Couple's delight at winning tickets for luxury holiday

Pat and Nigel Jackson celebrate with Freddie Carr of Ben Ainslie Racing after they won a trip to Bermuda
Picture Ian Hargreaves (161227-2) — Pat and Nigel Jackson celebrate with Freddie Carr of Ben Ainslie Racing after they won a trip to Bermuda Picture Ian Hargreaves (161227-2)

Nigel Jackson, 60, and his wife Pat, 58, won the five-day trip after travelling down to watch the World Series event in Southsea this summer.

Run by Bermuda Tourism Authority and The 1851 Trust, the competition netted £1,500 for the charitable trust.

Nigel said: ‘We came down to watch the Portsmouth event, it was the first time we’d seen it.

‘It was great, the atmosphere and the size of the boat, when you look at it and see it, it’s quite an impressive boat.’

Yesterday the couple went to Landrover BAR’s headquarters at The Camber, in Old Portsmouth, to pick up their prize from Freddie Carr – a sailor on Sir Ben Ainslie’s team – and representatives at the tourist authority.

After popping open a bottle of Champagne to celebrate, Pat added: ‘Winning (the competition) was unbelievable, I don’t normally enter anything.’

The couple had come down for the racing from Nottingham and stayed the weekend, watching from the grandstand. Pat added: ‘The racing was impressive.’

Entrants to the competition had to text in, donating cash to The 1851 Trust, which has The Duchess of Cambridge and Sir Ben as patrons.

The trust runs sailing and education programmes for youngsters.

Jo Stocks, chief executive at the 1851 Trust, said: ‘We raised £1,500 which fantastic. That will all go towards our work with young people.’

At the headquarters yesterday Freddie said: ‘The big thing for us at Portsmouth this year was the number of people who came down to watch us.

‘Nigel and Pat are a great example of that. They came down on the Friday and were in the grand stands for Saturday and Sunday. It’s great for the fan base that they get rewarded and we’ve got that great fan base.’

Nigel and Pat are set to jet off next July, staying at the Hamilton Princess hotel after the America’s Cup World Series event has taken place.

Sir Ben’s team has just increased its lead after racing in Toulon, maintaining its top-of-the-table place ahead of the final leg in Japan in November. The winner in 2017 will take on Team Oracle in the America’s Cup race in 2017 in Bermuda.