Swan skipper Maggie wins top award

Maggie Adamson on the Swan.

Swan skipper Maggie Adamson has been announced Sail Trainer of the Year 2022 at the Sail Training International Awards in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

The award recognises a high performing professional sail trainer, who delivers a sail training programme for young people at sea.

Maggie said: “I’m absolutely delighted, and want to recognise the hard work of all the Swan crew, volunteers and the Trust itself, as well as the enthusiasm of the trainees and other crews they met during the races.  This has all culminated in this special end to a fantastic season.”

Maggie has sailed as part of the Swan crew since 2016 and, with the help of the Trust, she qualified as a skipper in 2019. Due to Covid, 2022 has been Maggie’s first full season as skipper.

In terms of youth sail training this year alone, Maggie has welcomed 216 primary pupils aboard for half-day sails and 110 trainees aged 15-25 for full sail training taster days, as well as 37 trainees aged 15-25 for overnight and longer passages – which included 30 days taking part in the Tall Ships Races with Sail Training Shetland trainees, visiting Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium, followed by the Excelsior Trust Centenary Smack Race, in Lowestoft, England.

With Maggie as skipper, 2022 has been the most successful Tall Ships Races the Swan Trust has ever had, with awards for Most Welcoming Ship, Best in Crew Parade and coming third in Class B in race one from Esbjerg to Harlingen.