Callum sailing into his future

Callum was teamArchie’s first Clipper bursary recipient. He set sail from London in September 2019 taking part in the first leg of the Clipper Round the World Race travelling transatlantic to Uruguay on Zhuhai. The covid interrupted 2019 race will finally finish in London on 31st July.

teamArchie are very excited to announce that we will be offering a bursary for the first leg of the next Clipper race starting in September 2023.

I met up with Callum in Cowes where he was working on board a 72 foot Challenge Yacht, CatZero, giving inexperienced sailors the opportunity to take part in the Round the Island Race. The Yacht is owned by the CatZero charity in Hull which provides sailing experiences and courses to groups of young people and adults as a tool to build self-confidence, teamwork and co-operation. Callum works full time for the charity crewing and maintaining their boats.

I asked Callum how his career has developed since he so inspirationally embraced the opportunity to take part in the Clipper Race in 2019.

“Having taken an RYA exam in November, 2021, I went on to complete the practical, 7-day RYA Yachtmaster Coastal course, covering skills such as mooring buoys, man overboard, chart work, Sailing onto an anchorage, mooring in strong winds and Skippered passages. TeamArchie sponsored me to undertake the course, which started in Hamble, also taking in Cowes and Ocean Village on the Isle of Wight. 

During the 7-day course, I really enjoyed practising the picking up of a buoy under sail as I struggled to do this in the November exam, which I sadly failed, Doing the RYA coastal course last March has helped me to do the necessary prep to take the exam again this coming August.  I feel much more prepared, and I am hopeful that I will pass and gain commercial endorsement as a professional skipper. 

When I pass my late-summer exam it will allow me to become the first mate on CatZero and will be the starting point to becoming the additional qualified person on the Around the World Clipper race which is a big dream of mine. 

I very much appreciate the continued support of teamArchie after giving me the bursary to complete a leg of the Clipper race.  Their help has allowed me to pursue my dream of becoming a professional skipper, which is getting closer with every course and exam I have been able to take during the last year.”

We will be launching the application process for next years race at the end of August. If you, or someone you know, would benefit from the opportunity to take part in the 2023 Clipper Race do get in touch with us info@teamarchie.org