Congratulations to Clare Buckingham, the Nancy Blackett Trust’s Young Sailor of the Year in 2018, who has just been awarded the prestigious title of Best Potential Sail Training Skipper by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and ASTO (the Association of Sail Training Organisations).

Clare Buckingham receiving her award.

This title follows on from Clare’s success in ASTO’s Small Ships Race last October, when she skippered the Discovery Project’s Alexander Fairey to third place in her class, and won the Seven Seas Club trophy for being the youngest skipper in the race.

Clare, who, at age 18 in 2018, had already set out on a career as a Tall Ships sailor, was recommended to the Nancy Blackett Trust for assistance from its Young Sailors Fund by her neighbour in her home village in Herefordshire. She spent much of that summer sailing Nancy Blackett, quickly qualifying as a Skipper.

Clare Buckingham (second from left) aboard Nancy Blackett at St Katharine Dock, London. Photo: John Smith.

Last year she went on to further training with the help of a much-prized Trinity House Bursary, while still finding time to skipper Nancy Blackett in the Solent, taking the Arthur Ransome Society’s ex-president Sophie Neville for a sail.

The Nancy Blackett Trust’s Young Sailors Fund exists to encourage young people to explore and enjoy traditional sailing. It is funded mainly by our annual raffle and other donations. For more details, or to apply, go to our Grants page.