Cargill Fund

The William Burnell Cargill Fund was created to honor the memory of Bill Cargill, a longtime Southport sailor. The Fund’s mission is to provide money for sailors who are pursuing racing campaigns. The Fund will also be used to support projects that promote safe sailboat racing. To apply for a grant from the Cargill Fund, please click here.

William Burnell Cargill (1/12/56 - 1/15/98)
Bill Cargill was an avid sailor who shared his enthusiasm of the sport with everyone around him. He sailed in the Pacific Ocean and in the Atlantic Ocean but his heart and legacy remain on Long Island Sound.

Bill grew up in Southport, Connecticut, and was an active participant in the Pequot Yacht Club junior sailing program. In college he was an early member of the Georgetown Sailing Team. As an adult, he campaigned his Cal 33, J35 and Frers 41 in almost every racing event from Rye, NY, to Block Island, RI. He captained his Frers 41 “Rolling Thunder” in the 1994 Newport to Bermuda Race. Bill was also an active member of the New York Yacht Club and the Pequot Yacht Club where he was a Governor, Admissions Chair and Fleet Captain.

Bill’s enthusiasm for sailing was contagious and he encouraged everyone around him, whether novice or expert, to participate. He was generous in sharing his knowledge of racing skills and happy to teach beginners the most fundamental aspects of sailing.

At age 42, Bill Cargill was tragically lost at sea during the 1998 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race. His family and friends made donations in his honor to the Southport Sailing Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to the ideals that Bill also shared, and he would be proud to have his name associated with the Foundation and its goals.