Cruising Club of America announces 2015 Awards

by Jan Harley on 20 Jan 2016 The Cruising Club of America (CCA) has announced the recipients of the organization’s five major awards for 2015.

The Blue Water Medal “Without Date” is awarded to Australian native Jon Sanders in recognition of a lifetime of sailing achievements, including nine circumnavigations; the Blue Water Medal, awarded to British sailors Tom and Vicky Jackson, recognizes their extensive racing and cruising over more than 34 years; the Far Horizons Award, awarded to Canadian sailors Kaspar and Trisha Schibli, recognizes a meritorious series of cruises aboard their yacht Starfire; the Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship is awarded to Canadian cruisers George Juri and Grit Chiu for their lifesaving rescue in critical conditions; and the Richard S. Nye Trophy is awarded to John E. Sanford of Tiburon, Calif., for meritorious service to the CCA.

The award recipients will be celebrated at the CCA’s annual Awards Dinner at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan on March 4, 2016.

Blue Water Medal “Without Date” Awarded to Jon Sanders

Since the award’s establishment in 1923, the CCA has presented the Blue Water Medal “Without Date” only five times. The award is to recognize “a meritorious example of seamanship” that ranges over a lifetime of achievement. Jon Sanders, a native of Perth, Australia, was cited for his nine circumnavigations – eight of them solo, including a single “three times around” voyage, and one crewed – and a lifetime of significant contributions to sailing. For more on Jon Sanders, please click here.

Blue Water Medal Awarded to Tom and Vicky Jackson

Established in 1923, the Blue Water Medal recognizes “a meritorious example of seamanship.” The CCA has selected British sailors Tom and Vicky Jackson to receive its 2015 award in recognition of the extensive cruising and racing they have done aboard their 40’ Sparkman and Stephens-designed Sunstone over the past 34 years. Including a circumnavigation, they have covered close to 200,000 miles on the now nearly 50-year-old sloop. For more about the Jacksons, who met while crewing together in the Fastnet Race, please click here.

Far Horizons Award Goes to Kaspar and Trisha Schibli

The CCA’s Far Horizon Award was established 2005 to recognize “a particularly meritorious cruise or series of cruises that exemplify the objects of the Club as stated in its Constitution.” Kaspar and Trisha Schibli of Victoria, British Columbia, were cited for their extensive offshore cruising, including, specifically, their current multi-ocean cruise which they began having already accomplished a five-year 50,000 mile circumnavigation. For more on the Schiblis, please click here.

Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship
Awarded to George Juri and Grit Chiu

The Rod Stephens Trophy for Outstanding Seamanship was established in 2000 “for an act of seamanship that significantly contributes to the safety of a yacht or one or more individuals at sea.” Canadian cruisers George Juri and Grit Chiu were cited for their short-handed rescue in extremely difficult weather conditions of a man found floating offshore in the waters of Southeast Asia. The man had been in the water for four days following the sinking of a work barge off Phuket. For more on Juri and Chiu’s rescue, please click here.

Richard S. Nye Trophy Awarded to John E. Sanford

The CCA’s Richard S. Nye Trophy was established in 1978 to recognize a member “who has brought distinction to the Club by meritorious service, outstanding seamanship, outstanding performance in long distance cruising or racing, statesmanship in the affairs of international racing, or any combination of the above.” John E. Sanford of Tiburon, Calif., was cited for meritorious service to the CCA and the San Francisco Station over a period of 34 years, continuously participating in CCA activities since becoming a member in 1981, including as Rear Commodore of CCA’s San Francisco station which organized and managed the successful 1999 Club cruise to New Zealand. For more on Sanford’s contributions to the CCA, please click here.