The sport of sailing in County Antrim is in fine form, with two sailors winning awards at the Sportsperson of the Year event run by the Mid and East Antrim Council.
Calum Pollard from County Antrim Yacht Club in Whitehead on the north shore of Belfast Lough was awarded the Junior Sportsperson of the Year. The criteria were that the junior athlete achieved outstanding results in respect of their performances within their sport and must be under 18 on 31 December 2022.
13-year-old Calum is the 2022 International Topper Class Association (ITCA) Topper 4.2 World Champion, the 2022 Topper 4.2 Irish Champion and the 2021/2022 ITCA Topper Ireland 4.2 Series Champion.
Calum has won every event he entered during the 2022 sailing season at club, regional, county, national and international level. Undoubtedly the icing on the cake in Calum’s racing career so far was the Gold medal at the ITCA 4.2 World Championship in July 2022 at Lake Garda in Italy. He was the overall ITCA Ireland 4.2 2022 Series Champion and was shortlisted for Irish Youth Sailor of the Year.
Calum is a County Antrim YC member and competed in many club series last season, winning 1st place overall in single-handed and double-handed classes. To help promote the sport of sailing he was an RYA Assistant Instructor in training at the club last season and coached the more experienced junior sailors in advanced racing. In recognition of his contribution and inspiration, Calum was awarded at the club’s Prize Giving, the Ian Maxwell Trophy for Most Enthusiastic Junior.
Having set his 2023 goals, we can expect to see Calum in other classes this year. To win Mid & East Antrim Borough Council Junior Sports Person of the Year and having the backing of his local Council has given him huge encouragement.
Peter Darragh, Commodore of County Antrim YC said, "We are delighted for Calum that his dedication, skill and success has been recognised at these prestigious awards. Calum was up against successful young sportspeople from myriad other sports, serving to underline what a great young ambassador he is for the sport of sailing generally, as well as his Club, school, region and country. We couldn’t be more proud of all his achievements, and we hope this accolade boosts him as he starts his 2023 sailing season.”
The Services to Sport award is awarded to an individual who, over several years, has displayed an outstanding contribution as a volunteer in the support, administration, promotion and/or delivery of services to the sport, and this year it was awarded to Terry Windsor of Carrickfergus Sailing Club a former Commodore.
Terry Windsor of Carrickfergus Sailing Club
He has been a CSC member since 1955. The club is also on the north shore of Belfast Lough, about four miles west of Whitehead. Terry has had a long career as a competitive and successful sailor. He has owned and sailed many well-known cruiser racers after whetting his appetite in Flying Fifteens. In 1960 he bought a bigger boat, Mipso, a Nicholson 26. Many Belfast Lough sailors will remember Terry and his boats – the Nicholson 303 Blue Moon, in which he won his class in the 1985 Scottish Series, and especially the Contessa 35 Gumdrop, in which he was involved in a dramatic rescue of the crew of a capsized J24 on the 1986 Bangor to Tarbert Feeder race. The hefty Gumdrop crew hauled the J24 crew on board and continued to race. Despite the rescue, they won the race and, more importantly, were awarded the Ferrier Seamanship Trophy for displaying a responsible attitude to the art of seamanship. Terry tells me he was Skipper on Roy Hamilton’s legendary Ron Holland one-tonner Imp when she won Class 6 in the 1990 Round Ireland Race, and no doubt Terry is pleased to see Imp refitted by owner George Radley and launched last year in Cork Harbour.
Terry will be continuing as Chief Race Officer at Carrickfergus.
