard Le Cornu – and, most recently, UBS.